As the heat of summer fades and autumn begins, the new school year has commenced, bringing the summer vacation to a close. Across the vast landscapes of Anhui, growth did not pause during the break. Teachers and students alike have gained valuable experiences from a diverse range of activities.

Venturing beyond the traditional classroom, the educational experience has expanded into the wider world. Primary and secondary school students traveled to mountains, rivers, and museums, broadening their perspectives through firsthand exploration. Young athletes took to competitive stages at various levels, honing their skills and resilience through rigorous competition. University students delved into grassroots communities, gaining a deeper understanding of responsibility amidst the realities of everyday life. Meanwhile, teachers seized the opportunity for professional development, participating in specialized seminars to refresh their teaching philosophies and enhance their capabilities, preparing themselves for the new term. The summer break was not a pause in education but rather a period for extended growth. Through study tours, athletic contests, community engagement, and professional training, the educational community across Anhui has painted a vibrant and fulfilling picture of summer learning.

A Summer of Learning: Broadening Horizons Through Exploration

To fulfill the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, multiple departments in Anhui Province have collaborated to advance study tours for primary and secondary school students. The Provincial Department of Education, along with nine other agencies, issued implementation guidelines that integrate study tours into the school curriculum. The province has cultivated the distinctive "Study in Anhui" brand, publishing premium travel routes, promoting the development of demonstration bases, and establishing provincial-level standards for study tour course design. These efforts encourage students to step outside the school gates during holidays for experiential learning. Guided by these policies, schools across the province have actively organized trips for students to engage with nature and society. Traveling with their textbooks in hand, the words on the page transform into tangible landscapes. "My impression of Shennongjia was only of 'wild men,' but after experiencing it firsthand and hearing the explanations, I have a new understanding!" said Wang Yang, a fourth-grader from Hefei. This summer, he joined a study group on an exploration in Shennongjia. He encountered rare flora and fauna like the golden snub-nosed monkey and the dove tree, experiencing the ecological wonders of the primitive forests and alpine wetlands, gaining a more three-dimensional appreciation for this world natural heritage site. After Shennongjia, Wang Yang's group traveled to the Three Gorges, where the river scenery he had only seen in books unfolded before his eyes. He boarded a cruise ship to witness the process of vessels passing through the dam, marveling at the engineering ingenuity behind this national project. Society itself is a vast classroom beyond textbooks. How is salt produced? How is it stored? What vital role does it play? With these questions, 20 students from the Red Scarf Holiday Squad of Class 4, Grade 2023, at Hefei Anjuyuan Primary School, visited the Anhui Province Hefei Salt Company, transforming into little "salt researchers." Guided by a docent, they saw the abandoned railway line and the decades-old fir timber salt warehouses. This unique "salt" study tour broadened their minds. One student, Wang Zirui, remarked, "I only knew salt as a seasoning, but I never imagined it's also a vital national resource. I also learned about the dangers of both salt deficiency and excessive intake." Knowledge can also be found in local museums and exhibitions. In Xuancheng, children from a public interest class in Jingde County visited the Guo'an Woodcarving Museum and the county archives. At the woodcarving museum, they admired carvings from the Song Dynasty to the Republic of China era, listening to the curator's explanations and learning about traditional craftsmanship and the virtues it embodies. At the archives, they traced the county's development and historical heritage. "I'd only seen these in textbooks before. Seeing these actual archives and old photos makes history feel so real," said student Mei Zichen. "I've learned so much that isn't in the books."

