Owning Our Space

this art initiative was launched in two village schools in rural China. We engaged school-aged ethnic minority children in Liangshan to reflect on and challenge traditional notions of “space for learning.” Through the process of designing and remodeling their classrooms, the children were encouraged to think about what a classroom space means to them, how it shapes their learning experiences, and what makes a good study environment. Children took actions to decorate and rearrange their classrooms, gaining a sense of ownership over their learning space. The research team assisted in painting and transferring children’s designs from paper onto the walls. Later, the participating children invited parents, family members, and other children from nearby villages to visit the “new classroom.” This gathering led to a collective reflection on children’s learning needs & what facilitates meaningful study experiences, to reimagine the construct of “learning”.

Sense of belonging.
Documenting us as a class.
The tree of hope and happiness.
The tree of us.
How we dream.
The world we wish to see.
Teaching can be fun.
The thinking wall.
Classmates, friendship.
The reading corner.

Home, Community and Us

this project was carried out at a primary school for migrant children in urban China. We worked with children of migrant workers to explore the meaning of home and community (社区, shequ), and to identify needed services & problems in their neighborhoods. At the start of the project, the children were encouraged to observe and investigate their current neighborhoods. By designing and crafting their ideal neighborhoods, they highlighted unmet needs and service gaps faced by migrant-worker communities. At the end of the study, the children wrote letters to the district office to report their needs and recommendations, as a collective call for change. Community models created by the children were exhibited at school and their neighborhood centers.