China
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Partner: Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development Foundation
Budget: $60,045

The Challenge
Despite recent economic advancements, the income and education gap between rural and urban regions of China remain vast. According to Stanford University’s Rural Education Action Project (REAP), urban incomes are three times higher than rural incomes. In addition, more than 70 percent of students from urban areas enroll in higher education as opposed to less than five percent of students from poor rural regions. 

Closing the academic achievement gap and providing equal educational opportunities for poor rural students are goals integral to alleviating the economic disparity in China.  Current challenges to success include a shortage in teachers, lack of effective teacher education, and ineffective educational infrastructure in rural areas, especially western China.  

The Goal
Improve education in Gansu Province and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region by placing 25 teachers in three poorly staffed schools for one year.

The Solution
The Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development Foundation (BWSF) has been operating its Long-Term Volunteer Teaching Support Program since June 2008. The program provides a platform for qualified teachers to support rural education development by volunteering their time and lending their expertise to public schools in western China. In the next three years, BWSF seeks to establish long-term partnerships with three school districts in Gansu Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. This project will recruit and place 25 long-term volunteer teachers for one-year placements in the partner schools. $65,045 is needed to fund this project.

About BWSF
BWSF is a China-based non-profit organization with a mission to improve rural education and community development in western China. The organization was inspired by the extensive research of its founder, Shang Lifu.

Shang’s research resulted in the founding of Western Sunshine Action in 2003. By the following year, it had recruited 135 volunteers to work in ten provinces, cities and autonomous regions. In May 2006 with the financial support of the Shanghai New Lian Kang Investment and Consultation Co., Ltd, the organization formally transitioned to the name Beijing Western Sunshine Rural Development Foundation.