Two high school students establish education non-profit

Jackie Shen (12B) and Jessie Zhao (12A), two high school seniors, have been running ZGZ Education Fund, an independent non-profit organization that provides aid for an elementary school in rural China. 

The project began in tenth grade after Jackie Shen visited her grandparents in ZhangGeZhuang village. “I decided to check out the elementary school for old time’s sake, and I was struck by just how vast the disparity was between the level of education they were reining compared to the ones we were receiving, and I wanted to do whatever I can do [to] help, even [if it’s] just a little,” Jackie Shen explained. She then brought the idea of establishing a non-profit to Jessie Zhao. “I thought it was a great idea and an amazing opportunity to build something lasting that we both care about,” Jessie Zhao said. “We wanted to create our own thing outside of school, and this will be something that we will keep on running even after our high school careers.” 

Over the past two years, ZGZ Education Fund has attracted over 40 members across Beijing, Shanghai, and the United States. “We got a lot of support from everyone we know, and they really helped us get the word out about this charity we are starting,” explained Jessie. Currently, ZGZ Education Fund has hosted six events in Shanghai and 2 in the U.S., and raised over 35,000 RMB. Books and school supplies were also donated to the elementary school in addition to the money that was raised. As the project continues to grow, Jackie and Jessie both agreed that it was time to bring their organization into SMIC-I. “We are looking to establish a permanent branch in SMIC-I, and we welcome any students who want to be a part of the cause,” said Jackie. “Since we’re both seniors, we’ll be leaving for college soon, most likely to the U.S.” Jessie added, “so we really want more people to be involved here in China.”  The two seniors plan on officially introducing ZGZ Education Fund to SMIC-I through a school-wide fundraising event in November.

People who are interested in joining or supporting the organization can contact ZGZ Education Fund at zgzeducationfund@gmail.com. 

Featured Image- ZGZ Education Fund  Courtesy of Jacqueline Shen