On December 20, 2015, You Dao Foundation and Nexans invited 12 parents and children to the Shanghai Young Bakers for baking activities. The activities were funded by the Nexans, the Young Bakers provided the space for training, and You Dao organized the event. There were six groups of migrant families from nearby Qingpu and Beiyaowan who attended the event.
The activities began at 9:30am, when the host of the center Mei gave the group an introduction on the purpose of this training at the Youth Culture Square project: to provide migrant children with skills to help them find jobs in the future. Then the baking instructor demonstrated to the children how to make gingerbread cupcakes for the Christmas season. Then they let the children and parents try to make cupcakes for themselves. For most of the children it was their first time ever trying to make cupcakes. Their faces and clothes were covered in dough and they were all smiling as they tried making cookies.
Finally, under the guidance of teachers, the children used syrup and cream to decorate their own creations. The children and parents used their rich imaginations to decorate their gingerbread into Christmas trees, small animals, and other colorful cupcakes. The teachers praised the children’s’ creativity.
At the end of the event, everyone was very happy. With this partnership, the three institutions have a better understanding of each other, but also have a foundation for further cooperation in the future.