Leadership – it’s a single word that conjures up a host of images, feelings, and ideas. We associate it with success, happiness, and a charmed life earned through hard work. Most parents will tell you they want to raise leaders. Fortune Magazine and the Harvard Business Review consistently list “Leadership” as a sought-after skill and, in fact, when I did an internet search for “what are fortune 500 companies looking for” leadership was literally the first word of the first result.

We spend a lot of time telling our kids to be leaders, reminding them they will need experience on their resumes, and pressuring them into perceived leadership positions because we believe it will look good on their college applications. But the truth is we don’t spend any time actually teaching kids how to lead. So what makes a leader and how can you foster that in your child?

Let’s start by examining what leadership isn’t. Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s not about being a boss, not about telling people what to do, making speeches, getting credit, or receiving special treatment. That is rulership.

Leadership is about helping guide a team to a common goal and it is not a skill in and of itself. Leadership is a toolbox of skills and an understanding of how to use them for the collective good. Those tools include practical things like communication, organization, and systems thinking as well as more ephemeral abilities like creativity and empathy. When we talk about leaders, we are talking about people who know which skills to employ at the right moment to help the community achieve.

Every amazing leader I have ever had the privilege to work with had five things in common. Their MOs might have been different. But their ideology was consistent.

• Leaders understand the goal: Especially in times of conflict leaders are able to keep their eye on the prize. They know what the ultimate objective is and they don’t get distracted or let their team waver. That’s why team sports produce so many leaders. There is a clear objective for the group. If your child doesn’t have an interest in sports, theatre, team debate, or choir can have a similar result. But even beyond group activities you as a parent can help hone the skill by simply asking the question: “What is the goal, what do you want?” Then help the child figure out if the current actions they are engaging in are getting them closer or farther away from the goal.
• Leaders know it’s we, not me: Leaders realize they need others and they understand what motivates and drives people. They are empathetic and see things from multiple perspectives. They understand that their job is to be in service to other team members so the team members can be in service to the aforementioned goal. Encourage your child to see things from multiple perspectives and identify the needs of others. If they are frustrated with a teammate’s performance ask them to think about what they can do to help the other person grow so that the team can get better. Can they take them for a run to help them build stamina? Provide emotional support during games to build confidence? Help them sharpen their presentation skills before the next debate?
• Leaders know when to follow: No one is good at everything and the best captains are often the worst sailors. Their skill is recognizing when someone else is great and in a better position to guide the crew. Help your child learn to identify their own weaknesses and other people’s strengths. Encourage them to publicly applaud other people’s skills and volunteer someone else to be in the spotlight when it’s warranted. “You are a great designer but Jo is an excellent seamstress, maybe you should ask her to lead the costume construction?” Good leaders build balanced teams.
• Leaders don’t need a title or the spotlight: Being the captain of the team or the CEO doesn’t automatically make you a leader. Leaders are the people who step up, and often they do it quietly and with little or no bestowed authority. So when your child sees an injustice or identifies a problem big or small give them a chance to fix it. If they have a friend getting bullied at school, encourage them to be the one who walks that person to class so they don’t have to run the gauntlet that is a high school hallway alone. Let them be the ones to encourage their siblings to recycle or the person who sends a letter to the principal asking for more inclusive books in the library. Don’t pressure them to be extroverted if they aren’t. There are many different styles of leadership, let them find what works for them.
• Leaders self-evaluate: As people, we are always learning and growing. Leaders know to review their own work and take responsibility for their choices before they hold the team accountable. It’s not always easy, especially if you and your team didn’t achieve the goal. But it is a gold mine of information. After each activity, guide your child through the process. “What did you do well? What could you have done differently to get a different outcome? Was there a way to help bring out the best in someone else that might have gotten a more efficient result?” No right or wrong answers. Just the ability to look objectively at the situation and learn from it.

So how do we teach our kids which tools to use and when to use them? We don’t. Instead, we put them in situations where they get an opportunity to use their skills and a chance to evaluate and reflect on the experience so they can figure out how to get better and more efficient results in the future.

