Week 1 Reflection: Stepping Stones in Shanghai

Collaborations and First Impressions

This is the first week of my Leadership in Action (LiA) project, and I chose to complete it in Shanghai, China. The non-profit organization I am working with is Stepping Stones, which focuses on providing quality education and resources to disadvantaged children and youth in China. The main beneficiaries include migrant children and youth, rural children and youth, children from low-income families in Shanghai, and children with special needs.

Working with Stepping Stones has been an eye-opening experience. The organization addresses the educational needs of children who have been negatively impacted by rural-urban migration. Many of these children either attend schools for migrant workers' children, which often have lower educational standards, or they remain in rural areas with even fewer resources. Stepping Stones also provides professional and language training to English teachers to amplify their impact.

New Environment

Being in Shanghai feels amazing. The city is incredibly modern, and knowing Mandarin has made my transition much smoother. Shanghai is bustling with life, and I am excited to explore more of it as I continue my project.

Expectations vs. Reality

The experience so far has exceeded my expectations. I anticipated a rewarding but challenging project, and I have already felt the impact of our work in just one week. The collaboration with my team members and the organization has been smooth and productive, setting a positive tone for the weeks to come.

Activities of the First Week

During my first week, I immersed myself in learning about the organization and meeting my team members. I am part of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) team, where we focus on designing summer camp materials for the children. This week, I utilized various online resources to understand the basic components of social-emotional learning. Our framework includes five core skill areas:

1. Self-Awareness

   • Healthy sense of identity
   • Self-reflection
   • Understanding thoughts and feelings
   • Self-respect
   • Sense of purpose

2. Self-Management

   • Belief in the importance of voice and choices
   • Overcoming challenges
   • Agency to make a difference
   • Managing feelings
   • Staying motivated

3. Social Awareness

   • Sense of belonging and trust
   • Feeling accepted and included
   • Understanding perspectives

4. Relationship Skills

5. Responsible Decision-Making

The CASEL framework guides our approach, focusing on the classroom, school, families, and community to build relationships and skills that promote healthy well-being and help students understand perspectives and share ideas.

Survey Analysis and Lesson Planning

In addition to framework development, I started working on pre-class and post-class survey analysis to understand more about the student population and their needs. This data will inform our lesson plans and help us tailor our approach to the students we serve. We also prepared for our next week’s meeting, where we will finalize the big topics and small goals for the 18 lessons planned for the summer camp.

Classroom Visits and Engagement

I had the opportunity to visit several SEL classes, where I connected with the students and volunteers. Seeing the children engage with the material and interact with their peers was incredibly rewarding. It has been a fantastic start to my project, and I am looking forward to the weeks ahead.

Stay tuned for more updates on my journey with Stepping Stones and the incredible work we are doing in Shanghai! #BarnardCollege