Teach China

Vancouver Teach China is an international volunteer project initiated by Vancouver’s largest string music academy, Cecilia & Kevin Music Conservatory, in 2009. Its mission is to nurture and unite a generation, fostering a brighter future through shared efforts.

Each spring break, Kevin and Cecilia personally lead Canadian students from grades 9 to 12 to migrant schools or remote areas in China to teach English, music, and other subjects. Registration closes in late October, with leadership and teaching training provided from January to March. The official trip to China occurs in March, with past partnerships including schools like Beijing Lantian Fengyuan Migrant School, Shanxi Mingxing Middle School, and Guizhou Wuchuan Middle School.

Among their achievements, the project has successfully established string orchestras at Beijing Lantian Fengyuan Migrant School and Guang’ai Primary School, where they also taught. They’ve worked with Shanxi Mingxing Middle School for five consecutive years and, in 2018, expanded to Guizhou Wuchuan Gelao Autonomous County, where they donated 1,000 backpacks and dictionaries. The group has performed at prestigious venues such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, the Great Hall of the People, as well as major events like the International Golden Panda Film Festival and the Spring Festival Gala.

In the past decade, nearly thirty members have gone on to university, with two-thirds attending Ivy League institutions in the U.S. More importantly, each graduate carries cherished letters and gifts from Teach China students, memories that hold lasting value from their high school years. They continue to honor the project’s motto:

“Reaching out with our hands, the world becomes more wonderful.” And it continues…