Ultimately, leadership is a lifelong journey and it’s learned by doing and interacting, not studying or taking classes. Ideally, the best way to learn to lead is to do it under the guidance of a mentor who can help evaluate and guide the process, so something like scouting or a junior councilor position at a camp is ideal because an adult is helping the student navigate the process. Things like a school play, a sports team, or debate are also great. But it could just be an unstructured group of friends trying to clean up the environment and you can act as their guide. Let them learn through trial and error by mixing and matching all the skills they have been developing to reach the goal. They won’t always strike the right balance and that’s okay because leadership is not something you achieve, it is a means to help everyone achieve together.

KEEP READING: Really Communicating With Your Child at Every Age

Images: Canva

Girls of courage, confidence, and character! Scouting has a rich history of aiming to help young girls cultivate each of these values and then some.

If your daughter would like to participate, registration is coming up! The Beijing Girl Scouts Chapter is hosting an info session for their program from 10am-12pm at both the International School of Beijing (ISB) on Aug 24 and Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) on Aug 31.

The Girl Scouts team will also be recruiting leaders for newly forming troops and parents can also volunteer to help out. USA Girl Scouts Overseas (USAGSO) serves girls living overseas and girls attending American or international Schools. All girls with foreign (non-Chinese) passports can join and there are places available for kids from K-12.

USAGSO has been working with communities and volunteers in Beijing to bring outdoor experiences to the many girls attending school here and to help the Girl Scout Promise flourish all over China:

On my best to be

Honest and fair,

Friendly and helpful,

Considerate and caring,

Courageous and strong, and

Responsible for what I say and do,

and to

respect myself and others,

Respect authority,

Use resources wisely,

Make the world a better place, and

Be a sister to every Girl Scout.

USAGSO has been part of the national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA since 1925. There are Girl Scout Chapters across China, in cities including Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Suzhou.

It’s time for G.I.R.L – go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders. There’s so much positivity and wonder to be had for young girls who participate and plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, forge new friendships, and have fun! What are you waiting for? Get your daughter signed up. For more information on how and where to register please contact Amy Kennedy (beijinggirlscouts@usagso.org, 185 1505 3922).

Photos: Pixabay

The Annual Women’s Economy Summit is upon us and is the largest gathering of women trailblazers, inspirational leaders, badass entrepreneurs, contributors, and policymakers in town. With a mission to raise awareness of the key role women play in global economic development, the summit is all about highlighting the importance of women leaders and entrepreneurs by encouraging them to collaborate with leading women’s organizations and corporations, keen to share cutting-edge pearls of wisdom.

It all began in 2017 when the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in China and SCHSAsia joined hands and efforts to design an event that would be a bold experience packed with personal and professional development tools for powerful women of today and tomorrow. The 2018 summit attracted over 300 professional men and women and was the birthplace of the first edition of the Women’s Leadership in the Workplace White Paper; a guide for the community to further foster dialogue and programs regarding professional women’s positions within organizations.

We’ve caught up with Su Cheng Harris-Simpson, SCHSAsia CEO and Board of Governor of AmCham China about the big idea behind the initiative.

Su Cheng Harris-Simpson

Beijingkids: Tell us more about the Women’s Economy Summit and the inspiration behind it.
Su Cheng (SC): We started the AmCham Women’s Professional Committee about 12 years ago because we needed a sustainable model and that AmCham can help put up a platform for international and local women working for multinational corporations. About 5 years ago, I encountered so many women groups doing amazing things but I became curious as I didn’t see cohesion among these groups. Besides that, I had encountered complex issues on major gaps in work, especially in leadership and pay. So I thought to start the Women’s Economy Summit to offer everyone a platform to address major areas in women’s economy, and to push the agenda forward.

BJK: What shall we expect in next week’s summit?
SC: This year’s summit is the third edition and we are bringing together many amazing governmental, non-profit groups, leaders and Intrapreneurs/entrepreneurs in one venue. And I’d like to highlight three main emphases of the Women’s Economy Summit: (1) advocacies where we focus on best practices that result in big and lasting change and impact; (2) leadership, where we bring women leaders and women in power and position to serve as role models for others to increase pipeline to grow future women leaders; and (3) Intrapreneurs/entrepreneurship, where we bring nimble and able people who think outside of the box and act as change agents and facilitators of progress to grow both public and private economies.

