Annual Report 2013

A BRIDGE FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL

Annual Report 2013

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A FAMILY.EVERY CHILD DESERVES AN EDUCATION.


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CONTENTS

.......................................................................................................................Who are we? 3................................................................................................................Who do we help? 4

..................................................................................................................What do we do? 5............................................................................................................................. Dream 5 .............................................................................................................................. Talent 7

.......................................................................................................................... Connect 9................................................................................................................. Testimonials 11

..................................................................................................What have we achieved? 12.........................................................................................................................Thank you! 13


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Steve HwangFounder & Executive Director

Dear Friends and Supporters:

We at ABC believe that every child has dreams and talent. The family serves as the core engine that fosters the talent of each child to achieve his or her dream.

2013 was a year of new reflections and beginnings. Building upon our experience from previous years, we continued our work with a focused eye to build more quality and effectiveness into our programs. Always challenged by the notion that “good’ is the enemy of great,” we were driven to maximize our impact and made new resolutions for current and future programming.

While continuing to train and mobilize dedicated volunteers from the local community, DREAM program students were included in the mission to empower migrant children through

sports and arts in the TALENT (CAI, 才) program. As interest continues to grow for volunteer opportunities in China, the children have benefited tremendously from the outpouring of capable and talented individuals with the skills and passion to serve.

ABC was also able to leverage the knowledge and experience from our collaboration with a prominent investment bank’s CSR by introducing the same strategy to the largest state-run company in China in order to help them build their CSR department. As Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes increasingly important in China, the initiatives taken by state-run companies will continue to gain momentum.

In order to expand the sports program to more students and provide

greater opportunities for them to develop important life skills through such activities, ABC constructed a basketball court and a football field at one migrant school and introduced the TALENT arts and basketball program to a newly built migrant school. In the coming years, we will continue to look for ways to build sustainability and broaden our reach so that more children can benefit from the programs we offer.

My deepest gratitude goes out to the sponsors and individuals whose contributions make ABC’s impact possible. I welcome your continued support as we endeavor to make our vision a reality for more underprivileged youth across China.

Warm Regards, Steve Hwang

Who are we?A letter from the founder


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Who do we help?The plight of orphan and migrant children

Orphan children must overcome several

circumstantial barriers throughout their adolescent years.

Among the challenges that face orphan children in China is the dearth of sufficient welfare support and opportunities. Orphans often do not have the monetary resources to cover the excessive education and medical expenses

which they face.

Additionally, the environments in which they are raised are often not conducive to supporting their physical and emotional needs. Due to the lack of education and developmental opportunities, orphan children are forced to find low-income, labor-intensive jobs, and to live on the streets. They continually find themselves trapped in this vicious cycle of having to struggle their entire lives to meet their needs.

When they finally age out of institutional care at age 18, they face many challenges in securing a independent and bright future. In rare situations, a few may transition to staff positions at their orphanage.

Without the love and support of a family, teenage orphans have severely limited options and have little hope of finding a job to support themselves, a good living environment, or a

way to improve their standard of living.

Migrant children lives are characterized by high

mobility due to parental employment instability, restricted government

welfare, and unaffordable educational opportunities.

Migrant schools often have poor and under-equipped facilities, where quality teaching is not guaranteed and extracurricular activities are limited or non-existent. Due to job insecurity and financial instability, there is a 60% dropout rate of migrant girls after middle school, perpetuating a cycle of low educational levels and decreased life chances in

the migrant population.

With limited opportunities to develop positive self-image at a critical time in their individual growth, migrant youth are especially vulnerable to low self-esteem, low self-image, and delinquency.

Large class sizes with an overwhelming work load combined with dynamic student and constantly changing teacher populations construct even high barriers to educational achievement. Low quality educations coupled with limited individual development result in youth with few aspirations to continue their education or seek skilled jobs.


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We believe that the family servesas the wellspring of support that fosters the talent of each child to achieve his or her dream. ABC’s

DREAM program provides orphans with loving homes and stable family

environments through foster homes. The DREAM program also consists of an education program

for teenage orphans recruited from various orphanages across China. Through this program, we hope to

lay the foundation for healthy children in mind, body, and soul, as well as to prepare orphaned teens for successful entry into society.

