Xin Yuanhua, a retired teacher from Ningbo in Zhejiang Province (eastern China), first registered as a volunteer teacher in 2015. Four years later, his wife Teng Chong joined him. Together, the couple has visited more than 50 rural schools, notably in Hunan Province (central China) and Sichuan Province (southwestern China).
Xin Yuanhua popularizes scientific knowledge while Teng Chong provides mental health counseling. The children affectionately call them “Magic Grandpa” and “Dear Grandma.”
Xin Yuanhua’s ties with children in mountainous regions began more than ten years ago. A retired professor from Ningbo University of Technology, he was 69 years old when he responded without hesitation to a volunteer teacher recruitment notice in the summer of 2015. Despite his age, he was admitted to the program as one of the few volunteers for science teaching.
His first teaching assignment took him to Shangrao, in neighboring Jiangxi Province (eastern China). During this two‑week stay, the children were captivated by his scientific experiments. Seeing their thirst for scientific knowledge and the lack of quality teaching resources, Xin Yuanhua felt deeply concerned. Back in Ningbo, he immersed himself in study and designed new practical experiments.
Under his guidance, a growing number of children developed curiosity for science. Their enthusiasm continues to motivate Xin Yuanhua. “I have constantly found ways to improve the effects of the experiments,” he said. #education
(Source: People’s Daily Online)