This September, YWIEK Shanghai Lingang will become the newest member of the YWIEK family. As the first private kindergarten in the Lin-gang Special Area to integrate the best of Chinese and Western education, YWIEK Shanghai Lingang will collaborate with local educational institutions and community resources to jointly promote quality education and community development.

YWIEK Shanghai Lingang is a kindergarten that welcomes both Chinese and foreign children aged 2-6 years old. The campus adopts the systematic and professional Yew Wah ECE programme that takes into account the unique characteristics and needs of children, families, and society. In addition, the programme focuses on relationships: among classmates, between teachers and students, and between the teachers and the home and family of students.

Ms Zheng Jingxian, the Principal of YWIEK Shanghai Lingang, has twenty years of experience in ECE and school management, and a deep passion for and understanding of children and early childhood education.

She explained, "Even though children are young, they have their own unique abilities and worldview. This is why child-centred education that respects the age-specific characteristics of children is especially valuable nowadays."

The YWIEK Shanghai Lingang programme integrates learning about health, society, language, science, and art through teaching strategies such as learning through play, the scientific introduction of second language acquisition, and generating the curriculum with the children. The programme focuses on fostering the character and pro-social development of children through generative inquiry.

YWIEK Shanghai Lingang will immerse children in a bilingual environment, where Chinese and international teachers guide and support the children to develop their abilities in both Chinese and English, as well as a sensitivity to different cultures. Teachers build positive relationships with each child, and create a caring and relaxed environment through their tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions.

In addition, Yew Wah ECE has developed the "Adaptation Programme for New Students Entering Kindergarten" to help children establish a sense of belonging and security in kindergarten through joint efforts with the children's home and family. The programme's goal is to alleviate any anxiety that the children might feel about entering kindergarten, and to lay a solid foundation for the children's healthy psychological development.

YWIEK Shanghai Lingang spans over 6,000 square metres, with more than 4,000 square metres dedicated to the outdoor area.

The 13 south-facing classrooms feature large floor-to-ceiling windows, providing ample natural light and transparency. The campus includes functional spaces such as creative art classrooms, dance and music classrooms, and a bakery room to meet diverse teaching needs.

The campus design follows the philosophy that, "The environment is the third teacher". The children's feelings and understanding are the starting point, and the space of the environment itself becomes an educational resource.

The wide corridor runway, the "Explorer's Way" climbing area, and the rock-climbing wall have all been designed to stimulate the children's exploratory nature and to encourage them to play and explore. These facilities satisfy the children's curiosity about the world and offer a multi-dimensional experience.

Outdoor playground facilities, such as the spaceship-themed slides, the "Archimedes Screw", and the electricity-generating playground devices, enable the children to get a feel for STEM fun, and plant the seeds of future science and innovation in their hearts.

The goal of the Lin-gang Special Area is to create a modern city that is suitable for living, working, and visiting, with a focus on nurturing a vibrant youth-centric community.

The opening of YWIEK Shanghai Lingang meets the demand for quality education in the area and aligns with the trend of regional education resources and demand.

Ms Zhang Rongzhen, Director of Yew Wah ECE, emphasised the importance of building a close partnership with parents. "Through regular parent meetings, open days and educational talks, we share our children's learning progress and educational ideas, and work together to care for and promote the growth of our children," she said.

YWIEK Shanghai Lingang is in close proximity to both YCIS Shanghai Lingang and YWIES Shanghai Lingang, and will work closely with both schools to offer a wealth of teaching and community activities.

According to Ms Zhang, the opening of YWIEK Shanghai Lingang completes a comprehensive Yew Wah education service system from infancy to senior secondary school in the Lin-gang Special Area, and provides parents with a seamless transition and builds long-term trust in their children's development.