Chasing Dreams on the Field: Forging New Skills Through Competition

With swift passing, solid defense, fast breaks, and precise shots, the players moved with agility and intensity on the rink, while applause and cheers rang out from the sidelines. In August, the 2026 Asian-Oceania Inline Hockey Club Champions Cup concluded in Lishui, Zhejiang Province. The women's junior A team from Hefei Shilimiao Primary School secured the runner-up position, standing on the continental podium. This team of 14 players, with an average age of just 13, was the only representative from Anhui Province. "Competing against such strong players showed me both my weaknesses and strengths. All that persistent daily practice has finally paid off. This silver medal is both an honor and a motivator. I will continue to train hard and strive to win glory for our country in the future," said Xia Bitong, a sixth-grader from the school. Her aggressive offense and accurate shooting earned her the tournament's "Top Scorer" award, a highlight of her summer. She joined the team as a complete beginner upon entering primary school and has now become a key defender. While some were sweating it out on the sports field, others were showcasing their intellectual talents. Recently, the 2026 National Youth Information Literacy Competition's national finals concluded in Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province. Students from Mengcheng County Chengguan Third Primary School's Sanyang Road campus, guided by their teachers, advanced through the rounds and stood out among thousands of participants. Li Haoxuan and Zhao Chuang won a national second prize and third prize, respectively, in the information algorithm application category. The academic arena also witnessed the growth and transformation of Anhui's youth. At the 35th National High School Biology Olympiad held in Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, Anhui students achieved impressive results, winning 4 gold, 9 silver, and 3 bronze medals. Students from Hefei secured 2 gold and 2 silver, while those from Wuhu took home 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze. As one of the highest-level competitions in the field for domestic high school students, it tests both theoretical knowledge and experimental skills, challenging their academic depth and composure. Gold and silver medalists are also eligible for special admission to the "Strong Foundation Plan" of prestigious universities like Tsinghua and Peking University. The province places great emphasis on integrating sports and education. In February of this year, the Provincial Sports Bureau and the Department of Education jointly issued the "2026 Anhui Youth Sports Competition Plan," aiming to expand the reach of provincial events, encourage schools to form high-level sports teams, and provide comprehensive quality assessments for winning students. Competition management has also been regulated to guide students towards participating in sanctioned "whitelist" contests, creating diverse platforms for growth in sports, science, and academics. This summer, Anhui's youth pushed their limits, achieving self-improvement through competition and dedicated practice.

Grassroots Engagement: Cultivating Responsibility Through Action

This summer, the voices of youth echoed throughout local communities. In July, a practice team from Anhui University of Technology, comprising nine students and four instructors, traveled to Jinggangshan, where they met a young healthcare worker serving at the grassroots level in the old revolutionary base area. "When I first arrived, I set a goal to stay for one year," Shan Yuanyuan, a staff member at the Gucheng Town Central Health Center of Jinggangshan General Hospital, told the students. From establishing the health center's first official WeChat account, to conducting free public health check-ups in villages, and introducing nursing concepts from top-tier hospitals, Shan Yuanyuan initially considered himself a "passing traveler." However, after two years of living alongside the community, he chose to renew his service, having come to see the mountain residents as family. The practice team members reflected, "True hard work isn't about 'experiencing' hardship; it's about actively finding solutions within limitations and doing every ordinary task well." Focusing on the theme "Youth Power in the High-Quality Development of Old Revolutionary Base Areas," they conducted grassroots interviews, distributed questionnaires, and performed field sampling to explore the dynamic relationship between the Jinggangshan spirit and youth contribution. Over ten days, they produced tangible results, not just theoretical ones. Combining their diverse skills in visual communication design, administrative management, law, and applied chemistry, they completed soil testing for local farmland and designed an original agricultural product IP called "Xiaohonghe." The IP design has been officially handed over to the Jinggangshan Center of the Communist Youth League and a local livestreaming base for agricultural products. With dedicated tracks for red heritage, rural revitalization, technology in agriculture, and science popularization, the Provincial Department of Education and other agencies have been coordinating summer social practice programs for college and technical school students, guiding them to apply their knowledge across Anhui. This summer, numerous university teams from the province have similarly immersed themselves in the country's heartland, moving their practical lessons to fields, workshops, and city streets. A team from Hefei University of Technology's School of Food and Biological Engineering conducted a six-day research project on the entire traditional Chinese medicine industry chain in Qiaocheng District, Bozhou, applying their professional knowledge to benefit the public. A group from Anhui Agricultural University's College of Agronomy went to Dafan Village in Jinzhai County to participate in basic farming tasks, connecting their theoretical knowledge with practical skills. A volunteer service team from Hefei Normal University's School of Psychology and Cognitive Science carried out a 21-day immersive "Three Visits to the Countryside" program in Xiaoli Village, Huanglu Town, Chaohu. They provided specialized mandarin language therapy for adolescents in the province's first care village for adults with autism and offered language support and anti-fraud education for the local elderly. Throughout the scorching summer, the energy of youth surged vibrantly across Anhui.