BJK: Have you seen major changes in the five years since you started the summit?
SC: Yes! There is qualitative and quantifiable progress. In terms of qualitative progress, we’ve seen the discussion move forward and bring awareness. Not only that, but we’ve seen men are also active in the conversation! In terms of quantifiable progress, more systematic support needs to be done on the topic of the pay gap and leadership roles. In China, we have gotten lots of data, but the question is which one is real and usable. So we are still working to find out the baseline of data to identify key gaps to be able to help continue to raise awareness, develop actionable steps and ultimately move the needle forward for impactful change.

BJK: What can you say about the business environment in China? Is it welcoming towards women entrepreneurs?
SC: The good news is in China, there are no barriers to opening a business, but the challenge is to how to grow your business to make it more sustainable and scalable. Both public and private sectors should embrace the 50 percent of the population — women — because there is an “untapped” area or potential for growth. Outside of China, different governments have best practices supporting the growth and sustainability of business by women entrepreneurs. Helping to grow a woman-owned business ultimately grows our economy. This is something that China can do.

BJK: Can men also join the summit?
SC: Of course! We want men to join the summit. A part of our program includes inviting male leaders from multinational corporations, or what we call “Men Champions,” and they will discuss their personal and companies’ efforts to support equality in their workplaces. Also, we would like men to join in the conversation because it will allow everyone to understand and support each other as human beings, and that equality is not about taking away a piece of the pie but enlarging that pie for all to win.

BJK: What’s next for the Women’s Economy Summit?
SC: Until the playing field becomes even, we will still call it the Women’s Economy Summit. We need to do this until we don’t need to bring up the topics of gender and equality in leadership roles, pay gap, and business anymore. We need to continually discuss equality because we need to embrace “differentness” and inclusivity to take full advantage of the talents of men and women all together, and not to label the “differentness” as something positive or negative. We aim to get everybody aware of their own unconscious biases and that they look to someone as a human being like anyone else, and that we need to make people feel they belong and are valued for who they are. Only by achieving that, I believe, will move us forward towards sustainability, growth, and equality for ALL.

Women’s Economy Summit, Apr 10
This year’s summit will feature a full day of keynote speeches, panel discussions, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. The summit will also aim to examine international, regional, and national “best practices” towards producing steps that companies and organizations can take in order to create a safe, equal, and inspiring working environment, where professional women can flourish and “unleash the power of the economy.”

Attendees have the following to look forward to:
– Career planning and development
– Ideas to step-up your influence and networks
– Women’s health and its cascading impact
– Strengthen interpersonal skills
– Managing stress
– How to understand and identify unconscious gender bias

Adults. RMB 1,800 (Early bird ticket – buy one get one free), RMB 1,800 (Regular all-day ticket). 9am–7pm. Beijing Marriott Hotel Northeast, 26A Xiaoyun Road, Chaoyang District. (yliang@amchamchina.org)

Photos: AmCham China press release via the AmCham China website

If you haven’t had the opportunity to listen to Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard Graduation address, I strongly suggest you take the time to do so. Needless to say, I was very impressed. He spoke to something I have been speaking about here in this blog and something I focus on with my students – finding that sense of purpose in life.

What I found so heartening was the fact that Mr. Zuckerberg presented his views in a humble and offhanded way until he got to his main points. My hope is that those in the graduating class and those who viewed it online take his information to heart. Given that some of those listening are focused on being Masters of the Universe, winning their hands at the financial enterprises which have hired them. Others are already making changes, some of them pointed out by Mr. Zuckerberg during his speech.

Millennials- this generation, at least in the U.S., are the most entrepreneurial and giving in terms of time and money to charity. This, to me, is very heartening because no other generation has faced what this generation will in the future. From the effects of pollution, overpopulation, issues related to water, and civil and religious conflict, this coming generation must focus on issues. They cannot be all about the money. Nor can service just be about donating. Actions need to be taken to ensure future generations can live in harmony.

Finding purpose, the main topic, may seem simple or hard. Many students seem to have a very complete idea what they want to become and others, not a clue. In addition, with the complexity of the world teenagers are facing, it can be overwhelming. One point that Mr. Zuckerberg makes in his address is that one can start small. The sense of purpose does not need to be earth-shattering. It does not need to rock the world. Many ideas start small.

