Recently, the representatives from the First Batch of Shanghai Model Schools of Characteristic Science and Technology Education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period were awarded at the opening ceremony of the 9th (2022) Shanghai International Youth Science and Technology Expo (online) and “Science and Technology Stars of Tomorrow” Invitational Tournament. Among 93 schools awarded, there are five from Baoshan, namely Shanghai Xingzhi High School, Shanghai Wusong High School, The High School Affiliated to Shanghai University, Shanghai Baoshan Luodian Central Primary School, and The Primary School Affiliated to Shanghai University. Let’s take a look.

Shanghai Xingzhi High School

Shanghai Xingzhi High School, formerly known as Yucai School, was founded in 1939 in Chongqing by the great educator Tao Xingzhi, its first principal. It stands opposite Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal across the Yangtze River.

Relying on top universities such as Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University, Xingzhi High School strives to build the experimental base of “Education for Life” proposed by Tao Xingzhi and establish 14 innovation laboratories such as intelligent robotics, engineering structure, drone maker center, Fablab O, paper prints creation center, and online academy to promote students’ personalized learning and improve their comprehensive quality. For example, intelligent robotics, drone maker center, genetic engineering, and planetarium provide ideal platforms for students to put science and technology knowledge into practice and the concept of science and technology education has been rooted in their hearts. The school has built a four-dimensional curriculum system of “practice, knowledge, truth, and innovation” that integrates holistic education and developed more than 100 school-based courses, which has significantly improved the effectiveness of science and technology education. Xingzhi High School has attracted numerous students with its great charm. Its diversified school-based courses, students’ clubs, science and technology festivals offer students with different interests a platform for personalized learning and exploration so as to increase their scientific literacy.

Their efforts have paid off. Shanghai Xingzhi High School has received honors in consecutive years such as National Advanced School of Learning Tao Xingzhi, Shanghai Civilized Campus, Shanghai Demonstration Primary and Middle School of Code of Conduct, Shanghai Model School of Characteristic Science and Technology Education, Shanghai Model School of Student Psychological Education, Shanghai Model School of “Double New”, Shanghai Advanced Group of Moral Education, Shanghai Green School, Shanghai Model School for Educational Informatization Application, Shanghai Characteristic Primary and Middle School of Labor Education. It was also awarded the school the title of “Olympic Education Model School” by the Ministry of Education and the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. This school is moving towards a brand new future with light steps, becoming a leading and well-known experimental demonstration high school in Shanghai.

Shanghai Wusong High School

Shanghai Wusong High School is an experimental demonstration high school with a profound historical background. In recent years, under the guidance of the school philosophy of “fulfilling our duties for the nation’s glory”, the school has put forward the goal of science and technology education, which is to get every student involved in scientific research. Adhering to the educational reform spirit of Dalton’s “Freedom, Cooperation and Assignment”, it built “Dalton Workshop”, a science and technology innovation base, and a science and technology innovation curriculum system to meet the comprehensive and individual development of students, and implemented the curriculum operation by means of information technology, and made remarkable achievements in science and technology education. Wusong High School has won many honors such as “National Top 100 Characteristic Schools”, “National Green School”, “National Top 10 Innovative Schools in Science and Technology Education”, and “Shanghai Advanced Group of Youth Science Publicity Education”. 

Based on the “Curriculum Plan for Primary and Middle Schools in Shanghai” and “Core Competencies and Values for Chinese Students’ Development”, the school explores the operation modes of curriculum such as “Dalton Workshop Course Group”, offers optional science and technology courses for high school students, and encourages teachers to serve as mentors for the school-based science and technology courses so as to ensure every student get involved in scientific research.

The school has incorporated the evaluation results of students’ participation in science and technology courses and activities into the comprehensive quality evaluation system for high school students. At present, “Dalton Workshop” enjoys a high reputation in Shanghai and even in China, and the construction of Dalton Workshop Course Group has become a typical example of leading curriculum in Shanghai.

The High School Affiliated to Shanghai University

The High School Affiliated to Shanghai University attaches great importance to students’ innovative spirit and actively explores the way of cultivating innovative talents, takes the construction of science and innovation curriculum system as the core, fully integrates resources, and gives full play to the advantages of Shanghai University. The “problem research” can help students experience innovation in research projects, fully stimulate their internal development, and lay a foundation for them before entering universities and doing scientific research.

