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The Dalian American International School/Dalian HuaMei School recently took part in a milestone event: the first-ever NAE regional Social Impact Conference. Hosted at the NAE British School of Guangzhou (BSG), the conference united students from seven NAE schools across China with one clear mission: to create an impactful, student-led strategy for the upcoming World Children’s Day (WCD) on November 20, 2025.
Supported by their supervising teacher Mr. Jacob Singleton and Ms. Iris Jia, six members of the Sea Dragon Service Ambassadors (Charles Cheng, Yian Ying, Max Shen, Alisha Li, Vera Tan, Selina Xiao) represented DAIS/DHS, driving the school’s commitment to NAE’s global Social Impact program.
The conference theme, Hope, was introduced to underscore the ongoing partnership between NAE and UNICEF, raising awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Students began by collaborating on a project to represent their collective vision of hope. A mind map quickly revealed a common thread: the sea. Drawing inspiration from Dalian’s coastal environment and historic reliance on the ocean, the DAIS/DHS team depicted a fishing boat off the coast at sunrise, symbolizing endless possibility.
Vera Tan, Service Ambassador, noted the power of this shared creative experience: “The most memorable moment from the conference was the mixed groups where we had to write and draw our ideas and hope. It was also my first time to complete a painting with others, which is very fulfilling and memorable.”
After establishing this powerful visual theme, the students transitioned into rigorous planning, participating in a training session led by NAE China Region Social Impact Lead Ms. Michelle Cummings. The session armed them with essential strategies for advocacy, outreach, and the critical phases of developing a comprehensive service plan.
Armed with these tools, the Sea Dragon Service Ambassadors collaborated intensely to formulate a focused, two-pronged plan to bring WCD awareness—specifically focused on the UNCRC—back to the DAIS/DHS campus. They presented their finalized blueprint to a panel of service experts, including NAE Head of Service Impact Dr. Leslie Williams.
The plan for the elementary school is built around interactive discovery. Students will participate in a Scavenger Hunt to locate tiles displaying articles of the UNCRC across the campus. After finding the tiles, they will return them to a teacher and explain their importance. The plan concludes with a reflection exercise and an art project designed to display their learning and the importance of children's rights throughout the school.
The secondary school initiative is highly ambitious: a Student Take Over Day. For one full day, secondary students will occupy every position in the school, from teacher to principal. This entirely student-built day will include developing lessons, running activities, and organizing a school-wide assembly, all designed to promote awareness of the UNCRC through the lens of student responsibility and rights.
Yian Ying summarized the critical focus of their efforts: “The key lesson was how to promote students' awareness of children's rights in the school and how to encourage better cooperation among them. In the long term, I think we need more ideas to promote communication among students, not just in studies.”
The success of the "Plan for Hope" conference is already clear in the quality and ambition of the plans developed by our students.
Mr. Singleton has high expectations for what the students will be able to accomplish now they are back on campus in Dalian: “The six students at the Plan for Hope Conference represent the compassion and caring that is found in all the students at our school. I know that the heart for service and international comradery is at the core of every student in our community which means any WCD event put on by our students is going to be stellar.”
Vera Tan provided a powerful closing reflection on their future impact: "I plan to use my experience from the conference to help create more activities, and come up with better ideas to instill hope in our students, and to create a more cohesive environment for our current and future students to enjoy and care about.”
