Shanxi University’s volunteer teacher program focused on "left behind" village children won a silver award in the 3rd Nationwide Competition of Youth Volunteering Projects.

Participants and presenters line up for a photo in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, at the awards ceremony to recognize young volunteers from around the country. More than 800 people representing the China Communist Youth League, Central Civilization Office, Zhejiang provincial government, and a series of Chinese public welfare institutions and associations were at the opening of the event which ran from Dec 1 to 3, 2016. [Photo from news.youth.cn]

504 volunteering programs entered the finals out of more than 1,000 competing groups and ten received awards in the end. Shanxi University was listed as one of the top ten winners for its exceptional project management and operation.

The program, started in July 2015, serves as a part of the university’s endeavor to respond to the country’s Youth Volunteer Poverty-Relief Relay Project in rural areas. The national project was initiated by the Communist Youth League of China (CYL) in 1996, and since then young people have been going to underdeveloped regions and providing six months to two-years of service in basic education, health care, the extension of agriculture technology, and others fields.

As the program progressed, it completed building a teaching base, offering assistance to create a library, and raising donations for the "left behind" kids.

The program sets its service base at Boshui Elementary School in Jingle county of Shanxi province’s city of Xinzhou. The founding ceremony was held on Nov 28, 2016. With its efforts, the elementary school received a donation of 6,900 yuan (about $1,003) and 65 other presents. [Photo from sxu.edu.cn]

Shanxi University’s competing team takes a group photo to mark the occasion. [Photo from sxu.edu.cn]

China Youth Daily interviewed and published a feature story to outline the program. China Youth Daily is the official newspaper of Communist Youth League of China (CYL).