There is a Chinese saying: It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear people.

As teachers open an exciting new window to the world for students, YCIS Qingdao believes that building character is one of the key goals of the school. We hope that education can teach students to become good, loving persons with positive values. This is the goal of Character Education.

Character Education neither has a specific curriculum, nor is it reliant on any textbook or tests. It is something that develops throughout a student’s school life.Students are taught to be responsible and caring and asked to ponder thoughts like, “I am responsible and positive” or, “I will use my imagination to explore my talents” or maybe, “I will think before I act”. This is the power of positive instruction as students attempt to put themselves “in other’s shoes” and strive to “do what is right instead of what is popular.”

YCIS Character Education encourages positive traits like lending a helping hand and building creativity, self-control, empathy, patience, and loyalty Character Education is brought up wherever possible. The children are often involved in class discussions and group activities to explore the subject. Hands-on activities help the children link the concepts to real-life experiences, thus embedding these traits for life.

Character Education means development of each student’s moral code to provide the basic building bricks to help him or her make the right choices through life. We also hope it encourages students to share their love with more and more people, creating a ripple effect to make a better world.

In recognition of the YCIS motto, “to align with love and charity,” the Seeds of Hope project is our first network-wide charity campaign. We encourage students to participate in a wide range of charitable activities to learn the importance of giving back.Knowledge and skills may dim or change with the passage of time but Character Education – learned at school and absorbed through life around them – is a lifelong asset for all our students.