Poverty alleviation work team’s ‘dream-chaser classroom’ gives left-behind children in Heilongjiang new love of learning

Children in Fu’an village, Shengli township, Tangyuan county, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province have been performing better academically and become increasingly thoughtful thanks to a special project named “dream-chaser classroom”.

“The ‘dream-chaser classroom’ has not only improved children’s academic performances and reduced the financial burden on parents, but has also given left-behind children more knowledge about extra-curricular subjects through classes on subjects such as painting, vocal music, and piano. The launching of safety and health courses will also be helpful for their growth in the future,” said Ma Lei, a member of a poverty alleviation work team stationed in Fu’an village.

In fact, when the project was launched by the team three years ago, many villagers thought it was just another “vanity project”.

This misunderstanding was quickly dispelled by the gratifying changes that took place in the children. Parents were surprised to find that after attending classes in the “dream-chaser classroom” during a winter vacation, their children became more active in their studies. This was in stark contrast to the past, when they only did their homework after their teachers and parents urged them to. Now, they immediately run to the “dream-chaser classroom” to read books and do their homework after school.

With the help of the special classroom, one naughty elementary school boy named Li Jian who didn’t like studying can now recite at least ten ancient poems, while a junior middle school student named Yu Yang has seen much better academic performances than before and was admitted to a key high school in Tangyuan county as a result.

With the disruption caused by the COVID-19 epidemic to children’s regular lives and studies this year, the project has given priority to ensuring that children enjoy their learning and that they don’t fall behind in their studies.

The poverty alleviation work team dispatched by the Jiamusi education bureau to Fu’an village has made full use of its advantages in education resources and carried out an online teaching activity for local children, according to Ma Li, an official of Shengli township.

While making sure that the regular school courses run smoothly, the work team has invited top teachers from various elementary and middle schools in Jiamusi to give interest-oriented online classes on subjects including psychology, music, fine arts, traditional Chinese culture, and sports to children in Fu’an village.

During this year’s International Children’s Day, “dream-chaser classroom” held a kite-themed activity to enrich children’s spiritual and cultural lives. The activity involved children making hand-painted kites and gaining knowledge about kites, enhancing their abilities and wisdom through practice and increasing their love for life.

In the future, the project will also provide courses for adults, said Ma, adding that the “dream-chaser classroom” is planning to invite experts to teach villagers how to raise livestock using scientific methods, grow vegetables in a green and organic way, and also improve the value of agricultural products.