Migrant students come to Shanghai with their parents and live on the outer edges of the city. Migrant workers and their families come from all over China. In Shanghai, a large percentage hail from Anhui and Sichuan. Migrants often work contract laborers or small business owners selling fruits and vegetables. Children will sometimes assist their parents in their work before and after school. Families often have more than one child.
The lives of migrant students are largely unstable as they move to different cities and different schools each year or even semester. Few attend public schools within the city, facing discrimination from classmates and teachers alike. Perhaps after spending most of their lives moving around, students must return to their hometowns if they wish to study and test for their college entrance exams.
Migrant students are often left without a real sense of belonging. They neither consider themselves Shanghai citizens, nor feel ties to their hometown. With limited educational opportunities, many are likely to follow in their parents footsteps, working as contract laborers or food merchants.
It is therefore of vital importance to provide not only better education but increase emotional support for these children. As one expert put it: “They see skyscrapers all day, but they live in low dark areas.” By showing our care to these children, we hope to empower them, widen their perspectives, and increase their confidence. In doing so, we aim to give them not only the hope they deserve and the tools to make their dreams come true.
The Rising Star Program (also known as 大哥哥大姐姐）matches students from migrant and urban poor families with young professionals in Shanghai. Volunteers act as mentors to students, participating in activities and outings with their mentee. Bonds formed not only enhance the lives of the students, but also allow adults to give back to their community.
To create a fun and comfortable environment where mentors and mentees can build their relationships, group activities will initially be hosted by Hands-On.
By participating in these outings with a child, mentors provide their student with focused time and attention. Through simple friendships, volunteers experience the joy of helping students discover a world of possibilities and opportunities.
This program is only open to corporate volunteers or otherwise highly-organized groups.
Volunteers must fill out an application and participate in a phone-interview. Only volunteers best suited to this program are selected to participate.
Volunteers participating in this program must attend a training session.
Rising Stars volunteers are expected to display a high degree of commitment and responsibility. Not only are volunteers friends to their mentees, they are also role models.
Volunteers participating in this program should have stable schedules. Ideally, volunteers should attend all outings with their mentee. While we recognize that all volunteers have busy schedules, a volunteer's absence from an outing prevents the proper inclusion of their mentee. Volunteers who are frequently away on weekends or who may be prone to unexpected circumstances should not apply to volunteer in this program.
Outings are held once a month on a given weekend. They typically require at least half a day's commitment.
Events scheduled for the first 3 months may include trips to the urban planning museum, the Shanghai Aquarium, Century Park, urban scavenger hunts, and other events that will provide a safe, fun, and educational environment.
Various locations in Shanghai
