“Over the past 20 years at New Education Initiative (NEI), we have learned that the key to lifelong learning is helping students find intrinsic motivation and joy in learning.

Since the beginning, NEI has explored what constitutes effective teaching and better education to achieve well-being in both learning and life, encouraging deep learning through the exploration of students’ interests and passions. Some 8,300 schools, with over 500,000 teachers and 8 million students, have adopted the NEI approaches as their educational practice across China—many in rural and remote areas,” says Professor Yongxin Zhu, our 2022 Yidan Prize for Education Development Laureate.

Given the strong focus on examination and academic performance in many of today’s education systems, it is more important than ever to help students find intrinsic motivation and joy in learning. Professor Zhu talks about how NEI’s model fosters joyful, lifelong learning through a holistic approach—building a robust community of educators, supporting students beyond schools, and transforming homes into positive learning environments.

In this article for China Daily, Professor Zhu highlights how NEI’s programs have been proven to enhance the well-being of students and teachers, boosting learning outcomes and bringing change to the teaching-to-test culture in China.

Read the full article here.