But what Mr. Zuckerberg says goes even further than just finding a sense of purpose for oneself, he says “I’m here to tell you finding your purpose isn’t enough. The challenge for our generation is creating a world where everyone has a sense of purpose.” Now that is big, and he lays out a way that from an individual level one can find a sense of purpose which will provide avenues for many to get involved. He mentions the janitor at NASA who felt he was part of putting a man on the moon. He focuses on small tasks for bigger endeavors, like being a janitor. How was it that that janitor felt he was part of something much bigger than emptying the trash and washing the floors? Leadership and inspiration!

Leadership involves taking risks, modeling behavior, having a vision that is clearly espoused. It is getting everyone involved to see and understand what the vision is and that everyone involved has a purpose. It takes a leader to understand valuing each individual and the role they play. I remember my father once told me some of the most important people in an organization are the cleaning staff. “They know everything. But more importantly, they are the support of a larger enterprise.” Janitors keep the place clean and in order, they are responsible for how the organization looks and feels which inspires workers in a clean environment. But it takes leaders to understand the value from top to bottom and ensure that everyone feels responsible. It is also for leaders and everyone to create a sense of purpose for each individual.

Ideas start small and then grow. Human trafficking inspired one of my students last year to take some action. I may have mentioned this previously, but as a reminder, she initially felt overwhelmed by the magnitude of human trafficking of small children used in factories. Her initial focus was to change the world, but we ended up narrowing it down to a local project at school to raise money to buy necessary items the children need. After much work at her school, she will most likely continue this project at university. Who knows where it will go from there? I hope far and wide.

Start small. I think many of us feel inadequate to tackle something too big. Keep it simple, keep it focused, provide purpose and don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Mistakes and failure are not something to be ashamed of, but rather inspiration to keep going, differently. Inspire, lead, grow, develop, create a sense of purpose and value. Don’t be afraid to fail.

This content marketing series is divided into three parts under the themes of sports, leadership, and the arts. This is part three of the three-part series. In part one, we spoke to the talented art students and their insight can be found here. In part two, we spoke to the sporty students and they share their fuller school life experience here. As the graduating class of 2017 bids farewell to family and friends, they have come full circle and share their ups, downs, and advice for younger students.

Students have a greater ownership in school when their voices are heard. Dulwich College Beijing (DCB) provides numerous avenues for students to realize their full leadership potential on a small or large scale and joining the Student Leadership is one of them.

Far left: Silvia, Lesley, and Johanna with friends

Students need to apply for the Student Leadership team and undergo several rounds of interviews, including an elevator pitch in front of the Headmaster and the school leadership team. The aim of this process is to mentally prepare the students for future application or selection process to universities and jobs. The prefects, as what the leaders are called, are comprised of a Head Boy, a Head Girl, and their Deputies, and the rest of the team with individual portfolios ( i.e. Sports, Media, Performing Arts, Sustainability Prefect etc.). The leadership team is open to Year 12 and serves a one-year term until Year 13.

We sat down with outgoing Head Girl Johanna S., who has been at the school for eight years, Deputy Head Girl Lesley Z., who has been at the school for five years, and MUN Prefect Silvia S., who has been at DCB for almost nine years.

Silvia giving a speech at MUN

The three young ladies share their background and motivations for wanting to take up leadership roles.
Lesley: I’m Chinese-American. I always wanted to be a prefect when I was a younger student because prefects were like role models. It seemed like it would be a nice way to give back to the school community. I really didn’t think of becoming a prefect leader until the process was announced when I got to know more about it. Then I realized that if you become a leader you could do so much more than just be a prefect.
Johanna: I’m Swedish-Chinese. I have quite a similar experience to Lesley on how I got involved in this role. I always looked up to the prefects especially the leadership team and they really encouraged me to take different pursuits. I saw how they were able to influence the school and they were almost seen as teachers more than just students, so I really admired that.
Silvia: I’m Austrian-Chinese. I was running, alongside Johanna, DIMUN (Dulwich International Model United Nations), which is the school Model United Nations. I got into that from middle school. I started participating in MUN conferences then I realized it was quite an intellectual challenge and a way to meet new people who were really smart as well. And so I decided to get into leadership in this area because I have a lot of ideas and I thought they might bring some benefits to the system as well.

