校董来信：直面AI时代的教育奥德赛

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在AI以月为单位重塑世界的今天，教育也在经历一场“奥德赛”：迷雾重重，捷径诱人，算法似乎能解决一切。

但真正的教育，从来不是抵达某个确定的终点，而是在风浪中不迷失方向——始终朝着"人"的方向航行。

前不久，启明星执行校董许尚杰给全社区发来一封信。

没有谈技术参数，没有罗列AI工具，他的反思在算法时代近乎"古典"：启明星的教育更要接近真实的世界，比如即将开始的一系列学习项目。

信在家长群里引起热烈反响。几十位家长、几乎涵盖所有学段，在几小时内纷纷写来回信——

与其说这是一封信引发的共鸣，不如说是一场AI时代的教育迷航中，同行者的相互确认。

执行校董 许尚杰

最近这一年，人工智能似乎成为了人们绕不开的话题。

作为一名受过系统计算机科学训练的人，我始终对科技抱持乐观态度。我一直对创新充满热情，也始终期待新技术能够为教育带来积极的改变。过去一年里，我花了大量时间研究人工智能及其对学校教育可能产生的影响。

而我得到的一些结论，或许会让人感到意外：

AI导师的承诺并未达到预期

目前学校中的AI应用，大致可以归纳为两个方向。第一个方向，是将AI作为个性化导师；第二个方向，则是帮助学生利用AI工具提高效率。

从理论上看，AI导师几乎具备教育工作者梦寐以求的一切特质。它拥有无限耐心，可以全天候陪伴学生学习，并根据每位学生不同的能力水平和学习风格提供个性化指导。

几十年来，教育界始终在探索如何实现真正意义上的因材施教，而AI似乎第一次让这一愿景变得触手可及。其中最具代表性的尝试之一，便是可汗学院与OpenAI联合推出的Khanmigo。

然而，尽管备受期待，人们原本设想的教育革命并没有真正发生。今年早些时候，就连可汗学院自身也公开承认，其实际影响远未达到最初的预期。

效率不等于学习

AI的另一项重要能力体现在效率提升上。无论是整理资料、总结内容、撰写邮件、生成代码、分析数据，还是辅助写作，人工智能都展现出了令人惊叹的效率。既然这些工具如此强大，学生是否应该尽早学习使用它们？

我的答案是肯定的，但也仅限于一定程度。因为教育的目标，从来不仅仅是完成任务。许多高阶能力的形成，都建立在长期积累的基础之上。最优秀的领导者、工程师、作家和思想者之所以拥有深刻见解，并不是因为他们善于寻找捷径，而是因为他们曾经花费大量时间扎实地学习基础知识。

与此同时，人工智能工具本身也在以惊人的速度迭代。学生今天学会的一项具体AI工具使用技能，几年后很可能已经失去价值。

所以，怎样看待AI？

AI正在让信息的获取、整理与解释变得前所未有地高效。然而，教育真正需要培养的，并非单纯获取知识的能力，而是帮助学生形成面对复杂世界所需要的态度、习惯、判断力、韧性与能力。

更重要的是，人最深刻的学习往往来自那些与自己切身相关的真实经历。我们从错误中获得经验，在不确定中培养判断力，在承担责任的过程中学会成熟，也在面对后果时理解选择的意义。这些都是极其人性的成长过程，而恰恰是人工智能最难复制的部分。

社会企业实训项目

这些思考，也让我更加坚定启明星近年来的发展方向。

我越来越觉得，学生最深刻的学习往往发生在课堂之外，发生在他们真正需要承担责任、解决问题的时候。当学习与真实世界建立联系时，教育才能产生最深远的影响。

新学年，所有启明星10年级学生都将参加为期一周的社会企业实训项目，与一线实践者共同工作，参与解决现实挑战。

学生们将在6家机构学习：

· 北京有机农夫市集

· 北京和睦家医院

· 声波残障社会服务中心

· 尤伦斯当代艺术中心

· HOPE⻢术康复公益中心

· 公众环境研究中心

在这些机构的岗位上锻炼：运营管理、市场传播、社区服务、 项目管理、研究分析、科技向善、公益创新。

启明星农场

与此同时，我们也正在推进一个更具雄心的计划——建设一座由学生全面运营的校园农场，并将其发展成为一个真正的社会企业。

这座农场的意义远远超越农业本身。它将成为一个融合生物学、经济学、环境科学、数学、领导力和创业精神的综合学习场域。

在农场里，自然规律不会因为作业截止日期而改变，顾客也不会因为借口而降低要求。资源有限、时间有限，每一个决定都会带来真实后果。而正是在这样的环境中，责任感、判断力以及解决问题的能力才能真正成长。

