TeachAids animations used in middle schools in China
In 2008, three visitors representing NGOs in China were invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Included was Ms. Ying ZHANG the Director, Fuyang AIDS Orphan Salvation Association, Mr. Jun LU, Chief Coordinator, Beijing YIRENPING Center and Mr. Xiangyang CHENG the Director, Beijing Lovingsource Education and Research Center. Their goals included exploring targeted outreach and education programs intended for high-risk populations and current patients; and to study efforts to eradicate stigma in the general population about people living with infectious diseases. During their time in the U.S. they met Professor Clifford Nass and Dr. Piya Sorcar, researchers at Stanford University and founders of the TeachAids organization.
Over the next many months, Prof. Nass and Dr. Sorcar worked closely with Ms. Ying Zhang and her colleagues in China. Ms. Zhang’s leadership is widely recognized globally. In 2006, her organization was featured in the Oscar Winning Documentary The Blood of Yingzhou District for their tireless and commendible outreach efforts.
In a joint effort between TeachAids, the Fuyang AIDS Orphan Salvation Association, and the AIDS Policy Research Institute at Tsinghua University, we built a culturally-customized Mandarin version of the TeachAids animations. Under Ms. Zhang’s leadership, the TeachAids animations were shown to hundreds of students in middle schools across the country. The efforts were part of a massive educational campaign to raise awareness in the Yingzhou District of Fuyang, where there are many HIV-infected people.
We’d like to wholeheartedly thank these organizations for their friendship and dedication in working together to enhance education in China, and beyond.