Bridging the Education Gap in China's Rural Communities

Millions of students around the world lack access to education to prepare them for future Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and sustainability careers. The problem is more dire for students from low-income and under-resourced communities. At Trane Technologies, our vision is to uplift and engage these young learners throughout their educational journeys.

Our corporate citizenship strategy, Sustainable Futures, is helping us achieve our goals. Through collaborative non-profit partnerships around the world, we are building pathways for students to access education and careers in STEM and sustainability. 

As part of this work, two years ago, Trane Technologies established a partnership with Yuanshan Education Charity Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring equitable access to quality education throughout China, with a focus on rural communities.

Bridging the gap through STEM

Rural education in China faces numerous challenges attributed to limited resources and uncertainties regarding the future prospect of rural students. The rapid evolution of technology and industries globally has significantly altered the landscape of innovation and competition, underscoring the growing necessity to foster innovative talents for the future. Now, more than ever, the adoption of a comprehensive and systematic approach is critical to effectively prepare rural students for success.

Recognizing this, Trane Technologies China partnered with the Yuanshan Education Charity Foundation, providing funding, volunteers, and other support to develop the STEM Enlightenment Class Program.

“Our goal is to help students have extensive experiences in STEM education by inspiring their innovative thinking and spirit for exploration,” shared Ivy Wang, director of communications and marketing of Trane Technologies Asia Pacific. 

The program provides a dual-teacher science education model that delivers innovative STEM content and helps educators gain insight into the educational needs of rural schools. In September 2022, the program launched at five of them in Leishan County of Qiandongnan Miao, Dong Autonomous Prefecture, and Bijie in Southeast China Guizhou Province. 

Revitalizing rural education

“With this program, we want to increase the supply of educational offerings, and make them readily available through technological means,” said Wang Jing, program leader of Yuanshan Charity Education Foundation. “Education consists of knowledge acquisition and student development. Knowledge acquisition can be done through technology, while student development requires more efforts from local teachers."