现实世界，始终是最好的老师。

启明星农场规划图

品格优先

启明星创校之初，两位创办人Dawn Vermilya和蔡金勇先生曾做出一个大胆的决定：将品格教育置于学校所有工作的核心。

他们相信，如果年轻人能够培养良好的品格、正确的判断力以及服务他人的精神，那么无论未来走向何方，都能够获得成功。

这些年来，我相信我们的毕业生已经以许多不同的方式证明了这一理念的价值。

我们从他们所做的选择、所服务的社区，以及他们面对人生时展现出的责任感与使命感中，都能够看到这一点。

这一理念的价值也体现在学术成果当中。今年，2026届毕业生中有80%获得了世界前20大学（包括两份哥伦比亚大学录取）或全球前五艺术设计院校的录取通知。

我们的最高追求，不是培养进入名校的学生，而是培养能够运用自身才能改善世界的人。我们始终相信，许多重要的人生成果，最终都建立在品格这个根基之上。

我们要坚持什么

AI会继续进步，而且进步的速度很可能超出我们的想象。但无论技术如何变化，我相信有些东西不会改变：好奇心、判断力、责任感，以及服务他人的意愿。

这些品质不会因为AI而变得不重要。恰恰相反，在一个越来越容易获得答案的时代，它们可能比任何时候都更加珍贵。

未来属于那些不仅能够获取信息，更能够将知识转化为智慧、将想法转化为行动、将机会转化为积极社会影响的人。

这正是启明星希望与学生共同建设的未来。

信件发出几小时，几十位家长的留言如潮水般涌来。

这些回声，来自不同年级、不同背景的家庭，但都指向相同的方向。

关于"慢"与"快"：

在这个被效率和结果定义的时代，还有教育者在持续追问“教”之上的“育”，这份清醒与坚持，实在珍贵。坚守真实的世界，不仅对孩子，对我们这些成年人来说，也日益成为一种需要勇气的践行。

——7年级学生家长

孩子们可以用“慢”来面对“快”，在信息洪流中感受自身的稳定，这样的小环境很可贵。

——7年级学生家长

关于品格的根基：

“品格”是核心，品德和人格！是在帮孩子们打造真我，各种“形”只是暂时的，“品格”才是贯穿终身的。这也我们一直选择启明星的主要原因。

——3年级学生家长

“现实世界是最好的老师”和“品格优先”的观点，我们作为家长 can't agree more。

——2年级学生家长

关于真实世界的期待：

希望未来启明星的农场项目能够提供这个真实、复杂且无法取巧的环境。AI的使用被嵌入到真实挑战之中，而非作为一门独立的技能被教授。他们永远无法绕过现实给予的反馈和责任。这正是最理想的学习方式。

——3年级学生家长

农场计划听起来真的挺棒，也许未来孩子上大学了，我们这些毕业生家长因为农场继续留在启明星！

——10年级学生家长

关于选择的庆幸：

认真读完您关于AI时代教育的深度思考，内心深受触动、倍感认同，也彻底厘清了当下很多家长对人工智能与教育关系的困惑，受益匪浅。

——9年级学生家长

更加确信，孩子一直学习和生活在启明星是多么值得庆幸的事。

——7年级学生家长

我完全同意您关于人工智能和教育的所有观点。我非常认同启明星的教育愿景，也很高兴我的孩子能在这样一所用心、有规划的学校就读。

——6年级学生家长

启明星给我的感受一直是：既拥抱变革，也脚踏实地。理念相同是任何选择的基础。很开心孩子从K班开始就加入了启明星的大家庭。

——5年级学生家长

许先生对每位家长的留言，都一一回复了。在这个崇尚效率的时代，一位校董愿意花时间去回应每一条家长的留言，这本身就是尊重和回应“真实世界”最好的注脚。

什么是奥德赛？它不仅仅是一场漫长的漂泊，更是一次“归乡”。

穿越塞壬的歌声，穿越迷雾和风暴，最终回归的，是最初出发时相信的东西。

对启明星而言，“最初相信的东西”从未改变：品格优先，真实至上，人永远比工具重要。

时代的变化如海浪翻涌，但是社区里这些真诚的回声、这些愿意停下来思考的同行者，让启明星始终能持守初心。

AI时代的教育奥德赛正在继续。

但只要方向是对的，每一步，都是正途。

北皋校区 Beigao Campus

三里屯校区 Sanlitun Campus

泉发校区 Quanfa Campus

At a time when AI is reshaping the world month by month, education itself is also embarking on an Odyssey: The path is shrouded in uncertainty. Shortcuts are tempting. Algorithms seem capable of solving everything.

