For young people, innovation often begins with curiosity about the unknown, wild and wonderful ideas, and the courage to try again and again. As intellectual property (IP) education finds its way into classrooms across China, more teachers are becoming mentors to young "inventors" and "designers," planting the seeds of respecting knowledge, valuing innovation, upholding the law with integrity, and competing fairly. To celebrate the 42nd Teachers' Day in China, we meet IP teachers across the country to hear how they help young minds turn bright ideas into innovation.

Engineering thinking in action, innovation in the real world

Jiang Fengmin, Teacher, the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China

With a background in both engineering and education, I began working in youth science and technology education as a teacher. Over the years, I have watched students turn wild ideas into tangible creations, yet they often overlook one thing: creativity, too, deserves to be respected and protected. My current research focuses on the educational value of engineering thinking among middle school students from the perspective of practical rationality. This research has deepened my understanding that respecting originality and protecting creativity are not only integral to engineering thinking and legal literacy, but also essential to values education. IP education lies at the intersection of these areas and has consequently become a key focus of my teaching.

In the classroom, I prefer to connect IP concepts with things students encounter in everyday life. From smartphones and AI-generated images to Beijing roast duck and Pinggu peaches, everyday examples can bring IP concepts to life. More importantly, I incorporate IP education into science and technology innovation projects, allowing students to experience the process of patent searching, identifying the novel features of inventions and preparing mock patent applications. In doing so, they can see firsthand how an innovation can be recognized and protected.

One project that has stayed with me began in a practical labor class. Students noticed that stormwater grates could easily become clogged with debris during heavy rain, causing water to accumulate on roads. The problem prompted a simple question: how could they keep the water flowing while preventing the grates from becoming blocked? Inspired by window blinds, whose angled slats keep out rain without blocking ventilation, the students tested and refined different designs. They eventually developed a new louver-style stormwater grate with an automatic opening-and-closing mechanism. The invention was later granted a patent and transferred for commercial use. For the students, it was a powerful lesson: what they learned in class could become an invention that solves a real-world problem, and their creativity could earn recognition and protection from both the law and society.

As an IP teacher, what I have come to understand most deeply is that we are teaching not only knowledge, but also values. At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is making it easier than ever to create, I hope my students will continue to approach innovation with respect, have the courage to turn bold ideas into reality and learn to respect the intellectual work of others, sharing the stories of young Chinese innovators with the world.

Creative ideas protected, young inventions going further

Liao Dazan, Principal and Senior Teacher, Nanning Xinlihua Primary School, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

My work in IP education grew naturally from my experience in science and technology education. Along the way, I gradually came to realize that if we teach children how to create, we must also teach them how to protect what they create. That realization led me to incorporate IP education into our invention and innovation club.

In 2024, the Nanning Primary and Secondary School IP Education and Training Base was established at our school by the Nanning IP administration. This allowed me to develop these efforts into a more systematic approach to IP education. In my teaching, I prefer students to experience first and learn about IP protection later. Rather than starting with legal provisions, I use stories about inventors. Rather than abstract concepts, I use everyday cases. And rather than simply talking about innovation, I let students learn by creating. To make IP education more relevant to their lives, I also bring intangible cultural heritage (ICH), such as lion dancing, and geographical indication (GI) products, such as Nanning Banana, into the classroom. This helps students discover IP in the world around them.

A student I remember particularly well was a quiet fourth-grade boy. One rainy day, his mother got soaked while taking him to school, inspiring him to design a raincoat for cyclists. I helped him sketch the design, find materials and build prototypes. He went from struggling even to hold the tools properly to independently improving the rainwater-diversion design of his raincoat. Eventually, his invention was granted a utility model patent in China and won an award at the International Exhibition of Inventions. When he received his patent certificate, he excitedly told me, "I didn't know my idea could be protected, too." What made me even happier was seeing him grow more confident and outgoing, and become a familiar face at science and technology exhibitions and other public events.

To date, our teachers and students have obtained a total of 10 patents. I am more convinced than ever that the purpose of IP education is to protect children's curiosity — to help them understand that their ideas have value and their creations deserve respect. I hope to keep being a "seed planter," helping the seeds of innovation and respect take root and flourish in the hearts of more children.

Hometown resources in class, IP in everyday life

Dang Jiwu, Vice Principal, Xining No. 2 Middle School, Qinghai Province

As a teacher in Qinghai, I often think about how to bring IP education closer to students' everyday lives. When teaching the middle school chemistry chapter on salts, Chaka Salt Lake was the first thing that came to my mind. Rather than asking students to memorize abstract chemical symbols and equations, I brought our hometown salt lake into the classroom, connecting the salt in their textbooks with the land beneath their feet.

I began the lesson by showing photos and short videos of Chaka Salt Lake. The deep blue water and vast white salt flats immediately caught the students' attention. I then posed two questions: How is salt from a natural salt lake processed into the table salt we use every day? And what role does IP play in the development of the Chaka Salt Lake industry? The students quickly became engaged. Building on what they had learned about the composition of salts and crystallization, I explained the chemistry behind salt production through evaporation. We then moved from salt extraction to product processing and cultural and creative products, exploring how patents, trademarks and GIs support the industry development. Through this approach, students began to realize that their hometown's resources are more than a source of wealth. They also embody knowledge and ingenuity — and IP helps protect and add value to them.

After the lesson, I received many thoughtful responses from students. One student wrote: "I used to think IP was a big concept that had little to do with students like us. This lesson helped me understand that it is closely connected to the salt lake industries around us. We young people can also do our part to protect the resources of our hometown and safeguard innovative achievements." Their reflections gave me a new perspective as well. When subject knowledge, a connection to one's hometown and IP education come together, students gain not only greater interest in learning and respect for innovation, but also a deeper understanding of and pride in their hometown.