Johanna on stage at DCB’s Founder’s Day last year

These were some of the benefits they were been able to gain from their roles.
Lesley: As deputy head girl, most of my leadership experience comes from managing a portfolio. I’m in charge of the ICT [Information, Communication, and Technology] sector. One thing that I learned from this so far is probably taking initiative. It’s because when you do a lot of tasks, it’s easier to envision ideas. But to actually get down to materializing those ideas, it requires you a certain level of commitment. I learned how to tweak my approach to things to make it easier to get things done.
Johanna: It really challenged my time management skills and resilience. The IB program is quite rigorous and with a lot of other extracurricular activities. It was a bit hard to balance everything at the beginning but then it taught me to prioritize and be most efficient with the tasks I was given.
Silvia: I guess as a leader in MUN, firstly you have to be good at MUN itself to be able to organize a conference. We’re also a kind of hands-on in what’s happening.

Johanna, Silvia, and Lesley take a selfie at their graduation ceremony

Balancing between their academics and leadership roles did not diminish their enthusiasm for either.
Johanna: I wouldn’t say my leadership role took away anything from my academics, I would probably say the opposite. Having all these extra-curricular activities is more of like a stress reliever than something that pressures you most of the time. Also, having so many things can help you become more efficient.
Lesley: I agree. I like making a list of all the things I need to do and prioritize them.
Silvia: I just do it.

Future prospects
Lesley: Amherst College
Johanna: Yale University
Silvia: Oxford University

Learning by Leading: Model United Nations at Dulwich

Dulwich International Model United Nations Conference teens are anything but ordinary.

Words of advice
Lesley: Taking a leadership role can be scary! But the ultimate experience and benefits greatly outweigh the fear, so you should definitely try.
Johanna: Try to take every opportunity out there and be dedicated!
Silvia: First, know what your talents are and then be good at them. 

This post is paid for by DCB.

Photos: Courtesy of DCB & Uni You

We reached out to schools in Beijing to ask who was making an impact on their school communities. Our terms were loose, as we were curious about individuals who made a difference in leadership, community, and charity. We don’t feel like someone necessarily has to contribute to charity to be a community star, as sometimes a great, reliable friend in a school community can make just as much of an impact. Each of these stories is special, and we’re so proud to have had the chance to talk with these students and teachers.

Stephanie An, Grade 5 Student at Beijing International Bilingual Academy

For Stephanie An, president of the Elementary Student Council at Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA), leadership comes easily. An helped shape the group and start projects, which included presenting in Chinese and English in front of crowds of over 200 parents at BIBA’s open days. She is willing to take on leadership roles but doesn’t equate that to being in the spotlight for her own sake. James Helbringer, Elementary Principal at BIBA, said of her, “She is well respected among staff and her peers and the Grade 3 and 4 students in her building look up to her as a leader.”

Stephanie An is nominated for leadership and shaping BIBA’s student council.

An is an all-star talented student, having qualified in Johns Hopkins University’s CTY Talent Search in both Math and Verbal Reasoning, being passionate about art (we saw one of her meticulously drawn posters while with her – it was impressive), writing, IT, science, literature, Taekwondo, and charity. But leadership isn’t complicated to her. “I think I am a leader naturally. I just took up the position of a leader. I hear what others have to say, contribute, and organize. Everyone can be a leader.”

An says parents and teachers are incredibly supportive in what she does, and through the experience of student council and their support, she’s grown as a leader. She said it was important to “hear other people’s opinions because everyone has different opinions and views of life.” Once she got those opinions, she would “face the facts” and decide “which opinion is best, which doesn’t have supportive ideas.”

While on student council, her favorite project was a lemonade stand where they raised RMB 4,000 and bought books to give to migrant children schools. Giving the books to the children personally was a memorable experience for her. To get the opportunity to be on student council, she said, “Work hard on your application. It’s plenty easy to get it in. Write out your feelings and go for it.”

Photo: Uni You

In further thinking about my previous article titled Non Sibi Reprise, it is important to come back to this issue of leadership. The New York Times article referenced, Not Leadership Material?, takes the viewpoint that our whole concept of leadership needs to have a review.

