Smart education case 149: How a kindergarten shares learning activities with families and the community

One-click activity booking for kindergartens, families and communities: a case study  

Gao Han, Yu Mengan  

Xingchen Kindergarten, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province  

[Abstract] In response to the challenges of closed educational resources in kindergartens, insufficient family participation, and idle community resources, kindergartens have utilized AI educational platforms to develop a three-dimensional coordination mechanism consisting of “chain kindergarten”, “chain family”, and “chain community”. Through the AI educational platform, a “one-click reservation” system is established, which seamlessly integrates resources from the kindergarten, families, and communities, enabling shared responsibilities, resource sharing, and complementary spaces.  

【Keywords】AI early education platform; collaboration among home, school, and community; one-click booking  

In the field of preschool education, how to effectively connect kindergartens, families, and communities, and break down “isolated educational environments” in order to create a collaborative effort for education is a key challenge in improving the quality of education. With the AI-based preschool education platform’s one-click reservation system, kindergartens, parents, and communities all act as both organizers and participants in these activities. Through the three components of “Kindergarten Chain, Family Chain, and Community Chain”, a “three-step” reservation system for classes is established, enabling collaborative education among schools, families, and communities. This helps to improve the utilization of resources from kindergartens, parents, and communities, thereby expanding the various possibilities for children’s activities.  

1. Overcoming the practical obstacles in the collaboration between the Home Society and other organizations  

Currently, kindergartens, families, and communities generally face the problem of acting in isolation in terms of collaborative education, making it difficult to achieve a effective joint educational effort. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized the need to improve the educational mechanisms involving schools, families, and society. In January 2023, thirteen departments, including the Ministry of Education, issued the “Opinions on Improving the Collaborative Educational Mechanism among Schools, Families, and Society”. It is required that kindergartens should cooperate closely with families and communities to create a favorable environment for the growth of children. The current situation presents three main challenges:  

(1) Structural division: “Closed off”, “unusable”, “out of reach”  

1. The kindergarten is “closed off”: High-quality sensory integration training rooms, picture book libraries, craft workshops, and science museums in the kindergarten are available only for children during weekdays. On weekends and holidays, these facilities are left unused, becoming “sleeping assets” that community families cannot utilize.  

2. Parents “have resources that are not utilized”: The parent group possesses rich resources – such as expertise in healthcare, art, baking, handicrafts, sports, or ownership of tea plantations, farms, or repair shops. However, due to the lack of convenient and regular opportunities for participation, these valuable experiences and social resources cannot be transformed into practical support for the educational activities in the kindergarten.  

3. The community is “out of reach”: There are numerous social resources nearby, such as museums, science and technology centers, fire stations, and museums of intangible cultural heritage. However, the traditional reservation process is complicated and time-consuming. Moreover, the activities offered are often not aligned with kindergarten curricula. As a result, these valuable educational resources cannot be effectively and frequently incorporated into kindergarten learning activities.  

(II) Insufficient connection density: shallow, occasional interactions  

Even when there are occasional interactions between schools and families, such as parent open days or community visits, these are usually organized by the kindergarten alone, and parents and the community are merely passive participants. The current frequency and form of early childhood educational activities are limited; there is a lack of deep participation and continuous resource flow, which makes it difficult to meet the diverse and individualized needs of children. For example, by analyzing children’s behavior data, educators can identify each child’s learning characteristics, interests, and developmental needs, and then develop personalized teaching strategies to improve teaching quality and children’s learning outcomes. At the same time, educational institutions should focus on collaborative efforts between schools and families, improve parents’ educational concepts, and work together to ensure the healthy growth of children, so that every child can develop at a pace and in a way that suits them.  

(3) Difficulties in practical implementation: gaps in hardware and information  

Organizing activities involving multiple entities offline faces numerous practical challenges: conflicts in scheduling of venues, poor communication of information, complex safety concerns, and inefficient resource allocation. The limitations of physical facilities, such as limited space and information asymmetry, result in parents having little understanding of the activities taking place in the park. The park also struggles to keep track of community developments, which further restricts the depth and breadth of collaborative efforts.  

Based on this, we have developed an innovative three-dimensional integration system called “Chain Garden – Chain Home – Chain Community” through the AI early education platform. The goal is to create a new ecosystem for collaborative education among families, communities, and institutions, which is enabled by technology and is open, shared, and convenient.  

