It all began in the fall of 2013 when Ryan came to my office. He had been a mentor for the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ youth growth programme, and we shared a common ideal: promoting youth education to foster sustainable development. This is how YES! (Youth Education for Sustainability) was born.

Since then, we have become good friends, exploring the Waitakere Ranges, which he calls his “backyard.” We hiked, camped, stargazed, and drank together… In the embrace of nature, we built a deep friendship and trust. We also clarified our goal: to help the next generation face an uncertain future, cultivating them into interdisciplinary thinkers and responsible decision-makers.

In March 2017, I decided to take the first step and founded the Greenfield Forest School in New Zealand, an extracurricular education institution without fixed classrooms, to share our knowledge, experiences, insights, and thoughts with the next generation and guide them to grow into the talents needed for the future world. This decision received strong support from Sir Bob Harvey.

In August, encouraged by my Beijing No. 2 High School alumnus, international education planning expert, and author of Kan Kan Er Tan (Educational Dialogue), Ms Zhu Dan, we successfully held the first YES! Camp. During the preparation process, we were fortunate to meet Ms Haishan Gao. Her educational philosophy, passion, and energy injected new elements into our program—future talents also need to be cross-cultural leaders.

Achieving our vision requires continuous exploration. Growing into interdisciplinary thinkers, cross-cultural leaders, and responsible decision-makers is clearly not achievable with knowledge alone. We ultimately chose nature as our classroom because it offers us diverse subjects to exercise our observation skills; a variable environment to accumulate experience; and vast, open spaces for free debate and reflection. Coupled with the knowledge we gain from various sources, nature provides all the elements needed to stimulate young minds.

Of course, we do not overlook the nourishment human society provides for the cultivation of wisdom. When the natural world is combined with the human world, young people can see the whole picture and make reasonable judgments and appropriate decisions. The light of wisdom will guide them throughout their lives.

We firmly believe that people are the foundation of a great school. Whether you are a parent who shares our educational philosophy, a student seeking wisdom, an alumnus who has already succeeded, or a friend, neighbour, or visitor, your interest and enthusiasm are our most precious wealth and motivation. Here, we extend our heartfelt thanks to you!