Putting students first, the school explores new ways of subject teaching based on the existing curriculum framework and develops interdisciplinary innovation courses based on the curriculum reform of “double new” so as to lay a foundation for students’ professional training. Meanwhile, the school builds up a team of mentors from the school and universities, and establishes innovation education bases with Shanghai Jiaotong University, Fudan University, and Shanghai University to offer students high-quality educational resources.

The school has an intelligent management system, complete educational and teaching facilities and advanced boarding facilities. The Innovation Activity Center has several innovation laboratories, which provide a powerful guarantee for building a platform for students’ project-based subject research. In recent years, students have achieved outstanding results in innovation, applied for national patents, participated in various national and municipal competitions, and made brilliant achievements. In the past twenty years of development, the school was awarded Shanghai School for Cultivating Innovation Talents, Shanghai Model School of Characteristic Science and Technology Education, Shanghai Demonstration School of Patent, Member Unit of Shanghai Maker Education Alliance, and Baoshan Pilot School of STEM education.

Shanghai Baoshan Luodian Central Primary School

Shanghai Baoshan Luodian Central Primary School is a rural primary school located in “Golden Luodian” Town, a northern suburb of Shanghai. The school’s motto is upholding science and practicing gratitude. The school has implemented science and technology education since the mid-1980s and integrated science and technology activities into the overall development of the school. Over the years, the school has gradually formed a number of characteristic projects such as creation and invention, vehicle models and Odyssey of the Mind, which drive other science and technology projects. In addition, students have achieved good results in various municipal, national, and even world-class competitions. The school also built a long corridor recording its history of science and technology education over 40 years, in which there is a relief of the school’s first science and technology counselor Teng Xigao. This corridor is not only a historical testimony which witnesses the inheritance among counselors but also a symbol of the school’s science and technology spirit.

The school has won the honorary titles of National Excellent Experimental Base, National Science Education Characteristic School, School of China Odyssey of the Mind, National Characteristic School of Ecological Civilization Education, Shanghai Science and Technology Characteristic School, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Cultivation Base, Shanghai Model School of Intellectual Property Education, Shanghai Green School, Baoshan District Science and Technology Characteristic School. In addition, it was awarded the only representative in Shanghai-National Scientific and Technological Invention Demonstration Base in 2014 and represented China to participate in the Odyssey of the Mind World Innovation Competition in the United States in 2018 and 2019, offering students from rural areas an opportunity to go abroad and take part in world-class competitions. In recent years, based on project-based learning, the school has carried out activities during its Science and Technology Festival, such as “What should we do for homeless birds” so as to promote science and technology education to a deeper level.

This year, the school was also awarded the First Batch of Shanghai Model Schools of Characteristic Science and Technology Education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, which marks an honor and recognition. The school will always take “sow the seed of interest and lay a foundation for children’s future” as the school philosophy, and promote the school culture of pursuing science and technology innovation to promote science and technology education.

The Primary School Affiliated to Shanghai University

Located on Shangda Road and adjacent to Shanghai University, the Primary School Affiliated to Shanghai University is an important part of “Shanghai University brand quality education chain”. Surrounded by the new nucleus of technological innovation around Shanghai University and near No. 0 Base (Baoshan Science and Technology Park), the school boasts great location advantages, especially because of its location in the core areas of Dachang Town, Baoshan Urban Industrial Park, and Nanda Ecological Smart City.

The school always adheres to the goal of “cultivating scientific people towards the world in the future” and the educational philosophy of “creating happiness through science” for science and technology education, and advocates the concept that every staff member is an educator in science and technology. It is the first “wetland school” in Shanghai, a member unit of Shanghai Navigation Model Association, a school jointly built with Shanghai Science and Technology Museum from 2020 to 2022, and a science education base in Baoshan District.

Focusing on the construction of the “holistic education” system and the characteristics of “innovative integration” curriculum, the school integrates the “Blue Impression” science and innovation curriculum into the school’s curriculum development construction, builds new concepts, and promotes the construction of extended and research-oriented curriculum. It has established the “Little Sapphire Youth Academy of Science”, integrates social science and technology education resources, guides students to combine theory with practice, and carries out science and technology practice and research with a pragmatic and scientific attitude, thus improving their scientific literacy, tapping their potential, and cultivating innovative talents.