10 Reasons

Why You Should Support This Trip:

1. Most of these kids will receive very few chances to leave Yunnan. Imagine, living in Paris, Texas (it exists, I promise) your entire life. Never going to California, New York, or Houston. Your town has one main street, it's so small there isn't even a stop light. To get to an actual supermarket they have to take a bus to the next town. This is their life. And without this opportunity to travel to Beijing, many will never step outside of it.

2. Seeing new cultures and places presents children with a deeper understanding of the world and their relationship to it.

3. Beijing holds a deeply special place in the hearts and minds of the Chinese, and the opportunity to go is priceless. Chinese patriotism is deeply embedded in the culture and amplified by a powerful, long-standing history. For many, Beijing is a representation of this amazing history and a location that many dream about visiting.

4. Leaving the small confines of their home town will make the chance to travel and make life choices outside of this realm a possibility. We've discussed already the importance of taking the children outside of their towns, but there's also a psychological impact to consider. When you live in a small space, the outside world seems like a dream and not something that one can actually be a part of. By taking these children out of their small towns, they will be able to perceive the world as something more than a movie screen. Their ability to become part of a broader world will become tangible and possible, forever changing their perception of their options.

5. The students will receive a very real reward and return on their hard work and effort, something that extends beyond scores on a paper. As a child, very little is under your control. You work hard because if you don't your parents will be angry. You make good grades and this brings you praise, but often times it's nearly impossible for children to see the long term benefits of dedication. When the students participate in, and win this competition they will receive a reward unlike any other for their hard work. They will be provided with an example for what acheivement can bring.

6. They will get to see famous, large universities up close and in person. This makes an education after high school seem more possible in their minds. Somewhere between 25 and 30 percent of these students will even apply for and consider higher education. A few more will look for vocational opportunities. But the truth is that many of these students don't see college life as something for them. Their parents didn't go to university, and life has been going strong. They have a chance to live a moderately comfortable life running a restaurant on their one street. By taking the kids to see universities in Beijing, higher education and its values can take on greater meaning in their minds and thus expand their opportunities even further.

7. Famous sights, such as the Great Wall, will never be forgotten by them. This ties into the love and patriotism which the Chinese feel for their country, discussed in #3. Sights like the Great Wall are more than something "cool" to see. They are indicative of a rich cultural history. Seeing such locations will help strengthen the students' love of their country and perhaps even drive them to be a bigger part of such an amazing place.

8. They’ll get to try new foods. Food tourism in China, it’s a thing. Really. (And don't you pretend that food isn't an inherently important aspect of culture for children to understand.)

9. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them, utterly unforgettable. This is important. There may never, ever, EVER be another chance like this in their lives. You have the ability to be a part of this.

10. Travel is a privilege allowed primarily to the wealthy of the world. Give these children something that economics and circumstance will attempt to deny them for the rest of their lives.

#travel #beijing #education #yunnan #kunming