II. Innovative Practices: The Operational Path of the Three-Dimensional “Chain” Mechanism  

The core of “3D ‘chain’ action” lies in breaking down boundaries, enabling kindergartens, families, and communities to all become active participants in the educational ecosystem. Its operating mechanism is clear and easy to implement:  

(1) Multiple entities settle in, establishing an ecological foundation  

1. “Garden” sharing: This platform is specifically designed for all kindergartens within the community, with the aim of facilitating the sharing of educational resources. It serves not only individual kindergartens, but also all educational institutions in the community. This enables kindergartens to learn from and share high-quality educational content with each other, thereby improving the overall quality of education in the community. Through this platform, kindergartens can share curriculum resources, teaching methods, and management experiences, leading to a variety of educational content and innovative teaching methods. Additionally, this sharing mechanism helps establish long-term partnerships between kindergartens, allowing them to jointly address challenges encountered in the educational process, thus creating a collaborative and mutually beneficial educational environment.  

2. Joint development of “home” and “school”: The platform is open not only to parents of children in kindergarten, but also welcomes parents of infants aged 0–3 to participate. Through this platform, parents can gain a deeper understanding of the educational principles and daily activities of the kindergarten. They can also actively engage in the educational activities of the kindergarten, thereby contributing to the child’s growth and development. Parents’ participation is not limited to online interactions; they can also participate in offline activities, helping to create a favorable environment for joint education between home and school. Parents can provide valuable suggestions and opinions, participate in the decision-making process of the kindergarten, and even assist in organizing and managing educational activities, thus establishing a stronger connection between the kindergarten and the family.  

3. “Community” and “Park” collaboration: Various institutions and organizations within the community, such as police stations, fire stations, post offices, banks, museums, science and technology centers, heritage sites, and community activity centers, are all key partners of this platform. Kindergartens should actively engage in communication and cooperation with these social institutions. By taking proactive steps, they can invite these institutions to join the platform, thereby enabling resource sharing and joint development of the platform. As a result, all participating institutions and kindergartens form a large network of resources and a community of users. Through this platform, kindergartens can promptly announce various activities, while parents and community institutions can respond and participate online, creating a community education network with frequent interactions and rapid information flow. This collaboration not only enriches the educational resources of kindergartens, but also enhances the sense of belonging and participation of community residents, contributing to the harmonious development of the community.  

(II) Roles transform: Everyone is a initiator  

Kindergarten – “Chain Kindergarten”: Transform from a leader to an “ecological builder” and a resource scheduler. It can organize activities that make use of the resources within the kindergarten, with workshops carried out across six main areas.  

Parents – “Lianjia”: In this educational cooperation model, the role of parents has changed from being passive “receivers” to active “partners” and contributors to the curriculum. Now, they can, based on their professional skills or resources, actively organize unique educational activities, providing children with a richer and more diverse range of options for their growth and learning.  

Community institutions – “Chain Society”: The role of community institutions has also undergone a significant transformation. They have moved from being merely “resource providers” to becoming “educational collaborators” who actively participate in various activities. They are responsible for organizing various activities suitable for young children, or creating personalized educational programs based on the children’s interests and needs, thereby bringing new vitality and innovation into early childhood education.  

Parents of children aged 0–3: As important participants in community early education programs, these parents can now more easily access information about early education resources provided by the community, and they can also easily register for participation in these programs. This change not only increases the enthusiasm of parents to engage in early education activities, but also enables young children to access high-quality educational resources at an earlier age, thus laying a solid foundation for their overall development.  

(3) The process of initiating and participating in activities involves three steps  

The activity follows a simple process: “Self-submission/Initiation → One-click reservation (seizing seats) → Participation in the class”.  

The process of initiating and participating in the event is designed as three simple steps, so that users can easily get involved. First, those who are eligible to initiate the event can fill in the relevant information about the event through the appropriate portals (Chain Park/Chain Home/Chain Community). This information includes the event content, time, location, number of participants, and the objectives of the event, and then it is submitted to the platform. For events initiated by the park operators or parents/communities, basic review by the platform or the park operators is required to ensure the quality and safety of the event.  

Next is the reservation process: Once the event passes the review, it will be published on the platform immediately. All users on the platform, whether they are parents of students in this school or those from the community, can view detailed information about the event. Users can use the “one-click reservation” function provided by the platform to register online, based on their own needs and interests. Due to limited slots, reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis, until all spots are filled.  

