In recent years, Lanzhou has adhered to the principle of "balancing popularization and excellence, combining foundation and innovation," building a three-stage progressive scientific curriculum system of "foundation + expansion + innovation," ranging from universal science popularization and club interest expansion to elite competitions for top talent, creating a spiral path for science innovation education. Starting from first grade in all primary schools citywide, there are no fewer than 2 hours of science classes per week, and more than 200 specialized school-based courses such as STEAM, robotics, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and model aircraft have been developed. 546 science vice principals in primary and secondary schools have achieved full coverage, leading the province in terms of quantity.
On the fertile ground of comprehensive science and technology education, thousands of young students immersed themselves in hands-on practice, racing on the competitive field, experiencing the unique charm of technology up close, and forging a warm, capable, and inherited path of science and innovation education on Lanzhou's campus.
A small tech innovation studio, with over a decade of heritage, has won the global runner-up
The RT Technology Studio at Shuicheyuan Primary School is filled with passion as soon as you walk in. The walls are adorned with medals and banners from provincial champions to world championship runners-up. The rooms are divided into practical areas, parts storage areas, and honor display areas, filled with robot parts, programming computers, and 3D printers of all sizes.
On June 9th, children from the RT Robotics Club gathered around the training console, holding handles and closely watching the robot cart, enthusiastically engaging in group competitive training. "First, operate the cart to push the fire seed to the designated area, use the tongs to pick it up and place it in the energy chamber. Use the remaining time to carry the neutral fire seed, and also control the energy orb to launch into the opponent's lighthouse and energy tower!" Fourth-grade student Chen Xiaoqian is skillfully demonstrating the operation of the "Brain Control Future City" event. He and teammate Wang Yifei are responsible for high-frequency and low-frequency brain control operations, competing in the provincial AI brain control competition and winning first place in the primary school group.
The biggest change Chen Xiaoqian has had from long-term training is a significant improvement in focus and a calmer mindset. "In regular training, I tend to get arrogant against weaker opponents, but once I actually step onto the court, I realize there are many strong competitors. This experience taught me to adjust my mindset in time and focus on honing my skills." The training schedule was tight, but Wang Yifei didn't feel it was hard at all: "Assembling the car and debugging the program was especially interesting. Every time the machine perfectly completed the task, it gave me a great sense of accomplishment." Talking about training, the young girl shyly said, "I've been in the club for less than a year. As a newbie, winning the provincial competition championship far exceeded my expectations." Here, not only can you program and operate robots, but when training and preparing for competitions, you learn to break down problems first and then make adjustments, no longer giving up at the first sign of difficulty. It's especially interesting—I want to stay in the club for training in the future. ”
On the nearby VEX IQ training ground, Ii Ruimin, the current president of the RT Robotics Club and a sixth-year student, was intensifying his training with his teammates. "The biggest gain for the president is that he gained an extra sense of responsibility. When competing outside, they must manage team discipline and coordinate the assembly and training tasks for all club members after school each day. Jing Ruimin admitted that over the past four years, his overall abilities have been comprehensively trained. This winter break, the school's RT robotics team went through multiple rounds of selection and ultimately represented China in the United States, stepping onto the top stage of the robotics world's "World Cup." His experience competing abroad has rapidly improved his English expression and cross-cultural communication skills. His daily training in bilingual engineering manuals and communicating with overseas contestants have motivated him to actively study English knowledge.
From piloting robotics innovation teaching in 2013, officially naming it "RT" with the pinyin abbreviation "Runze" in 2016, establishing a new and old team in 2018 and implementing a "veteran leading new" inheritance mechanism, and expanding multiple innovation projects in 2020 before renaming it RT Technology Studio. Over more than ten years, this innovation classroom has transformed from a small space of 30 to 40 square meters into a standardized innovation base divided into comprehensive learning areas, equipment processing areas, and practical training areas. The studio always adheres to the core educational philosophy of "competition, collaboration, team building, and win-win."
