Mission

RCEF's mission is to promote education for people in rural China that prepares them to improve their own lives and communities.

Underlying this mission is a commitment to affect the essence of education for rural students - the curriculum and teaching methods. We believe that it is not enough just to increase the number of years students spend in school or to improve the equipment and hardware available to them. Instead, we support teachers in rural areas to provide a different education to rural students, not just more of the same. We believe education should be practical, inclusive, and socially responsible.

Practical:  RCEF believes that test scores can be useful indicators of student learning but that they are a means, not an end, to a larger purpose for education: students' ability to apply the knowledge, skills, and values learned through their education to make practical improvements in their own lives and surrounding environment.

Inclusive: The Chinese government and many NGOs has made great strides in providing financial aid and better equipment to rural students. However, in content and teaching methods, most rural schools focus exclusively on exam preparation which means that the life needs of most students are overlooked. RCEF promotes education that serves the needs of all students, regardless of their academic performance, and prepares them not just for exams but for real life.

Socially Responsible:  RCEF encourages students to learn about their surrounding environment. We promote opportunities for them to engage in investigating and impacting problems in their surroundings so that they develop a sense of social responsibility and confidence about their ability to make a positive difference.