Thirty Spring Bud girls of different ethnic groups from Southwest China's Sichuan Province, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality attended a study tour under the Spring Bud InnoGirls Program in Beijing from February 2 to 5. The study tour was jointly organized by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF) and Tencent Foundation. 

The girls held dialogues with industry volunteers, acquired frontier knowledge in AI and humanoid robots, and learned more about sci-tech innovation platforms such as the World Robot Contest. They also assembled humanoid robots, took part in programming, interacted with AI and ultimately presented an original robotic performance, illustrating entire process of technological learning from theoretical understanding and hands-on practice to innovative expression.

The study tour was not only a technological enlightenment but also an in-depth exploration of self-awareness, teamwork and future imagination.

Assemble: From Parts to Agents

The study tour began with the most fundamental hardware knowledge and assembly. The first challenge for the girls was to make a humanoid robot from metal frames, circuit boards, sensors and other components.

"I am afraid of breaking them in the beginning," said Yiyi (pseudonym), from Xinjiang's Kashgar. Under the guidance of the camp teachers, she and other girls gradually became proficient in using the tools and completed robot assembly task.

As the training courses went deeper, the girls started to learn 3D visual interface and utilized graphical modules to design robotic movement. Different from programming for virtual data processing, every line of code they wrote directly drove the movement of mechanical joints in the physical worlds.

Xiaoyu (pseudonym), from Miyi of Sichuan, said, "The birth of a complete robot capable of executing commands from a pile of parts gave me an intuitive understanding of the software-hardware synergy and engineering practices."

"I have learned visual programming, which enables me to translate complex dancing movements into simple and understandable action modules. This has enhanced my logical thinking capabilities and helped me better solve problems," said Maimai (pseudonym) from Kashgar.  

Under the guidance of camp teachers, the girls also explored Tencent's Yuanqi AI Agent Creation platform, through which they developed AI assistants capable of understanding human instructions and conducting Q&A interactions and found out interconnection control between agents and robots.

"It turns out that even ordinary people like us can use web pages to independently build Q&A agents capable of handling complicated instructions and having complete workflow. Those sci-tech products, which used to be perceived as distant and sophisticated, have long been within reach," said a girl.

Xixi (pseudonym), a girl from Miyi, once took part in the Spring Bud InnoGirls Program's study tour in Shanghai. She keenly noticed the differences between the two experiences, "In Shanghai, we were mainly experiencing technology and broadening our horizons, but this time it was about building and creating with our own hands. It made me realize that I, too, can master technology."

Dialogue: With Industry Frontiers, Role Models

If the conversations with machines are technical, then the communications between people broaden the horizons of technologies.

Over the four days, camp teachers introduced the girls to the development trajectory of humanoid robots, from basic mechanical motion to embodied intelligence. They also showcased the real cases such as humanoid robots' debut at China Central Television's 2025 Spring Festival Gala and their participation in half-marathons, allowing the girls to see the tangible progress of cutting-edge technology. The teachers also briefed the girls about the youth-oriented AI events.

With the support of Tencent Women's Federation, the study tour invited eight women technological workers from the sci-tech giant to hold face-to-face dialogues with Spring Bud girls.

"How should we choose universities and majors if we want to work in Internet-related and sci-tech sectors?" asked a girl. The women shared their diverse growth pathways which inspired the girls.

One volunteer disclosed that the tolerance of mistakes in the life is higher than our imagination because she had changed her profession from transport engineering to computer science. Another volunteer advised them to make good use of new media platforms for self-learning and underscored the importance of internship.

A girl from Chongqing wrote in her WeChat moment, "I will study hard and change my destiny through education."

Growth: From Technological Cognition to Self-Breakthrough

The most genuine transformation often begins with the expansion of cognitive boundaries.

A teacher surnamed Pang with the Xinjiang team said that the study tour had reshaped the girls' understanding of technology, broken down barriers, brought them closer to cutting-edge technologies, and further bolstered their confidence in chasing sci-tech dream.

The cornerstone of confidence lies in the complete practice from assembly to programming. Their understanding of technology is no longer a collection of isolated knowledge points but a logical closed loop of systematic engineering. 

The courage to act will naturally emerge when cognition barriers are broken. During an exchange session with Tencent volunteers, Sirui (pseudonym) from Chongqing raised her hand and ask questions. The seemingly simple gesture meant a lot to her, representing a leap beyond her self-imposed limitations.

"Unlike other girls, I used to be afraid of robots in my childhood. Later, I found that technology is amazing and that it can do many positive things for human beings," said another girl.

From fear to understanding and protection and then to creating with own hands, this is a profound cognitive transformation.

Blossoming: From Watching to Creating

On the afternoon of February 5, the study tour reached its climax with a spectacular "tech show" featuring over 10 cutting-edge robots.

The exhibited bionic robot dog is capable of autonomous running, jumping and rolling. Another type of robot could compete with human beings in playing chess on the spot. Other exhibits included a popcorn machine controlled by brainwave focus and a Rubik's Cube robot.

The diversity and interactivity of the technology unveiled a vivid panorama of technological innovation for the girls.

After the tech show, it was the turn of the girls to give their final performance in five teams. They demonstrated self-assembled robots and shared the stories behind their creations.

The performance of Tujia Grand Hand-Waving Dance left a deep impression on the audience. To the rhythm of Tujia ethnic group's folk music, robots dressed in a fusion of Uygur and Tujia ethnic costumes staged a creative dialogue that interwove tradition with modernity and ethnicity with technology. After four days of training, the robots exhibited unimaginable "vitality" in the girls' hands.

The significance of the performance at the closing ceremony went far beyond technology itself. On stage, the girls were no longer just users of technologies, but creators who imbued machines with emotions and stories.

This journey from observation to creation and from learning to expression helped each girl better realize that technology is not just a tool but can also be poetry, and that they are not just learners, but have already become young creators.

Staff members of the CCTF gave their thumbs-up to girls, extended congratulations to them on their growth, and expressed hope that the study tour would serve as a new starting point for their pursuit of excellence.

Continuation: Rooting, Sprouting of Technology Seeds

The four-day study tour was a fulfilling trip for the girls. Aili (pseudonym) from Xinjiang kept in mind volunteers' advice on lifetime learning. Xinxin (pseudonym) from Sichuan said that she had discovered the feasibility of the combination between technology and humanities. Sisi (pseudonym) from Chongqing said that there are no gender differences when it comes to technological learning and that every dedicated girl can study well.

The Spring Bud InnoGirls Program is like a seed of technology that grows in the girls' hearts, said a chief teacher with them. The days and nights spent building robots have bolstered their confidence and built team trust. In the future, some of them may become chip engineers, some may engage in AI research and some may bring technological thinking into other industries.

In 2024, the CCTF and Tencent Foundation jointly kicked off the new cycle of Spring Bud InnoGirls Program to deepen cooperation on digital and scientific education. It has organized project-based learning activities focused on cutting-edge technologies, cultural confidence and other content for middle and high school girls with outstanding sci-tech potentials. It has fostered a three-level curricular training system, which comprises AI inclusive course, Python advanced course and white-list competition course, for middle school girls. Meanwhile, it has built platforms for them to attend national contests and hold dialogues with scientists and extraordinary women sci-tech workers in a drive to continually enhance their sci-tech and digital literacy and promote their long-term development in sci-tech field.

In 2025, the program was written into the white paper titled China's Achievements in Women's Well-Rounded Development in the New Era, which was issued by the State Council Information Office. By January 2026, the program had been implemented in six provincial regions including Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Chongqing and Gansu, benefiting more than 3,000 Spring Bud girls.