After freshmen year in high school, I traveled to Beijing to learn Chinese, become more acquainted with my culture, and do some community service. What started as just something to keep me busy over the summer has since become an integral part of my life. The weeks that I spent in China teaching English to children from low-income families encouraged me to start the Apple Project, a not-for-profit organization that now serves hundreds of children every year with volunteers from New York to California. I remember, during the first class that I ever taught, I asked, “What is your favorite fruit?” Almost every student yelled, “Apple!” It soon became apparent that the children only answered “apple” because their vocabulary was limited.

 The enthusiasm exuded by these students, who knew so little but were nevertheless eager to learn, was surprisingly touching. Upon reflection, it seems almost laughable that one word could have such a powerful impact, but I was inspired to continue the service of teaching English, despite the many obstacles, largely in part because of the simple concept represented by this incident. I hoped that the program would, one day, help children all across China acquire a vocabulary that consisted of more than just the word apple. In China, the ability to speak English is an invaluable skill when looking for a job as the language is commonly used in both business and diplomacy. 

 While English has become a required component of the Chinese education system, there exists a clear discrepancy between the quality of English instruction in wealthier schools and their less affluent counterparts. To address this issue, the Apple Project coordinates lessons in which volunteers from across the United States teach English to underprivileged children in China via webcam. All volunteers are American high school students, who write their own lesson plans tailored to the curriculum of the schools in China. Lessons are once a week for an hour. The program focuses on basic grammar, pronunciation, and American culture through the use of pictures, games, dialogues, and songs. 

 Shortly after my trip to Beijing in 2008, I ran into Margie Chen, a philanthropist that laid the foundation for what is the Apple Project today. Unfortunately, Margie passed away just two short months after classes began. The program, it seemed, was going to fall apart. I began to search for possible partners, contacting several non-profit organizations with a focus on improving education in China. Unfortunately, given the bureaucracy ingrained throughout Chinese society, it proved difficult to motivate anybody to work with the program without personal connections. I felt frustrated because most officials refused to take me seriously, since I was, from their perspective, only a fifteen-year-old high school student. On top of it all, the infiltration of foreign ideas still remains a sensitive topic for the Chinese populace.

 After several months of failed attempts, I found a school willing to participate in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. A semester later, the Apple Project expanded to serve three elementary schools in the city. Soon after, the education bureau of Fuzhou issued its official approval of the service, and schools in Shandong joined the program. In China, a newspaper published an article about the Apple Project, while in Texas, one of the volunteers gave a speech about the positive impact the organization had on those involved. With the help of a friend, a website (www.theappleproject.org) was launched to promote the program. On the American side, I used the Key Club network to recruit volunteers. 

 Over the past several years, the Apple Project has grown from an experiment with one elementary school to a public benefit corporation officially recognized by the Chinese government. Several years ago, I never would have imagined that the organization would become what it is today. Without the support of friends, a relentless spirit of perseverance, and a bit of luck, none of this would have been possible. My work with the Apple Project has taught me that anyone can make a difference. Every one of us has the power to change the world for the better, so we should take the initiative to do so. And while the project has come a long way, there still remains much to be done. Whether that involves making operations more efficient or expanding the service, I plan to continue working to improve the organization for many years to come.

 A recipient of the Robertson scholarship, Joyce is currently a freshman at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The Robertson is a full-ride merit award at Duke University and UNC–Chapel Hill given to individuals from around the world for their leadership potential and dedication to the community. For more information, please check out our website (www.theappleproject.org) or contact us at theappleproject.org@gmail.com.