On the afternoon of July 2, the Yangpu Sino-US STEAM Education Seminar, directed by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SMEC) and Shanghai College of Teacher Education (SCTE), and hosted by the Yangpu Education Bureau (YEB), was held at Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School. The seminar aimed to deepen the STEAM education cooperation and educational exchanges between Yangpu and the U.S. Guests from the American educational sector, including Bruce DuPlanty, Deputy Director of the Arizona State Board of Education; Mark Francis, Director of the Charter Schools Program of the Arizona Department of Education; and Emily Hu, President of the Ivy Elite Education Association (Greater China). Present were leaders such as Wang Hao, Deputy Head of Yangpu District; Wang Yang, President of SCTE; Zhou Qinjian, Director of the International Exchange Office of SMEC; and He Jinsong, Director General of YEB.

In his address, Wang warmly welcomed the American educational delegation and introduced the foundation of Sino-American educational exchanges in Yangpu, especially the inter-school exchanges, teacher training and innovation competitions by regional schools in the field of STEAM education. He hoped that the two sides will deepen Sino-US cooperation in STEAM education to jointly advance educational development.

On behalf of the American guests, DuPlanty expressed gratitude for the warm reception from Shanghai and Yangpu, introduced educational development in Arizona, and expressed his hope to take this educational exchange as an opportunity to deepen educational cooperation with Yangpu, thereby jointly promoting the educational development of both sides.

Zhou spoke highly of the seminar, underscoring the importance of strengthening Sino-US exchanges and cooperation between STEAM education schools of China and the U.S. He noted that in the process of promoting comprehensive educational reform, it is essential to give full play to the advantages and radiation effects of STEAM education, and to jointly cultivate talents who meet the needs of the times and have innovative spirit and practical skills through the cooperation and exchanges between schools from both countries.

This seminar marks the official launch of Yangpu's Sino-US STEAM education cooperation program. The Yangpu International Educational Exchange Service Center and the Ivy International Education Association entered into a memorandum of understanding to establish the Sino-US Sister Schools STEAM Education Alliance. They also appointed three National Teachers of the Year: Colleen Guccione from Illinois, Linda Rost from Montana and Janine Scott from Michigan, as mentors for the Yangpu-US STEAM exchange program, and established dedicated mentorship studios for them at Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School, Shanghai East Experimental School and Shanghai Yangpu Bilingual School. Wang Yang, President of SCTE and He Jinsong, Director General of YEB presented appointment certificates and plaques to the three American mentors and the principals of the three schools. Wu Wei, Principal of Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School and Mark Francis, Director of the Charter Schools Program of the Arizona Department of Education, delivered keynote speeches, introducing the maker education practice at Shanghai Kongjiang Senior High School and STEAM education at Arizona's charter schools.

Looking ahead, Yangpu's Sino-US STEAM education exchange program will methodically advance projects in batches, following a hierarchical structure from district to school to project team. At the regional level, the program will foster regional mechanisms by introducing outstanding American teachers and carrying out STEAM educational exchanges; at the school level, the program will promote the establishment of sister school relationships between 11 local schools and their American counterparts, to facilitate curriculum sharing, project implementation and mutual visits by teachers and students. As the cooperative project progresses and deepens, the schools from both sides will work in unison to continuously enhance the new connotation of cooperation and expand the cooperation range, and jointly embark on an innovative path of integrated development centered on STEAM program cooperation.