JOBB empowers the nation with skills, nurturing growth like gentle rain from Ganlin

The first enrollment of RuiFeng Public Welfare's JOBB project was very diverse. In addition to students from Xinjiang, we will also cooperate with a very special vocational school, bringing JOBB truly closer to all levels of society and helping young people in need.

Last week, a team from RuiFeng Public Welfare visited Ganlin Junior Vocational School in Putuo District, meeting with students and their parents. According to Principal Gao Weihua, when the school introduced RuiFeng's project to students and parents, it received an enthusiastic response. The students were eager to try, and during the initial interview, parents accompanied their children, hoping to learn more about RuiFeng's JOBB project.

The Story of Ganlin School

Shanghai Putuo District Ganlin Junior Vocational School was established in 1999 as an ordinary junior vocational education school. In 2017, under the deployment of the Municipal Education Commission and the District Education Bureau, the school became a special education branch of Caoyang Vocational School, taking on the responsibility of secondary vocational special education. Currently, Ganlin School has 67 special secondary vocational students with conditions such as autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and various degrees of intellectual disabilities. After completing nine years of compulsory education, these students enrolled in Ganlin based on their own willingness and abilities, starting a new learning journey.

Colorful Curriculum

"Ganlin" means nurturing with rain and empowering life. Ganlin School adheres to the educational philosophy of "people-oriented" and offers a diversified curriculum to help special students continue to grow. The school offers public basic courses, including Chinese, Mathematics, English, Information Technology, and Physical Education. Skills practice courses cover vocational skills such as pastry making, cooking, coffee, and embroidery. Recently, the school has been developing cleaning courses in cooperation with enterprises to train students according to job standards, enabling them to master skills that can serve society. For practical training courses, the school has internal practice points for skill application and consolidation and external practice points in cooperation with coffee, food enterprises, and the Ganquan community. For example, the Juequn Education Foundation has set up a special project for autistic children, allowing them to enter enterprises to make vegetarian food and receive appropriate remuneration. At the Ganquan Party and Mass Service Center, children volunteer to make snacks, buns, and wontons for the elderly in the community, providing a space for residents to enjoy food together and offering a platform for special students to integrate into society. These activities allow students to not only master and consolidate their skills but also feel their value and dignity in society. Additionally, the school offers rehabilitation and health courses, providing self-protection awareness, mental health, and puberty education, teaching students to refuse school bullying and bad behavior in society.

Love is Our Base Color

Principal Gao came to Ganlin last June as the Party Secretary and Principal. Although special education is a new field for her, she gradually learned about it during her work. She believes that special children and their families particularly need social attention and support, which increasingly motivates her to do something practical for these children. She advocates for the development requirements of "respecting differences and nurturing with love" and emphasizes to Ganlin's staff that love is our base color in working at Ganlin.

At Ganlin School, every flower and grass has a touching story. During the school visit, we saw some exquisite handmade products, such as embroidery and small wool flowers. Principal Gao explained that these embroidery pieces made by students are purchased monthly by a caring enterprise as corporate gifts. The person in charge of this enterprise is also a mother of a special child. To help more special students, she signed a contract with Ganlin to purchase students' embroidery works monthly, allowing them to realize their value. For students who are not skilled enough to do embroidery, teachers developed simpler wool flowers used for hair clips and brooches, sold at charity sales at nearby Ganquan Middle School, interacting with other children and families in the community. The charity sales process allows children to feel respected and included, and the proceeds help them further establish a sense of achievement and value.

Ganlin also has a "Little Orange Volunteer Service Team" organized by teachers, with the slogan "Willing to help you, achieving beauty." Volunteers selflessly dedicate their enthusiasm to help every student's growth.

RuiFeng's First Cooperation

Talking about the first cooperation with RuiFeng, Principal Gao expressed great anticipation. RuiFeng's JOBB project aligns well with Ganlin School's pastry courses, suitable for further developing students' existing skills. Moreover, RuiFeng's project, supported by the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation, is a trustworthy and reliable public welfare organization. From these few interactions, Principal Gao also feels that RuiFeng is genuinely committed to public welfare, hoping to help more young people. RuiFeng conducted a day of interviews and written tests at Ganlin, enrolling eligible students into the JOBB project, hoping our project can help these special children become independent, integrate into society, and live dignified and quality lives.

The JOBB (Jeunesse of Bakers & Barista) project is affiliated with the Shanghai RuiFeng Urban Public Welfare Development Center and jointly initiated with the Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation. It aims to provide free, practical, high-value vocational training for young people aged 17 to 23 over a period of 4 to 6 months, supplemented by internship opportunities in related enterprises, and job placement recommendations upon graduation. The acronym JOBB stands for Jeunesse of Bakers & Barista (Youth Bakers), and it also sounds like "job."

Public welfare for all, empowering the nation with skills, JOBB is on its way!