Finally, there is the participation step: after a successful reservation, users must attend the event on time according to the reserved details. Events within the garden are usually organized by the garden staff or the event organizers, while events outside the garden are managed by the event organizers or relevant institutions. This ensures that the event proceeds smoothly and provides a good experience for participants.  

In addition, the platform has specifically established a “Chain Plaza” area, which serves as a platform for kindergartens and parents to express and match their needs.  

In the “Chain Plaza” area, kindergartens can announce their specific needs. For example: “Parents of children with dental problems urgently need classes on dental care.” Or “The fire station would be helpful if it offers fire safety drills for young children.” Such announcements can attract the attention of parents and community organizations that have relevant resources.  

Through such a demand expression and matching mechanism, the platform ensures that every demand can be recognized, and every resource can be effectively utilized. This not only improves the utilization rate of resources, but also enhances interaction and cooperation within the community, thereby promoting the progress of early childhood education and community development.  

[Case 1] Mini Tea Farmer Experience Day  

Mr. Jia, a parent from a large class, has had his family managing tea plantations for generations. During the process of picking tea together with his children, he noticed that the children showed a great interest in tea. Inspired by this, he thought that other children might also be interested in such activities. Therefore, he applied for the “Little Tea Farmer Experience Day” event through the “Lianjia” platform. After confirming the details of the event with the kindergarten and completing the necessary preparations, the event was announced through the platform with a single click, and online registration was available. As a result, many families from the kindergarten participated actively in the event. Just like the parent-child tea culture activities held in other areas, the children not only learned about tea culture, but also strengthened their relationships with their parents.  

During the event, Mr. Jia utilized the professional knowledge of local tea farmers to teach the children about traditional techniques such as tea picking, processing, and roasting. He also organized interactive activities where the children could participate in packing tea themselves, allowing them to experience and understand tea culture more deeply.  

During the “Taste of Hometown” event, the children in the first-grade class showed great interest in “local dishes”. The teachers in this class carefully searched through various platforms and were delighted to find information about relevant visiting and learning activities organized by the Hangzhou Cuisine Museum. They promptly applied for these activities, and a unique “Taste of Hangzhou” learning program was successfully organized. Such learning activities also attracted the attention of the children in the smaller and larger classes. They all applied for participation at different times, and children of various ages actively engaged in various interesting activities.  

III. Application outcomes: Effectively solving challenges and creating a collaborative new ecosystem  

The “3D ‘Chain’ Action” mechanism, which relies on the “one-click reservation” feature of the AI early education platform, has been brought from concept to reality. Its effectiveness directly addresses and effectively resolves the three major challenges mentioned at the beginning of this project, achieving a significant improvement in the collaboration between families, schools, and communities.  

1. The “structural division” is broken; “closed doors”, “inaccessibility”, and “inability to reach” have become history  

“Closed doors” are now open: The high-quality resources available in the kindergarten, such as the sensory integration center, picture book library, and craft workshops, are made accessible to community residents during weekends and holidays through the “Chain Garden” platform. To alleviate the anxiety of new parents, weekend craft activities have attracted many families with children aged 0–3 to participate. The spaces that were once unused have now become vibrant places for early education and social interaction. The toys and equipment in the kindergarten are shared through parent-child activities, resulting in a significant increase in their usage rate, and the benefits of these resources have increased exponentially.  

“Having talent but no opportunity to express it” has turned into “a platform for showcasing talent”. Through the “Lianjia” platform, the potential of parents who were previously inactive is fully utilized. Parents are freed from the dilemma of having talent but no way to express it. Their professional skills—such as those in healthcare, baking, or sports coaching—as well as their life wisdom and unique resources can be easily utilized for organizing popular activities. Parents transform from passive participants into active “co-creators of education”, playing a more active role in the educational process.  

“Impossible to reach” became “accessible with one click”: Through the “Chain Society” platform, the resources of various venues within the community can be connected seamlessly. Activities organized by institutions such as museums, science and technology centers, fire stations, police stations, and post offices can be booked with a single click via this platform, and these activities can be delivered directly to kindergartens and households. The cumbersome traditional procedures have been simplified; community resources are no longer isolated “islands” that are inaccessible, but instead become an integral part of kindergarten curricula, serving as accessible “extended classrooms” and social practice centers.  

