Blue Heal Planet Student Club Helps Children With Special Needs

During the winter break from December 15 to 19, Blue Heal Planet Student Club brought a week of creativity and fun to Xingxingzhihuo School, working with children with special needs. The program offered a variety of interactive lessons, including clay art, drama, music, shadow puppetry, and daily rehabilitation training. In clay class, students created characters from picture books with colorful clay, bringing stories to life. In drama class, volunteers performed scenes from the Chinese classic "Journey to the West", helping children explore traditional culture. Music lessons included playing simple instruments and singing along favorite songs, creating a lively classroom atmosphere.

Shadow puppets and rehabilitation exercises encouraged creativity, focus, and basic cognitive skills. At first, there were awkward pauses and moments of uncertainty—our words didn’t always land, and some activities moved slower than we’d planned. But when we let go of our “agenda” and leaned into patience, magic happened. A shy child light up while shaping clay into a storybook character, another beam with pride as they followed the rhythm in music class, and even the quietest students engage deeply with the Journey to the West drama performances. These small, precious moments taught us that connection isn’t about perfection—it’s about showing up fully, listening with our hearts, and meeting these children exactly where they are.

Teachers and parents noted that the children were more confident, engaged, and happy, while also emphasizing the value of long-term support. Through this experience, Blue Heal Planet not only brought learning and fun to the children but also inspired volunteers to develop empathy, responsibility, and a deeper understanding of inclusion.

Reflecting on their experiences, the club’s four student leaders shared a few words about what this program meant to them:

Cassie Shi Yike, DHS G11: "Through this first teaching experience, what touched me the most was the resilience of the children and the quiet strength of their families. Talking with Teacher Yang, who has dedicated a decade to this school, and hearing parents share their hopes for their children’s future made me realize that our five-day activity is just a starting point. Their feedback—gratitude for the joy we brought, but also a plea for long-term support weighs deeply on me. This experience didn’t just teach our volunteers empathy; it ignited a greater purpose: to turn this “week of fun” into a sustained commitment.

My deepest hope now is that Blue Heal Planet becomes more than a student club, it becomes a lasting promise of care for children with special needs. I want us to keep showing up, refining our lessons to better meet their needs, and using our voices to advocate for more understanding and inclusion in society. I hope that through our documentaries and stories, more people will see beyond labels and recognize the beauty, potential, and worth of every child. Most of all, I hope that this journey we’ve started inspires not just our club members, but the entire school community—to embrace kindness as a verb, to value patience as a strength, and to believe that even small acts of love can light up lives. This first activity was just the beginning, and I’m more determined than ever to lead Blue Heal Planet forward, hand in hand with these amazing children, their families, and all who believe in the power of inclusive care."

Amber Zhang Mibei, DHS G11: "Before this program, I thought being a club leader mainly involved organizing schedules and ensuring that activities ran smoothly. However, while documenting our teaching sessions, I witnessed the dedication and effort required in every class—from both the volunteers and the children. Conversations with the children’s parents revealed challenges far greater than we had imagined, and their strength and perseverance, as Teacher Yang emphasized, taught me valuable lessons about resilience and determination. This experience inspired a deeper responsibility: we hope to use short video platforms to share these stories, raise awareness, and help society recognize the courage and commitment of these families. Through these efforts, we aim to make a meaningful contribution and continue supporting children and parents alike."

Nick Zheng Guanning, DHS G11: "As the director and writer of the drama "Journey to the West", I have a group of very diligent actors. They rehearse this drama after school, reciting the lines over and over again until they are proficient. Before the first act began, I was very afraid that our performance would not be perfect. But I saw the happy smiles on the children's faces, which encouraged me to continue with the second act of the drama. I also attended the music class. Accompanied by the guitar I was playing, the children sang their favorite songs. After the performance, one of the children told me that she really liked my guitar. I promised her that I would come again in the future.

Once, when I threw away the packaging of the eaten food, a child with autism immediately opened the lid of the trash can and started rummaging through it. I sternly told him that this couldn't be eaten. I tried to stop him, but he still took out the packaging and threw it into another trash can. At that moment, I realized that the two trash cans were classified differently! It turned out that he was just trying to tell me how to sort the garbage.

I really like these children. Although they have autism, their hearts are pure and kind."

Daniel Zhou, DAIS G10: "At the same time, the main purpose of our event is to let everyone understand these children who have been neglected by society. They are all children like us, but we should not judge their differences with strange eyes. When we are in class, the smile they show is the warmest and cutest flower to me. Each flower may have different growth environments and appearances, but it has its unique fragrance. We should not watch these blooming roses disappear into this soil called "prejudice". Therefore, I hope that what this event brings to everyone is more inclusion and understanding."