Written and Photographed by: Gao Huanrun, Project Supervisor

        On a sunny early winter day in Tengchong, November 24, 2025, the Humana People to People Tengchong Ecological Civilization and Low-Carbon Life Education Project welcomed a visit from the Beijing Sany Foundation. Through demonstration lessons, teacher training, and exchange forums, both parties jointly embarked on an in-depth exploration journey into ecological education and future science education.

Ecological Civilization Education Demonstration Lessons and Activities

         That morning, project members Gao Huanrun and Chen Siqi delivered the low-carbon demonstration lesson "The Earth Has a Fever" at Wuhe Township Central Kindergarten and the low-carbon student club activity "The Magic of Sunlight—Cyanotype" at Wuhe Township Central Primary School, respectively.

          Through these demonstrations, the Beijing Sany Foundation gained an understanding of the fundamentals of the Humana People to People Tengchong Ecological Civilization and Low-Carbon Life Education Project. Based on the logical framework of awareness, knowledge, and low-carbon Life actions, age-appropriate ecological civilization education is provided to children in kindergartens and primary schools. Using "games" and "experiments," children are guided to recognize nature, understand climate change, and actively respond to it. Additionally, Tengchong's natural resources and climate conditions are integrated into the teaching and activities to enhance the children's understanding of climate change education.

Let's Make a Seesaw Together

        The "Wala Wala Tanke Education" project is a science education initiative launched by the Beijing Sany Public Welfare Foundation, centered on children's autonomous learning. With the support of the Sany Foundation, approximately 55 participants—including vice principals in charge of science and science teachers from Humana's Tengchong project schools and Tengchong Science Experimental Zone schools—experienced a distinctive science demonstration lesson.

       Trainer Li Wenjia from the Sany Foundation used the universally loved "seesaw" as an entry point to introduce the training content: designing a favorite seesaw. Through team division and collaboration, group members actively discussed and brainstormed, using tools from material kits to handcraft their ideal seesaws.

        Making a common seesaw proved challenging—teams had to unify opinions, decide on fulcrums, and secure the overall frame. Under Li Wenjia's guidance, groups continuously practiced hands-on, reflected on deviations between the finished products and their plans, optimized designs with standardized material kits for safety and stability, and finally shared their results to form a complete cognitive loop.

        The session concluded that team collaboration is key to problem-solving, trial and error is the premise of exploration, and hands-on practice is core to accumulating experience. The teachers expressed high enthusiasm, stating, "This is what science classes should be like—letting students practice instead of just listening to theories."

Longnan Training

      On November 29–30, the Tanke Education Project Team held an offline training at Pingya Central Primary School in Longnan. The activity used diverse formats to build a bridge for Tanke teachers toward professional growth, personal development, and educational innovation. Gao Huanrun and Chen Siqi from Humana's ecological civilization project also participated in this training.

Experts from the Tanke Education Project Team shared insights from two perspectives: integrating Tanke Education with school-based curricula, and key points for enhancing teachers' professional competencies. Using a combination of theory and examples, they explained pathways for combining Tanke Education (practical, experiential science education) with school-based curricula—including curriculum framework design and activity carrier development—and discussed curriculum research logic and teaching innovation methods to improve teachers' professional skills. Participants also explored the challenges of implementing Tanke spaces in rural schools (e.g., resource shortages) and how to design Tanke activities using low-cost materials.

         The training provided valuable insights for the two Humana staff members: project activities should be student-centered with teachers in a supporting role; local curricula should be developed by integrating various high-quality courses to stimulate creativity. They also identified areas for improvement in Humana's project implementation. In future activities, they will apply the knowledge gained to enhance and innovate project practices.

       This event not only allowed the Sany Foundation to gain a deeper understanding of the real needs of rural education in Tengchong but also planted the seeds of Tanke Education in the teachers' hearts. In the future, the three parties will continue to collaborate to promote the deep integration of ecological enlightenment and Tanke practice, helping Tengchong's children grow into future-oriented creators through hands-on learning and thinking. We firmly believe that the best education is always the vibrant practice of "learning by doing."

Project Introduction:

       The Tengchong City Ecological Civilization and Low Carbon Life Education Project is supported by HPP Baltic, and implemented by HPP China, cooperating with the Tengchong City Education and Sports Bureau. The project provides support to 15 central elementary schools and central kindergartens in Tengchong City, establishes demonstration classes for demonstration lessons, forms ecological civilization and low-carbon life students' environmental protection clubs and organizes related activities, and together with the teachers of the school's science team explores future goals and curriculum for the experimental schools, with the aim of raising the environmental protection awareness and practical ability of teachers and students, and promoting the formation of a green and low-carbon life style.

This article represents only the author's views and is independent of the positions of the funders.