A unique engineering log system is the studio's most precious growth treasure. Since 2018, Teacher Li Xupeng has launched training logs, allowing students to record their training experiences and reflect on competitions; As it developed, the logbook has been continuously upgraded and iterated from pure text records to hand-drawn structural drawings and added design ideas. Today, it has become a bilingual bilingual engineering manual, covering player introductions, competition rule interpretations, mechanical structure design, drive system planning, and tactical routes on the field. All professional English terminology is independently researched and organized by students, allowing them to develop their core abilities for independent inquiry and problem-solving through hands-on practice.
"The game is never the end; the growth process of the season is the core." Li Xupeng stated that the studio never deliberately chases awards, but treats the competition as a means to test, learn, and cultivate character.
On campus, eight major science and technology innovation clubs have been established, including robotics, model aircraft, programming, and radio. Relying on the "one core, two wings, three floors, four drives" science education framework, they implement distinctive teaching, collaborate with the Gansu Science Museum and Chengguan District Association for Science and Technology to build practical platforms, establish a parent mentor pool for the technology industry, and hold parent innovation classes every semester.
In the 2025-2026 VEX Robotics World Championship, the school's RT robotics team underwent multiple rounds of selection and ultimately represented China in St. Louis, USA, stepping onto the top stage of the robotics world's "World Cup," ultimately winning two major honors: the global runner-up in the primary school group and the Math division champion. This is the first time a primary school team in Gansu Province has received such an honor in this top-tier international competition, marking a historic breakthrough.
This victory showcased to the world the hardcore scientific innovation strength of Chinese youth. On the field, players exchange skills and badges with foreign athletes, becoming little ambassadors of Sino-foreign technological exchange.
Diverse clubs are gaining popularity: urban campuses create immersive technology classrooms
On June 10th, the club activity classroom at Zhengning Road Primary School was packed with people. The drone track and robot operation desk were crowded with students engaged in experience and training. Among the school's 47 clubs, technology-related clubs consistently ranked among the top spots.
Inside the drone training grounds, circular arches and knife flag obstacles are neatly arranged, and Du Tianyi from Class 1, Grade 5, operates the drones smoothly and shuttles them around. "In the early stages, we repeatedly practice on the computer simulator to get familiar with the remote control buttons and flight feedback. Only after smoothly completing the flight within 30 seconds can we get hands-on with the real machine." Since joining the drone club a year and a half, Du Tianyi has competed in provincial and national whitelist competitions, winning gold medals in provincial competitions and bronze medals in national competitions. In his view, drone flying may seem cool, but in reality, it tests concentration and hand-eye coordination. Repeatedly refining routes and adjusting parameters, he has completely overcome his own carelessness and restlessness.
Jin Runze from Class 2, Grade 4, is also a devoted enthusiast of the drone club. He signed up for training in his third year, setting the goal of applying to a military academy early on. His daily flight training lays the foundation for future aerospace studies. Even though teachers have strict standards for him, he always maintains his enthusiasm.
Chen Wei, a drone club teacher, said that founding the club is not just about teaching children to fly drones, but also about breaking the limitations of textbooks and allowing children to get up close to cutting-edge technology. The courses cover flight principles, obstacle flying, programming and debugging, and emergency handling. Even students with zero experience can gradually learn fixed-point flight and creative formation flying. Many children who were originally introverted and lacking confidence in class find a sense of achievement through repeated test flights and debugging, becoming cheerful and confident, with noticeable improvements in concentration and judgment, laying a solid foundation early on for future studies in aerospace and artificial intelligence.
The robot club next door is also lively. Fourth grader Wang Xiangshuo is debugging and fighting robots with his friends. The school club was diverse, but he immediately chose the robot: "They teach AI knowledge in class, watch tech documentaries, and assemble and operate robots by hand—full of sci-fi vibes." He formed a team to participate in the 2024-2025 China "Chip" National Youth Communication Technology Innovation Competition supporting the Chinese Dream, winning first prize in the national finals mechanical competition challenge.
Having been involved in sci-tech innovation for a long time, Wang Xiangshuo's thinking has changed a lot. In the past, his first reaction when facing difficulties was to give up; now he's used to breaking down problems, making changes, and solving them together with teammates. "Robots are integrating sensors, programming, automatic control, and other AI technologies. Technology is changing our lives, and mastering science is something we must do right now." On the court, time was tight and the opponents were strong, which also honed his mentality. Quick adjustments on the spot and calm handling emergencies had become his specialties. He harbored lofty ambitions in his heart, hoping to get into Harbin Institute of Technology and use technology to contribute to the country.