The other day during a conversation with a parent I mentioned that leadership does not necessarily mean being the Captain, the President or even in a specific position within an organization, whatever type of organization that might be. Every organization needs doers, people who follow. Being a good member of an organization, sharing the vision with others, inspiring others as a member is also leadership.

In a previous article about Non Sibi, I referenced a scene where a boy had dropped his plate of food and another boy came over to help clean up the mess. There were five or six other students sitting around, and none of them did anything except for the one boy. The courage to take action on his part was leadership.

Leadership comes from the fine critical and analytical skills needed to discern when action needs to be taken, and to have the courage to then take action. But sometimes leadership, as in the above example, is to stand alone, to go one’s own way. There is a student I am working with who was planning her summer programming. She had already applied to programs at top schools – all involving more classes, specifically math. We talked about alternatives that involved community service, Spanish (she is taking Spanish at school), and character development. She became so excited, she is off to Peru with Visions Services Adventures. When she had previously told her friend she was taking math at Stanford, they were excited and supportive. When she said that she had changed her mind and was going to Peru, they told her she was crazy. That is in my mind leadership – the courage to stand alone despite what others may think.

Lately some of my conversations with students have revolved around the idea of being a sheep. The safety of following can be too easy; the idea of going against the grain can be scary. But in considering what makes us individuals, it comes from being separate, making our own decisions and having the courage to possibly fail.

Learning comes in all shapes and forms. Developing leadership skills also comes in many forms. Understanding that a job well done is another form of leadership, but it also comes from understanding the role one plays in the achievement. Coming back to the reference to soccer in the New York Times article, it helps us to understand that soccer is about both team and individual effort. Winning or losing is about evaluating the team and one’s own performance. Self-evaluation in and of itself is in some ways a form of leadership.

Many cultures push the ideal of winning and giving accolades. In the US sometimes it feels like everyone has to earn something. Graduation celebrations now come at almost every grade level; everyone needs to get a certificate no matter what. It has changed how people view what is appropriate. But do we praise too much or incorrectly?

The concept of leadership leaves much to consider. In many ways I consider the NYT article to be correct. With more doers, people who push their own boundaries to become better, not for accolades, but because it is right and moral and will add to the betterment of others, perhaps then we can think of true leadership.

Having said all that, while leadership is important, what I really think is that developing character is more important. And thankfully schools – both boarding schools and universities – are talking more and more about character. As previously mentioned, SSAT is developing a character assessment. All schools are looking to develop their communities that support their mission, philosophy and ethos. It seems that finally those who set the standards beyond academic performance, schools, are placing character above leadership.

We reached out to schools in Beijing to ask who was making an impact on their school communities. Our terms were loose, as we were curious about individuals who made a difference in leadership, community, and charity. We don’t feel like someone necessarily has to contribute to charity to be a community star, as sometimes a great, reliable friend in a school community can make just as much of an impact. Each of these stories is special, and we’re so proud to have had the chance to talk with these students and teachers.

One of Keystone Academy’s foundations is valuing and expressing Chinese culture. Perhaps to some, that might not seem hard to do, as the school is situated in the capital of the country. But in fact, elements of traditional Chinese culture in Beijing erode or change with each hutong that’s brought down and mall that springs up. Though modernization isn’t necessarily negative, even foreign parents typically desire that children have a strong understanding of their own root culture and family.

Alex (top left) is nominated for writing, directing, and organizing a student-led Chinese language drama at Keystone Academy. He poses with other members of the Wu Kong cast.

That’s why when Mrs. Pai suggested that students take on the project of producing a play about Wu Kong in Chinese, Alex and Betty were excited about the opportunity. “It took me three months to construct the script from the biography,” Alex said. “When we told other students about what we were doing, they were so excited. Wu Kong is the Monkey King, who is a childhood hero of most Chinese kids.”

“We also think it’s a great way to show foreign teachers and students important aspects of Chinese culture,” Alex added. But this play was about more than just culture. Alex explained: “We’re not children anymore, and through this play we put forth our thoughts about life, this world, and the characteristics of humans. The five main characters in the play explore five basic principles: freedom, love, loyalty, belief, and empathy.”

They thought carefully about the emotions expressed by each character. They both stressed the necessity of the audience grasping these emotions to understand the crux of the drama. But this necessity became a source of conflict in leading and organizing the drama.

