At WIS, education has never been confined to the classroom. As a signature program of our Grade 9 journey, the Community Project is not merely an academic milestone within the IB MYP framework, but a rite of passage centering on social responsibility, leadership, and problem-solving.

This year, our Grade 9 students turned their critical gaze toward the silent lives weathering the corners of our own city—Hangzhou’s stray cats.

Earlier this year, driven by deep empathy, G9 students Abdulmalek, Ahmed, Song, Kira, and Yoyo launched their Community Project titled Cat Mission Impossible after witnessing innocent, abandoned animals scavenging through trash heaps and enduring brutal urban seasons.

Their goal was clear: to leverage their leadership to shift public perception from mere awareness to meaningful, compassionate action.

True MYP inquiry begins with rigorous, evidence-based research. Through empirical investigation, the students exposed a sprawling, real-world urban issue: local data reveals that Hangzhou’s stray cat population has grown into hundreds of thousands, with over 100,000 roaming the main city center alone. Nationally, the 2024 White Paper on China’s Pet Industry underscores a staggering crisis: a population of 50 to 53 million stray cats, with 24,000 newly abandoned animals daily and an effective rescue rate of less than 2%. Behind these stark metrics lies an urgent crisis of human-animal coexistence.

To ground their academic inquiry in real-world contexts, G9 students conducted a hands-on field investigation at the Meow Meow stray cat shelter.

They discovered that the shelter was founded by Brother Pipi right after the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games to rescue animals left homeless by the demolition of event venues. This visit provided G9 students with deep insights into the logistical and emotional realities of grassroots animal rescue.

The palpable vulnerability of the rescued cats and the unwavering dedication of Brother Pipi struck a deep chord with every student.

Realizing that empathy without action is incomplete, they felt a profound sense of responsibility to bring the shelter’s stories back to the school community.

Driven by this newfound purpose, they sought to turn their observations into tangible impact.

Educational Outreach:

G9 students took their message to PYP Grade 1 classrooms, using a custom-designed cartoon, Laifu the Cat, to teach empathy and interviewing the younger students to understand their perspectives on animal welfare.

Product Design:

G9 students designed and manufactured high-quality, creative merchandise, including custom cat pillows, artistic umbrellas, brooches, postcards, and stickers.

Independent Marketing:

During the International Day and G1 Market Day, G9 students’ independent fundraising efforts culminated in raising ¥7345, with all proceeds directed toward shelter food, medical care, and sterilization programs.

Proving that student leadership can influence systemic change, G9 students looked beyond immediate relief toward long-term civic responsibility.

Benchmarking the structured models used by the Hong Kong SPCA, G9 students developed formal policy proposals aimed at the Hangzhou government through platforms like “Zhe Li Ban”. Their petition advocates for:

◆Strict legal penalties for animal abuse and mandatory pet ownership regulations to stop abandonment at the source.

◆Mandatory animal relocation protocols to clear and protect strays before urban demolition projects begin.

◆Expanded government-backed community sterilization (TNR) programs to humanely control overpopulation.

Through this journey, G9 students achieved a rich harvest: they not only mastered data-driven research and cross-age communication, but also honed their problem-solving and business marketing skills through product creation and fundraising. More importantly, they developed a profound sense of global-mindedness and civic responsibility.

While G9 students extend their deepest gratitude to the teachers, peers, and shelter volunteers who supported them, they remind the entire school community that sustainable change depends on everyone.

Whether it is providing a bowl of clean water or choosing adoption over purchasing, every small action is a step toward a more civilized, compassionate society.