Every Child Deserves an Education.In July of 2013, ABC’s third

DREAM class graduated, making way for 8 new students of the 2014 DREAM Class. This one-year intensive education program for teenage orphans focuses on English, Chinese, computer education, life skills, and job training. Students were exposed to intimate family settings under the care and guidance of trained service workers, in their two new Beijing homes. With the goal of preparing them to become self-sufficient and contributing members of society, a special emphasis was placed on

developing competency in the areas of communication, leadership, teamwork, social skills, thinking and problem solving, productivity and self-management. Weekly workshops and discussions led by the foster home managers also contributed to each student’s character development and preparation for independence.

The DREAM program also provides students with counseling, job shadowing experiences, résumé and interviewing skills training, and personalized support to achieve their career-related goals. Upon completion of the program, ABC also follows up

with graduates through regular meetings to ensure that they are making a smooth transition into independent living.

During the last quarter of the program, students were given individualized assignments to apply their computer, English, and Chinese language skills at ABC. Following a two day job-shadowing event with NBA Cares, the students were ready to put their skills to the test.

Currently, five of the DREAM students work at orphanages or western restaurants, while the other four are pursuing higher education.

What do we do?DREAM 梦想 (Meng Xiang)


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Left: DREAM students perform songs and dances at their graduation Below: A DREAM students thanks his teacher after a great year

Every Child Deserves a Family.Individualized care can be nearly

impossible in orphanages due to the lack of institutional resources. Overcrowding and lack of attention negatively impacts the healthy development of children.

ABC provides a loving and caring alternative environment to improve the development of orphans who become members of homes with intimate family-settings. These settings provide the individual attention and nurturing that orphans need to thrive and develop the life skills they need for adulthood.

DREAM program students reside for one year in the same home as a skilled foster home manager who creates a safe and nurturing environment for them to grow. Each foster home manager also provides students with hands-on training in the development of life skills, counsels them through conflicts and challenges, and supports them in achieving their academic and personal goals. Weekly group and one-to-one meetings facilitate personal reflection for continuing development and aid in fostering a family-like setting. DREAM students are also encouraged to

volunteer in ABC TALENT Events to promote on the job training.

“In the past, living in my own world, I didn’t like communicating with others. but when I met this group of friends and teachers at ABC, I found a smile always hung on my mouth, every day is happy and not boring. I’ll make more friends in the future, so that my world will have more sunshine coming in.”

- Vince, ABC DREAM Student

What do we do?DREAM 梦想 (Meng Xiang)


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What do we do?TALENT 才 (Cai)

ABC’s TALENT program offers

interdisciplinary arts and sports for migrant

students and teacher training for migrant and

rural teachers. The goal of the interdisciplinary arts and sports classes is to teach students the 4 C

values: care, confidence, commitment, and

courage.

BasketballIn 2013, ABC expanded

the reach of its TALENT basketball program to include one more migrant school in Beijing. The basketball program mobilizes young girls on the basketball court, empowering them to be confident, caring, courageous, and committed players and leaders. Basketball classes were led by an enthusiastic team of both local and foreign volunteers who met regularly to prepare each

week’s lesson.Using a

practical curriculum that provides a fun

opportunity for students to learn communication and teamwork skills, we had another

successful year that culminated in an inter-school competition, which was featured during the graduation ceremony. After 10 weeks of instruction in basketball techniques, skills, and drills, students came together to engage in some friendly competition. This event brought together

youth of varying backgrounds from

across the city to cultivate a spirit of service, meaningful

action, cooperation and collaboration.

MusicLearning to play music

with others enhances discipline, builds confidence and self-esteem. Students learn that the concrete rewards of hard work only happen with their sustained efforts to achieve excellence. ABC’s music courses do more than just teach students about values and the fundamentals of music theory; it gives them an outlet for self-expression and teaches them to communicate and work in harmony with each other.


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Left: People appreciating TALENT students’ artwork in the Capital MallAbove: ABC TALENT students dancing at the annual TALENT graduation ceremony

Interdisciplinary ArtsArts help develop essential

communication skills; children learn to express themselves through their creations. Art can also be a medium to instill personal and social values within an individual. Studies show that arts also raise self-confidence and build effective problem-solving skills. ABC’s arts courses give students an outlet to express their creativity, imagination, and every day emotions. This year, many of the students’ pieces were displayed in the Capital Mall in Beijing for the public to view.

DanceThe dance course focuses on

encouraging an active lifestyle through dance lessons. Participating in this dance course allows the students to build their self-image, to enhance self-confidence, and to develop a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, the high-energy dance activities allow the students to interact with each other, and they learn the importance of cooperation and communication. The culmination of this course is a dance performance choreographed by both the teachers and the students.

