Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai) received the Staff Development and Wellbeing Award at the British Chamber of Commerce’s China Schools Awards 2022 in Chengdu on 24 February, in recognition of Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network (YCYW)'s long-term commitment to talent development and growth.

Dr Esther Chan, YCYW’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (K-12 Education) said the award recognises the Network's longstanding commitment and practices in nurturing talent and in enhancing staff experience.  Riding on its 90 years of history, YCYW has built a "learning community" to help teachers develop a deeper understanding of its educational philosophy and to keep up with the times in terms of teaching skills and knowledge sharing.  YCYW has thus been able to maintain a high level of quality and consistency in teaching and learning.

The China Schools Awards (CSA) are organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in China to acknowledge the achievements and excellence in K12 international education in China. The Staff Development and Wellbeing Award recognises schools that have made outstanding contributions to cultivating the professionalism and personal growth of their staff while helping them achieve a balance of academics, management, leadership, as well as teamwork in their daily work, creatively and holistically exploring different areas of knowledge.

It is reported that more than 100 schools from across China applied for the CSA, and after rounds of careful considerations by the organisers' independent judging panel, YCIS Shanghai stood out with its comprehensive staff training and development system on top of its in-depth support for its staff.

YCYW puts a strong emphasis on creating a continuous learning environment for which a comprehensive online learning platform proves to be extremely popular among staff.  The Network has also been organising PD Days, a group training event for the entire network of over 1,000 people, for several years.

PD Mondays are held weekly at all YCYW campuses every Monday after school at a designated time dedicated to staff training and development.  Such arrangement allows teachers to focus on training activities including workshops, seminars and keynote presentations etc.  Special training activities such as YCYW Leadership Development Programme , Aspiring Senior Leader Mentoring Programme and Child Protection Training and Curriculum Seminars are also conducted during PD Mondays .

In addition, all YCYW staff have access to a 24-hour bilingual counselling service and an in-house wellbeing programme where everyone can leverage on the online resources to manage and keep track of their own as well as their families’ wellbeing. 

About Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network (YCYW)

YCYW is a global education pioneer with roots in Hong Kong, China. It seeks to combine the best of Chinese and Western cultures to create a truly distinctive spectrum of educational provision. Its mission is to nurture compassionate global citizens for the building of a better world.

Madam Tsang Chor-hang was a visionary and education pioneer who founded the first Yew Chung School and Kindergarten in Hong Kong in 1932. In 1970, her daughter Dr Betty Chan Po-king joined Yew Chung to assist in its management. As a dedicated researcher in early childhood education, Dr Chan put forth an innovative concept of ‘learning through play’.  In 1985, Yew Chung organised the ‘Pillars of Tomorrow’, an Early Childhood Education Exhibition in Beijing, which was officiated by Ms Kang Keqing, the then Chairlady of the Beijing Soong Ching Ling Foundation. In 1989, Yew Chung collaborated with UNICEF to organise the world's first academic forum on early childhood education, promoting exchanges between early childhood education communities in the Mainland, Hong Kong and around the world.

In the 1990s, Yew Chung was invited to Shanghai and Beijing to run schools for expatriates in the Mainland. Following in her mother's footsteps, Dr Betty Chan Po-king and her husband, Professor Paul Yip Kwok-wah, later founded the Yew Chung Yew Wah Education Network, nurturing Chinese and expatriate students to contribute to the international stage.

As YCYW celebrates its 90th anniversary milestone in 2022, its educational pedigree  encompasses the entire spectrum from early childhood to tertiary education including Yew Chung International Schools, Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education, Yew Wah International Education Schools, Yew Wah International Education Kindergartens and Yew Wah Infant and Toddler Discovery Centres in cities covering Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Qingdao, Yantai, Tongxiang, Silicon Valley, USA and Somerset, UK. Each year, YCYW provides quality education and development opportunities for more than 13,000 teachers and students around the world.

For media enquiries : media@ycyw.com