During the winter break, students and faculty from Tsinghua University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Capital Normal University, and other institutions arrived at the "Seedling Protection School" in Luofang Township, Yong'an City, Fujian Province. With Luofang Central Primary School on holiday and many migrant parents yet to return home, the "Seedling Protection School" became a nurturing haven for 50 left-behind children from Luofang and surrounding towns. Young volunteers from these universities have become guardians of youth, fostering growth in this old revolutionary base area. Student volunteers from Northwestern Polytechnical University guided the children in building model aircraft.
Despite the cold winter, the school was filled with warmth. "Classmates, the 'invisible protective clothing' on this apple is actually a calcium carbonate fruit protectant. It safeguards the apple from pests and diseases, allowing it to grow strong and ensuring we can eat it safely," explained Professor Wang Jilin from the Guilin University of Technology research team led by Professor Long Fei. Using a common apple as an example, Professor Wang introduced the children to the wonders of modern agriculture through the bag-free cultivation technology developed by his team, which utilizes a calcium carbonate fruit protectant.
The "Seedling Protection School" serves as a social practice base for Northwestern Polytechnical University students. This holiday, teachers and students from the university's School of Navigation offered a variety of interest-expanding courses, including navigation, for the children. Lin Zirui, typically an active and energetic student, listened with unusual attentiveness during the volunteers' science lessons. "I heard these older brothers and sisters have a big airplane on their campus. I need to study hard so I can test into that school someday," he said, a dream of aerospace quietly taking root in his young mind.
In the adjacent dance classroom, Yang Yuni, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and an inheritor of the Lezuo dance intangible cultural heritage, along with volunteer Gao Meiyun, were rehearsing the dance "Youth with Aspirations" with a group of girls. Laughter echoed as they moved to the cheerful melody. Gao Meiyun arrived through the 2025 Fujian Province University Student Rural Revitalization Volunteer Service Plan, becoming a dance teacher at the "Seedling Protection School" and providing aesthetic education services to left-behind children. Six months of daily interaction with the children has given her a profound understanding of the saying, "The amount of hope you nurture is reflected in the starlight in your eyes."
Over the past year, coverage by Guangming Daily and Guangming Online has drawn widespread attention from universities and接力 support from all sectors of society. By the end of January, 162 volunteers from 23 universities had served rural education at the "Seedling Protection School." This has gradually formed a "Seedling Protection" community involving multiple stakeholders: guidance from the Luofang Township Party Committee, government leadership, policy support, social donations, university empowerment, volunteer services, and media oversight, all working together to support the comprehensive growth and progress of left-behind children.
With the 2026 National People's Congress approaching, CPPCC member Yang Yuni returned to the "Seedling Protection School" for further research. In her view, mainstream media have evolved from chroniclers of the "Seedling Protection School" into powerful promoters of rural education. They have helped build a multi-stakeholder care system and working mechanism for rural education, effectively addressing the practical needs of left-behind children and grassroots communities, and providing valuable exploration for the development of rural education and the growth of left-behind children.
Shortly after the winter break began, teachers and students from Guangdong University of Finance and Economics traveled to Luofang Township. While providing "seedling protection" services, student anchors leveraged their professional skills to promote local specialty products, such as Luofang cured duck—a product of intangible cultural heritage—through online live streams. They also taught elderly local artisans how to use e-commerce platforms, using their influence and creativity to help distinctive agricultural products from the old revolutionary base area reach wider markets and increase farmers' incomes.
The scope of volunteer efforts expanded from "protecting seedlings" to "aiding agriculture," and from safeguarding children to serving the broader rural community. Throughout the year, university volunteers actively integrated into various aspects of life for the people in the old revolutionary base area, providing tailored services. Teams such as the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences doctoral student service group, the Fujian Medical University Union Clinical Medical College doctoral medical service group, and the Nanchang University Orange Heart Elderly Assistance Volunteer Association served both the very young and the elderly at the grassroots level, offering online and offline health science education and free medical clinics. They explained medical terms and symptom characteristics using everyday language and easy-to-understand analogies, guiding residents to adopt scientific concepts and cultivate healthy lifestyles.
During the free clinics, young doctor Bian Jiaxiang carried his medical kit from house to house, providing check-ups for elderly residents with limited mobility and bringing care directly to their bedsides. He wrote in his log: "The moment a lowered blood pressure reading alleviated a health concern for an elderly person, I truly felt the warmth of people's livelihoods at the grassroots level. It strengthened my resolve to use my medical knowledge and youthful pledge to protect this rural community."
As the Spring Festival approaches, the festive atmosphere grows stronger. From the classrooms to the fields, and from village homes to the streets, these young university students have delayed their journeys home, taking root at the grassroots level. They are shining brightly on this cherished land, adding a warm footnote to their youth.