Public Pedagogy Residency - Bay Area Fall 2025

“In my dialogues with partners, researchers and practitioners, we often come across Anji Play, the community and the work of Ms. Cheng Xueqin and her collaborators, as an example we hope will change how we develop the competencies of any child to deal in a more uncertain and changeable world, but at the same time with the true essence of the environment, community values and social responsibility, that will make us able to reform education systems around the world.”

-Dr. Bo Stjerne Thomsen
Vice-President and Chair of Learning through Play in the LEGO Foundation.

Ms. Cheng Xueqin has changed the direction of education, pedagogy, and how we understand child development. Her philosophy, environments, materials, and practices have impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of young children in China and are the focus of school and community-based programs in the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia.

Having recently retired from her position as superintendent of public early education in Anji County, China, she is now free to travel abroad and share her knowledge and experience directly with communities outside of China. 

The Bay Area is known for its innovation and commitment to supporting and sharing new ideas that will impact the world. It is the ideal location for a new kind of residency that seeks to engage the public, families, educators, and organizations around love, risk, joy, engagement, and reflection, the core tenents of Anji Play. Simple ideas that when put into practice are what Dr. Ben Mardell, of Harvard University’s Project Zero described as, “To transform an entire system where across schools children from all backgrounds in a community are experiencing transformative education, is nothing short of miraculous. Ms. Cheng's educational practice is impressive.

We are currently seeking funding and partnerships to bring Ms. Cheng to a public institution in the Bay Area where she can hold workshops, lecture, meet with educators and community members, collaborate on the design of ongoing public play and educator training programs and provide consulting and advice on local environments.

First major residency for Ms. Cheng. Her knowledge and experience are invaluable and largely un-explored by researchers outside of China