Teaching Digital Skills and SDGs to Primary School Students in Rural China

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. It is on the ground in 177 countries, working on solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP China assists China in developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges and works to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by reducing poverty, strengthening the rule of law and democratic governance, and by promoting environmental sustainability and South-South Cooperation.

In this era of rapid technological advancement, our daily lives are continuously shaped by innovative technologies. From artificial intelligence to aerospace, these fields subtly drive social progress, a development also attributed to enhancing scientific literacy among individuals. Therefore, we must start with education to cultivate the curiosity and passion for science in the next generation of youth. Education is at the heart of the United Nations’ work, and ensuring accessible, equitable, and high-quality education is the key to realizing the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In China, rural education has always played a fundamental and pioneering role. Developing rural STEM education enhances students' comprehensive qualities and contributes to the equitable development of education overall. In July of 2023, the "HER Digital Future Bootcamp" was initiated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) China Office, hosted by One Kilogram Box, and supported by the Tencent SSV Digital Teaching Lab. Since its launch, it has attracted the active participation of hundreds of offline volunteer teams, leading and supporting rural girls to embark on their technological dreams right at their doorsteps. Furthermore, we will launch the "HER Digital Future" series of courses on the Digital Volunteer Teaching Lab (企鹅支教平台) to encourage and mobilize more individuals committed to advancing rural education and illuminating more children's technological dreams. Children in relatively remote rural elementary schools can enjoy high-quality science education through the dual-teacher classroom method.

This project aims to engage 500 Online Volunteers for mentoring collaboration with students from rural elementary schools. This initiative will utilize a dual-teacher remote teaching method, with physical classrooms equipped with integrated machines, large screens, cameras, microphones, and other hardware to support remote lessons, thus overcoming geographical barriers. Online Volunteers will focus on delivering knowledge through the Digital Volunteer Teaching Lab (企鹅支教平台) where they will prepare and live stream their lessons. Online volunteers will be responsible for the following tasks: 1. Complete a pre-assignment evaluation form. 2. Training Participation: Attend three online training sessions from late August to early September and complete certification to understand their volunteer roles and responsibilities better. 3. Lesson Preparation: Work with a co-volunteer (paired independently or by the project team) to complete ten lessons' preparation for the fall semester. 4. Teaching: Work with a co-volunteer to deliver ten lessons through the Digital Volunteer Teaching Lab (企鹅支教平台) during the fall semester, with an expected time commitment of approximately 2 hours per lesson. 5. Feedback Submission: Record and document real-time activities and complete a feedback questionnaire upon completing all courses.