In tandem with the ever-faster pace of China’s urbanization, a large population of villagers has been flowing into cities as migrant workers. Many children have also settled in the cities where their parents are employed. However, most of these migrant children lack the company of families and friends and often find it hard to incorporate into their new urban environments. This case is that of Hope Community of Lengquan village in Beijing City, a community that has made three successful attempts to improve migrant children’s living and education environments and to develop their competencies to adapt to the city.

First, Hope Community has offered systematized education services that target specific needs of migrant children. A tailored training system has been designed and practiced, which includes modules related to topics such as holistic education, civic education, and parenting education. Second, the community has offered the children various mentoring programs. By establishing long-term partnerships with universities, enterprises, theatrical companies, and celebrities in Beijing, the community has organized activities such as volunteer services, sessions of sharing personal experiences, and theatrical performances. These activities have not only enriched migrant children’s after school life, but also enabled them to develop a more positive outlook on career and life. Third, the community has played a positive role in developing life skills of the children and their relationship with parents. This is particularly achieved by Hope Kitchen, in which the children learn certain cooking skills and to which parents are frequently invited to have meals with their children.

Two lessons can be drawn from this case for other communities facing challenges regarding migrant children. The first is that community services for these children should target their specific needs for education, life experiences, and future development. A good system of education and training should aim at benefiting the children in the long run. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to the development of their competencies to manage pressures from studies and migrant life at the present and in the future. The second lesson is that effective services for migrant children rely largely on establishing a functional mechanism for stable collaboration with volunteers (e.g., university students and celebrities).