2. Solve the problem of “insufficient connection density”; shift from occasional superficial interactions to high-frequency deep interactions  

The initiation and participation in activities have become incredibly convenient. The emergence of online booking platforms has led to a dramatic increase in the number and types of activities. Kindergartens, parents, and community organizations can initiate various activities at any time; users can easily participate by making a single reservation. This convenience has resulted in a surge in the quantity, types, and frequency of activities, far exceeding the occasional open days or visits that were possible under traditional models. Diverse forms of activities such as parents as teaching assistants, community research activities, and weekend workshops have become the norm.  

The depth of interaction has been significantly enhanced; the connections between parties are no longer merely superficial. Parents actively participate in the core aspects of education planning and implementation through the organization of various activities. Both the school and the parents engage in in-depth discussions and cooperation regarding the details of these activities, as well as safety measures and objectives. Community institutions and kindergartens establish long-term and stable partnerships for curriculum development through the platform, such as regular fire safety drills and museum-themed activities. The platform’s activity records and “trail reports” function allow for clear documentation of each interaction, thereby facilitating continuous improvement and optimization.  

The introduction of the “Chain Plaza” feature has activated and responded to users’ needs. The requests made by users on the platform are precisely directed to the appropriate resource providers. These providers then actively respond to those requests and initiate related activities. This creates a dynamic and highly responsive demand-supply matching network, significantly improving the accuracy and satisfaction rate of connections. It eliminates the awkward situation where “one wants to find something, but cannot find it, and the resource is not available.”  

3. Overcome “real-world operational challenges”: Technology empowerment to remove barriers to collaboration  

Break down information barriers and eliminate information gaps: The platform acts as a unified and transparent information hub, providing real-time information about all activities. This enables kindergartens, parents, and community organizations to access this information at any time, thereby solving the problems of resource misallocation and low participation that occurred in the past due to poor information flow. Parents of children aged 0–3 can also easily access community early education resources. This not only enhances parents’ sense of participation, but also promotes interaction and communication between families and the community.  

Intelligent management and optimized resource allocation: The platform’s intelligent scheduling and capacity control functions effectively resolve conflicts related to venue and time availability. Online reservations and electronic certificates simplify the registration and management processes, thereby reducing the costs of manual coordination and the complexity of safety management. Through intelligent technologies, the platform can automatically determine the most suitable time and location for events, ensuring that all family members and community members can participate at the right time, while avoiding waste of resources.  

Lowering the operational barriers and enhancing feasibility: The “one-click reservation” feature simplifies operations significantly, making it easy and efficient to organize events, participate in them, and manage them. Technological solutions effectively compensate for the natural disadvantages associated with organizing events involving multiple parties offline, such as coordination, notification, and record-keeping. As a result, high-density, diverse collaborative activities among residents and community members can be carried out on a large scale and sustainably. In addition, the platform provides a variety of event templates and resources, further reducing the planning difficulty for organizers. This enables more parents and community workers to easily participate in the planning and execution of events.  

IV. Conclusion: Deepening the path of coexistence in the face of challenges  

The initial results of the “one-click reservation” function are encouraging. It demonstrates the feasibility of using “one-click reservation” as a key element, along with the three-dimensional coordination mechanism of “Chain Park – Chain Home – Chain Community”, as a new approach for collaboration among communities and organizations. This isn’t just an improvement in efficiency; it also represents a transformation of the educational ecosystem: kindergartens become open to the public, becoming centers of community vitality; parents become active partners in education; and community resources are integrated into the classroom environment. Children can learn and grow in a more real, broader, and diverse environment.  

However, the path forward is not easy; challenges remain, and we need to continue to explore and innovate. In the face of the future, we must enhance the functions of the platform, refine the details of services, and strengthen the collaborative mechanisms among various parties.  

Looking to the future, we will use the activity participation records and data on children’s interests and preferences accumulated through this platform (while ensuring privacy and security), in order to create a more detailed “digital profile of child development”. This will enable us to provide teachers and parents with more personalized activity recommendations and educational support suggestions.  

This path is just beginning for us. We will continue to maintain an open mindset, embrace challenges, use innovative practices to enhance technology, and leverage teamwork to light up the “stars” of more children’s lives. We will break down the isolated areas in education, so that every child can grow up within the bright “galaxy” created by families, kindergartens, and communities.