Stepping Stones China

Stepping Stones is a non-profit, non-governmental organization located in Shanghai, China that provides free oral English classes to migrant students in the local community. Migrant students are the children of Chinese families who have moved from the rural provinces to urban cities in search of better work opportunities. Only in recent years have migrant students for the most part been provided free education by the Shanghainese government; however, the quality of education is still far behind that of their peers, particularly when it comes to English.

It is Stepping Stones' mission to increase these students' interest and confidence in speaking English and to improve their English exam scores by supplementing their English education with weekly, oral English classes provided entirely by volunteers. Our programmes also serve as a way to bridge the gap between foreign and local communities in Shanghai by providing volunteers with a meaningful way to contribute to the education of underprivileged children. Currently, Stepping Stones sends approximately 250 volunteers each week to programmes in 15 migrant schools and 5 community centres.