Yet true education has never been about reaching a predetermined destination. It is about staying the course amid the waves and storms—always steering toward what it means to be human.

Not long ago, Jack Hsu, Executive Board Member of Daystar Academy, sent a letter to the entire school community.

He did not discuss technical specifications or list AI tools. Instead, his reflections in the age of algorithms were strikingly classical in spirit:above all, we need to move closer to the real world—including through a series of new learning initiatives that Daystar will soon launch.

The letter sparked an enthusiastic response in parent groups. Within hours, dozens of parents representing nearly every grade level wrote back. Perhaps this was not simply a letter that resonated with its readers.

Rather, it could be understood as fellow travelers affirming one another as they navigate the uncertain waters of an educational Odyssey in the age of AI.

Jack Hsu

Executive Board Member

It seems that every conversation these days eventually finds its way to artificial intelligence.

As someone formally trained in computer science, I am naturally optimistic about technology. Throughout my career, I have been excited by innovation and eager to explore how new tools can bring positive change to education. Over the past year, I have spent a great deal of time studying AI and its implications for schools.

What I have discovered may be surprising.

The Promise of the AI Tutor

Most educational uses of AI in schools today fall into two broad categories.The first is using AI as a personalized tutor. The second is teaching students to use AI tools to become more productive.

At first glance, AI tutoring seems almost magical. Imagine a teacher with infinite patience, available 24 hours a day, capable of adapting to every student’s unique needs and learning style.

For decades, educators have dreamed of truly personalized learning, and AI appears to offer exactly that. Perhaps the most ambitious attempt has been Khanmigo, the collaboration between Khan Academy and OpenAI.

Yet despite tremendous promise, the educational transformation many anticipated has not materialized. Earlier this year, even Khan Academy openly acknowledged that the impact had fallen far short of expectations.

Productivity Is Not the Same as Learning

The second major use of AI is productivity. AI can summarize documents, draft emails, generate code, analyze data, and improve writing. Many of us use these tools every day and marvel at how much time they save.

Naturally, this raises a question: Given how capable these tools are, shouldn’t students learn to use them as early as possible?

My answer is yes—but only to a point.Because the purpose of education has never been simply to complete tasks. Much of our ability to perform complex work is built upon the foundations developed while doing simpler work. We gain judgment by reading hundreds of pages, not just summaries. We develop expertise by wrestling with difficult problems, not by outsourcing them. The best leaders, engineers, writers, and thinkers develop insights because they spent years learning the fundamentals. Much of our ability to develop higher-order skills is built upon years of accumulated experience.

Furthermore, AI tools are evolving so quickly that any specific tool a student learns today may be obsolete tomorrow. As AI becomes easier and easier to use, the technical skill required to operate these tools continues to shrink. The enduring advantage will not be knowing how to use a particular tool. It will be knowing how to think.

How Should We Think About AI?

AI is making the access, organization, and interpretation of information more efficient than ever before. However, the true goal of education is not simply to acquire knowledge. It is to help students develop the attitudes, habits, judgment, resilience, and abilities needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.

More importantly, some of our deepest learning comes from real experiences that matter personally to us.We learn from our mistakes. We develop judgment through uncertainty. We grow by taking responsibility and come to understand the meaning of our choices through their consequences. These are profoundly human experiences—and precisely the areas that artificial intelligence finds most difficult to replicate.

Apprenticeships with Social Enterprises

These reflections have strengthened my conviction in the direction Daystar has been taking in recent years.

I increasingly believe that some of the most meaningful learning happens outside the classroom, when students are called upon to take responsibility and solve real problems. When learning is connected to the real world, education can have its most lasting impact.

In the new school year, every tenth grade student at Daystar will participate in a one-week apprenticeship with a social enterprise, working alongside practitioners to help solve real-world challenges.