Teacher TrainingABC seeks to empower these

teachers through on-site professional training and online resources in order to build capacity in rural and migrant schools and ultimately maximize the impact on migrant children and youth. Training methods include expert lectures, cooperating inquiry, class observation, communication and discussion, and case studies. Past training topics have included interdisciplinary and inquiry learning, phonemic awareness in language, character development, and teaching curriculum through games.

What do we do?TALENT 才 (Cai)


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What do we do?CONNECT 牵手 (Qian Shou)

Our CONNECT program opens the door

for involvement for corporations,

organizations, university students and local

residents in structured volunteer projects that

directly impact the communities served by

our DREAM and TALENT programs.

Throughout 2013, volunteers and students of the DREAM and TALENT programs worked together with corporations and organization in team projects to beautify migrant classrooms and engage in team building activities.

These team projects allowed all participants to be agents of social change in their local communities.

New partnership with Kimberly-Clark and the

Yale Club

In May at the Xinyuan School, ABC paired with volunteers from Kimberly-Clark and the Yale Club of Beijing, to collaborate and interact with some of the ABC TALENT students. The participants from Kimberly-Clark decorated the walls of the school with ABC students. In light of Mother’s Day, volunteers from the Yale Club planned a group

art activity which promoted teamwork and imagination with appreciation for mothers.


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Left: Volunteers from The Carlyle Group sharing presents with the students after a wonderful day of painting and activities.Above: Discovery Channel volunteers help paint the walls of the Pengying School

The Carlyle GroupMay’s CONNECT events

continued on Friday, May 28th with volunteers from The Carlyle Group. Despite the heat, Carlyle volunteers spent the afternoon beautifying and re-painting the remaining outside walls of the school. During this time, the volunteers were fortunate to witness the school’s afternoon ceremonies, which included singing, dancing, and skits by the students. The volunteers were able to interact with the students on a personal level and learn about the daily challenges facing migrant children today.

The Discovery ChannelABC’s CONNECT Program has

been constantly expanding, and for the first time, ABC partnered with the Discovery Channel. Hosted at the Pengying School in November, the event was a perfect opportunity for the Discovery Channel volunteers to meet the Pengying students. In addition to painting murals along the walls of the school, the volunteers enjoyed time with the students on the playground just having fun. At the end of the day, everyone gathered in a classroom for some singing, some presents from Discovery and plenty of appreciation from everyone.

“We need to learn from others

their strengths, overcome one’s

own weaknesses, and take the initiative to talk to others.”

- ABC TALENT Student

What do we do?CONNECT 牵手 (Qian Shou)


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What do we do?Testimonials

“The program is beneficial for the children! We are slowly uncovering the potential in some of them, and we hope we can keep up with the program so that we give the kids more room for improvement.”

- ABC CONNECT Volunteer

“We’re already doing a great job, but we need to know that whom we’re teaching, the migrant children, constitute a very special subset of the population. Every child has a very different personality and fare very differently in academics.”


“We have given careful consideration about every aspect of the course and have prepared each class with our whole heart. The school seems to be pleased with us.”



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What have we achieved?Social Impact

Number of TALENT program volunteers who made an impact参与TALENT项⺫⽬目⽀支教志愿者

Migrant children who participated in the TALENT program

Number of companies involved in the CONNECT program

Number of CONNECT volunteers

Orphans supported through our DREAM education program

Orphans placed in loving homes through domestic adoption

参与TALENT 项⺫⽬目课程的流动⼉儿

合作公司或者机构

参与CONNECT活动企业志愿者

参与⻘青少年孤⼉儿助学学⽣生

成功进⼊入收养家庭的孤⼉儿

820

5071

21

1126

38

31


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Thank you!

“This program is very helpful as it children to calm their minds, focus

on tasks, and try new things.”

- Xinyuan School Parent

ABC is supported by a strong volunteer base, whose time and efforts have contributed to the success of our

programs. Whether it be teaching basketball to your migrant female students in our TALENT Program,

assisting with curriculum development, or providing career-

related guidance to our students in the DREAM Program, volunteers from all backgrounds and with different skills

have joined ABC in empowering under-served children in China.

“The ABC program helped my daughter develop a new skill and

taught her to be adventurous while keeping her safe and healthy.”

- Shuren School Parent

Please find us on Facebook, Weibo, Youku, Weixin, Douban, and Twitter (@ABC_Intl)!

Documents

Annual Report 2013