In recent years, Zhengning Road Primary School has adhered to the educational philosophy of "nurturing orthodoxy · symbiosis," building a comprehensive science and technology education system of "curriculum foundation, empowerment by venues, engaging activities, and multi-party collaboration," creating four specialized innovation venues to achieve regular teaching of science and innovation courses. Kang Qinqin, an information technology teacher at the school, shared: "Today, children are native to artificial intelligence, so we must bring cutting-edge technologies to students, allowing them to be exposed to AI and technological innovation knowledge from an early age, keeping pace with the times." "The school insists on integrating five types of education, integrating scientific spirit and innovative thinking into daily teaching, and developing diverse innovation clubs in parallel, so every student can find their own scientific and technological interests.
County-level middle schools establish dedicated laboratories; youth take the stage of the National Robotics Competition
On campus, there is a standardized technology room of 138 square meters, equipped with programming computers, multi-axis drones, racing car models, model aircraft equipment, and comprehensive coverage of robotics, paper bridge engineering, and aerospace science and technology innovation projects. The school integrates science and innovation activities into extended services during long breaks and after-school hours, creating a "experience + learning + competition" training model. It holds an annual school-wide science festival, which has become the most anticipated campus activity for all students.
Seventh grader Liu Bingjie has loved building robots and programming since childhood. After entering Yuzhong No. 6 Middle School, the well-developed science and technology club, professional equipment, and full-time teachers allowed him to fully pursue his hobbies. The school specifically offers school-based robotics courses and forms a science and technology innovation club. Even though he lives in Yuzhong city and the training site is in Lanzhou, he rushes to the training ground every Friday after school to balance academic courses with science and innovation training.
During preparations for the 2025 World Robot Competition, Liu Bingjie was responsible for mechanical maintenance, equipment debugging, and pointer operation. The team had clear divisions of labor: Hong Zibo from Lanzhou No. 11 Middle School operated the robots and planned tactics, while Zhou Shanzhao from Lanzhou Tianqing Experimental School built the main robot framework. The body must be built according to mechanical principles, repeatedly calibrated to avoid collision deformation. The 15-second automatic race program parameters allow no deviation, and repeated disassembly, code adjustment, and simulated races became routine. The tedious training and frequent failures have also left him exhausted, but the spirit of study he learned in class and the teacher's constant companionship and guidance have helped him persevere.
"Doing tech innovation has never been a solo effort." Liu Bingjie was deeply moved. The club group often discussed and helped each other out, sharing programming techniques, exchanging construction challenges, identifying gaps, and working seamlessly to overcome various technical challenges. In the end, the team won third prize in the national youth competition of the World Robotics Competition, and all their hard work paid off.
According to reports, the annual campus science and technology festival offers rich content, with paper airplanes and model aircraft paintings suitable for all students to experience; The independently assembled model aircraft and paper bridge load-bearing challenges are extremely challenging. A dozen or so ordinary A4 paper bridges can support loads over 5 kilograms, vividly showcasing the wonders of engineering mechanics. From planning to on-site organization, the entire event was handled by student volunteers, fully developing the children's coordination skills.
After class, gradient science and innovation courses are offered at extended intervals, with fun building and science experiments for lower grades to spark curiosity; Middle students learn aircraft model assembly, graphical programming, and drone basics; Advanced students learn Python programming and robot building through immersive hands-on practice. Without leaving the county town, students can get up close to cutting-edge technology and plant their own technological dreams.
From robot teams moving from urban primary schools to international competitions, to the hugely popular drone classrooms on urban campuses, and the fully equipped science innovation labs in county middle schools, Lanzhou's layered science education has taken root and shown results. Basic courses uphold the bottom line of science popularization for all staff, distinctive clubs tap into children's interests, professional competitions nurture top talents, and a complete and practical science innovation education chain allows more and more young people to touch technology firsthand and grow wings of innovation and perseverance through hands-on practice. (Reporter Zhou Yanwen, text/photos)