Location: 

Russel Hall RH 306, the Goodman room,

Teachers College, Columbia University

Time:

Apr 5, 2023, 7pm - 9.30pm

Guest Speakers:

Hong Liu, Executive Director of PEER, an NGO dedicated to promoting educational equity in rural China
Xinran Liang, Co-producer of the documentary  

Moderator:

Dr. Henan Cheng, Deputy director of the Center on Chinese Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Qianwenyi Xing, Master’s student in Instructional Technology & Media, Teachers College, Columbia University 

About the Documentary:

In 2020, there were in total 777 rural high schools in China. While the term "rural high school" may seem self-explanatory, it raises important questions: What is a rural high school? How on earth do rural high schools in China differ from their urban counterparts? What does it mean to promote educational equity in rural China? And how can we, as individuals, volunteers, education practitioners and researchers, address China’s education equity issues? To address these issues, PEER sends groups of long-term volunteers from cities to rural high schools and establishes “PEER Spaces”, local student activity rooms run by volunteers and students. Through these spaces, students can engage in activities that align with the needs and interests of the local community, such as service-learning projects, leadership training, sustainable exploration, etc. The Schools Out of City (沉默的县中) follows the lives of rural high school students in Hunan and Guangxi through the lenses of a group of PEER volunteers and provides insight into the challenges they face. To further explore these issues, a discussion with Hong Liu, the executive director of PEER, and Xinran Liang, the co-producer of the documentary, will follow the screening.

About Peer Experience Exchange Rostrum (PEER):

The Peer Experience Exchange Rostrum (PEER) is an NGO that is committed to promoting educational equity in rural China. With a foundation date of 2007, PEER has over a decade of experience collaborating with students and teachers from rural county schools. They achieve their goal by providing summer and winter service-learning programs, operating in-school innovation and civic engagement center “PEER Spaces”, and supporting teachers development.

Co-sponsored by

The Center on Chinese Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Peer Experience Exchange Rostrum (PEER)