Teacher Empowerment: Building New Capacity Through Professional Development

The summer break is not only a time for students to rest but also a prime "recharging" period for teachers. In recent years, Anhui Province has vigorously promoted the use of artificial intelligence in teacher development. They have issued curriculum guidelines for AI general education in primary and secondary schools and made digital teaching skills and mental health education competency key components of continuing education. By leveraging the summer window and combining online and offline training resources, they have conducted tiered and targeted professional development sessions. These efforts guide teachers in updating their educational philosophies and honing their teaching techniques, thereby strengthening the foundation for teaching quality in the new semester. Early in the summer, a special training session on AI-assisted classroom teaching was held at the Affiliated Primary School of Anhui Normal University's Fenghuangcheng Branch (Wuhu Fenghuangcheng Primary School). The training adopted a dual-track approach of "theory plus practice," bridging the gap between policy and classroom application, and enabling teachers to systematically grasp the underlying logic and practical methods of AI-assisted instruction. Principal Cheng Jie encouraged all teachers to use this training as a new starting point, to embrace new technology, apply it genuinely in the classroom, and remain true to their core educational mission. The school will continue to promote smart classroom initiatives, encouraging teachers to integrate their learning into lesson planning and teaching, and to explore AI teaching solutions tailored to their students' needs. A similar training titled "Educational Transformation in the Age of AI" was conducted at Hefei Weigang Primary School, with participation from key teachers of nearby schools. Through various case studies, from AI-supported analysis of student learning to collaborative human-machine lesson preparation and personalized feedback on essays using intelligent agents, teachers gained a direct understanding of how human-machine collaboration can reduce workload, increase efficiency, and foster teaching innovation. With broadened perspectives and new tools, schools have gained clearer direction for deeply integrating AI into education. "Choose one tool, explore one direction, create one case study" has become a common starting point for the participating teachers. In county-level areas, AI general education is also being progressively implemented. In late August, a special training session for AI general education was held in Huoqiu County, with nearly 500 key teachers from local schools attending. The comprehensive training was tailored to grassroots needs, covering everything from policy interpretation and infrastructure development to classroom reform and practical application, establishing a complete loop for AI education implementation. Participating teachers stated that the training clarified their thinking, cleared up misconceptions, and equipped them with practical methods. Following the training, schools in the county will transfer their learnings into practice, regularly offering AI general education courses and focusing on smart education and innovative teaching models. While teaching skills are keeping pace with the AI era, the capacity for mental health education must not lag behind. Teachers are core guardians of minors' mental health, and their own psychological state and educational competency directly impact the quality of school mental health services and the well-being of students. In July, sessions 6 and 7 of Huangshan City's "Xin'an Xin'an" forum were held at Tunxi No.5 Middle School. Through lectures, interactions, and practical exercises, teachers learned to scientifically regulate their own mental states in a relaxing environment. Many teachers noted the sessions helped alleviate accumulated negative emotions and chronic occupational stress, improving their overall well-being. This, in turn, provides strong support for nurturing the mental health and positive character of young people. This fulfilling summer saw teachers and students across Anhui break boundaries and expand their limits. They broadened their horizons through study tours, refined their abilities through competition, cultivated their sense of purpose through grassroots practice, and sharpened their professional skills through training. Every effort has solidified into confidence for what lies ahead, and every experience has transformed into momentum for the future. Carrying the gains of summer, the educational community of Anhui is now reorganizing and preparing to integrate their summer learnings and reflections into the new semester's teaching and learning, embarking on the new journey with vigor and determination. (Photos provided by interviewees) ■ Reporter: Zhang Jingyi, Anhui Daily Media Group