“In reflection of planning for this play, I saw that I was angry and quite stubborn,” Alex said.

“In one specific situation, one actor and I argued for nearly three months about the emotion of one specific character. We saw that this was inefficient. Finally we had a compromise that I would direct the final emotion of the characters, but that they would have control over the management of the stage, where the actors would stand on stage during the play.”

“We needed to collaborate,” Betty said, “and for me, I learned that my weakness was being too emotional. I needed to be very organized to get the stage in the way it should be, but sometimes I was frustrated when actors didn’t take rehearsals seriously. So I encouraged them to pretend that the audience is always watching.”

Betty told them, “Maybe we are not professionals, but at least we can have a professional attitude. We should pretend that every time we’re on the stage at all times.”

But their professional attitude is apparent. “I cut my hair to look like a monk so that the feeling was clear,” Alex said. “It was longer and curlier. In film, someone could put on stage makeup and it would look fine, but that won’t look real on stage. So I cut it to express the right feeling.”

Though there was excitement and dedication, since this was a student-led drama, they still had to handle unexpected issues. “At the last minute, soldiers suddenly said they had to drop out because of math exams, so I had to go from one dorm room to the next to try and find replacements,” Alex said.

Of course, though they organized and encouraged others in their roles, they wanted to add they couldn’t have done this alone. “Both Ms. Pai and Ms. Lee helped us so much, especially in analyzing Wu Kong’s biography, and it was a group of us, about four other students, who really took on this project to organize the drama,” Alex said.

Betty added, “They gave us the right spirit to never give up and to continue even when were having difficulties.”

Readers can see this drama at Keystone on April 21-22 at 6.30pm. RMB 50 (adults), RMB 20 (children 12 and under). Visit www.keystoneacademy.cn to purchase tickets.

Photo: Courtesy of Keystone Academy

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This is an updated version of the article that originally appeared on p. 30 of beijingkids April Issue.
Download the digital copy here.

For this issue, we reached out to schools in Beijing to ask who was making an impact on their school communities. Our terms were loose, as we were curious about individuals who made a difference in leadership, community, and charity. We don’t feel like someone necessarily has to contribute to charity to be a community star, as sometimes a great, reliable friend in a school community can make just as much of an impact. Each of these stories is special, and we’re so proud to have had the chance to talk with these students and teachers.

Tony Liang, Year 13 student at Dulwich College Beijing

When Tony Liang set up a community music project as part of his studies, he didn’t expect it would become a self-sustaining success story, with over 50 students involved. But Project Nightingale has really taken wing.

Liang is studying for the International Baccalaureate (IB) at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), which requires students to take part in Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) projects. He saw an opportunity to share his love of music with the less fortunate children of neighboring communities.

Tony Liang is nominated for starting a community project to teach music to migrant children.

“I founded Project Nightingale in the beginning of Year 12,” Liang told us. “We identified that children in migrant schools have much less opportunity to interact with music and experience the joy music has brought to us. We started going to a migrant school in Tongzhou and taught music every Saturday.”

Liang (center, sitting) and other volunteers teach music to migrant children.

What began as a requirement rapidly became a real pleasure, and not just for Liang himself. “Soon, the project became very popular in the school,” he said, “as our students were given the opportunity to not only stand in front of classrooms and lead music lessons, but we were also able to busk in Dulwich to raise money for instruments we use to teach the children. The time we spent with children during mid-lesson breaks and performing with them at Migrant Children Foundation (MCF) Christmas charity event allowed us to actually connect with the children we taught. Going to the migrant school on Saturday mornings became the best way to start our weekends.”

And it wasn’t only the students who helped out. “The project also involved a great number of our staff members. We have had nearly 30 senior school teachers going with us to the migrant school over the past year.  The project doesn’t have a permanent teacher supervisor on trips, which turned out to be a good thing. It meant that teachers could choose to supervise our trips in accordance to their own schedules, free from the long-term commitment. Each and every one is happy to go on more trips with us for all the fun they had the first time!”

Combining creativity and fun with helping out in the community, Project Nightingale promises to keep flying long after Liang has moved on to his next challenge. But it’s down to this Shining Star’s hard work and enthusiasm that it got off the ground in the first place.

Photos: Courtesy of DCB