在杭州娃哈哈外籍人员子女学校，教育的边界从未被框定在教室之内。作为九年级标志性的学术与实践里程碑——社区项目（Community Project）不仅是一项深入的 IB MYP 跨学科探究，更是一场关于社会责任、领导力与问题解决能力的成年礼。

今年，九年级的几位学子将他们审视世界的目光，投向了我们所生活的杭州城里那些最无声、最容易被忽视的生命——流浪猫。

今年早些时候，九年级学生Abdulmalek、Ahmed、Song、Kira和Yoyo因为看到无辜被遗弃的猫咪在垃圾堆里搜寻食物、在严酷寒暑中挣扎，在强烈的同理心驱动下，决定启动名为“Cat Mission Impossible”的社区项目。

他们的目标非常明确：发挥自身领导力，改变大家日常生活中的习惯性“漠视”，并积极引导大家展开充满爱心的实际行动。

真正的 IB 探究始于严谨的、基于事实的调研。孩子们通过数据考证，揭示了一个庞大而隐秘的城市现实议题：根据本地监测数据，仅杭州主城区的流浪猫数量便已超过 10 万只，整个城市的流浪猫群体高达数十万。放眼全国，《2024年中国宠物行业白皮书》的数据更是触目惊心——5000 万至 5300 万只流浪猫，每天有超过 2.4 万只生命被迫加入流浪的行列，而有效的救助率却不足 2%。这些冰冷而巨大的数字，无一不在向少年们昭示着人与动物、城市与自然和谐共生所面临的迫切危机。

为了将学术探究扎根于现实背景，G9学生对“喵喵流浪猫救助中心”进行了实地考察。他们了解到，该救助中心是由“皮皮大哥”在2022年杭州亚运会后紧急建立的，旨在收容因亚运场馆及周边拆迁而失去家园的流浪动物。

这次探访让G9学生对民间流浪动物救助在物资与情感上面临的现实情况有了深刻的体会。

猫咪眼中怯弱的微光，与救助者数年如一日的坚守，深深触动了每一位WIS学子的心弦。

他们意识到，仅仅作为一个旁观者去同情是远远不够的，真正的探究应当转化为改变现实的力量。

带着这份沉甸甸的责任感，孩子们决定将基地的故事带回校园，用实际行动为这些弱小生命发声。

跨年级的同理心课堂：

G9学生走进PYP一年级课堂，他们利用自主设计的卡通漫画《流浪猫来福的故事》，在幼小的心灵中播下善意与责任的种子，并通过采访一年级的小朋友，完成了关于动物福利的跨年龄对话。

文创产品的温度转化：

G9学生将艺术创意与公益结合，设计并制作了高质量的创意文创周边，包括定制猫咪抱枕、艺术雨伞、胸针、明信片和贴纸，将美感与公益完美结合。

兼具商业智慧的义卖实践：

在国际日和一年级的集市日活动中，他们将所学的商业营销与经济学知识付诸实践，独立筹得善款7345元。这些款项将全额用于支持救助中心的粮食供应、医疗护理和绝育项目。

G9学生用行动证明了学生领导力可以推动系统性变革，他们的目光超越了眼前的短期救助，投向了长期的公民责任。

他们借鉴了香港爱护动物协会（SPCA）的成熟结构化模式，尝试通过“浙里办”等平台向杭州市政府提出正式的政策建议。他们的请愿倡议包括：

◆严惩虐待动物的行为，并建立宠物饲养准入与管理法规，从源头上遏制弃养。

◆在城市拆迁改造项目动工前，建立强制性的流浪动物安全转移与清查机制以保护弱小。

◆扩大政府支持的社区绝育（TNR）项目，以人道、科学的方式控制流浪动物数量过快增长。

通过这次沉浸式的体验，九年级学生获得了丰硕的成长：他们不仅掌握了基于数据事实的研究方法和跨年龄层的沟通技巧，还通过文创产品制作和义卖筹款，切实锻炼了解决现实问题和商业营销的能力。

更重要的是，他们培养了深刻的全球公民意识与社会责任感。在展示最后，他们不仅向一路支持他们的老师、同学以及救助中心志愿者表达最诚挚谢意，同时他们也提醒整个校园社区：可持续的改变取决于每一个人。

无论是冬日里提供一碗干净的清水，还是践行“领养代替购买”，每一个微小的举动都是我们走向更文明、更有爱心社会的一大步。