Students will learn and work with six organizations:

· Beijing Farmers’ Market

· Beijing United Family Healthcare

· Shengbo Disability Social Service Center

· UCCA Center for Contemporary Art

· HOPE Horses Offering People Enrichment

· Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs

Students will gain experience in: operations management, marketing and communications, community engagement, project management, research and analysis, technology for social good, and social innovation.

The Daystar Farm

At the same time, we are pursuing an even more ambitious vision:developing a working farm on campus, operated by students and ultimately run as a true student-led social enterprise.

The significance of this farm will extend far beyond agriculture itself. It will become a living classroom where biology, economics, environmental science, mathematics, leadership, and entrepreneurship intersect.

On a farm, nature does not care about assignment deadlines and customers do not lower their expectations because of excuses. Resources are limited. Time is limited. Every decision has real consequences.

It is precisely in this kind of environment that responsibility, judgment, and problem-solving skills can truly develop.

The real world is the best teacher.

The Daystar Farm Site Plan

Character First

When Daystar was founded, Dawn Vermilya and Mr. Cai Jinyong, our two founders, made a bold decision: to place character education at the heart of everything the school does.

Their belief was simple: if young people develop strong character, good judgment, and a commitment to serving others, they will be able to find success wherever life takes them.

Over the years, I believe our graduates have demonstrated the value of this vision in many different ways.

We see it in the choices they make, the communities they serve, and the sense of responsibility and purpose with which they approach their lives. This vision is reflected in academic outcomes as well.

This year, 80 percent of the Class of 2026 received offers from either Top 20 universities worldwide or Top 5 art and design schools, including two offers from Columbia University.

We celebrate these achievements. They are remarkable. Yet they have never been our primary goal.

Our highest aspiration is not admission to prestigious universities.It is to cultivate young people who will use their talents to improve the world around them.We believe that many of life’s most important achievements ultimately rest on the foundation of character.

What We Will Hold On To

AI will continue to advance, and the pace of that progress may well exceed our imagination. But no matter how technology evolves, I believe some things will remain unchanged:curiosity, judgment, responsibility, and a willingness to serve others.These qualities will not become less important because of AI.

On the contrary, in a world where answers are increasingly easy to obtain, they may become more valuable than ever.

The future belongs not to those who can merely access information, but to those who can transform knowledge into wisdom, ideas into action, and opportunities into positive impact for the world.

This is the future we hope to build at Daystar.

Within hours of the letter being sent, messages from dozens of parents poured in.

These echoes came from families across different grade levels and with diverse backgrounds, yet they all pointed in the same direction.

On “Slow” and “Fast”

In an era defined by efficiency and outcomes, it is truly precious to see educators continuing to ask the deeper question beyond "teaching" — the question of what it truly means to educate. This clarity and commitment are rare.

Staying connected to the real world requires courage, not only for our children, but increasingly for us adults as well.

— Seventh Grade Parent

Children can use "slow" to face "fast". They can discover a sense of inner stability amid the flood of information. A small environment like this is truly valuable.

— Seventh Grade Parent

On the Foundation of Character

Character is at the core — our values and integrity. It is about helping children build their authentic selves. All external forms are temporary; character is what stays with them throughout their lives. This is also one of the main reasons we have always chosen Daystar.

— Third Grade Parent

As parents, we cannot agree more with the ideas that "the real world is the best teacher" and "character first".

— Second Grade Parent

On the Hope for the Real World

I hope that Daystar’s future farm project can provide this kind of real, complex environment — one where there are no shortcuts.

AI should be embedded into authentic challenges rather than taught as an isolated skill. Students will never be able to bypass the feedback and responsibility that reality provides.

This is the ideal way to learn.

— Third Grade Parent

The farm project sounds truly exciting. Perhaps in the future, even after our children go to university, we parents of alumni will continue to stay connected with Daystar because of the farm!

— Tenth Grade Parent

On Being Grateful for the Choice

After carefully reading your reflections on education in the age of AI, I was deeply moved and strongly aligned with your thoughts.

Your words also helped clarify many questions parents currently have about the relationship between artificial intelligence and education. I have benefited tremendously from your insights.

— Ninth Grade Parent

I feel even more certain how fortunate we are that our child has been learning and growing at Daystar.

— Seventh Grade Parent

I agree with EVERYTHING you wrote about AI and education. I truly appreciate Daystar’s vision for education, and I am grateful that my child is part of such a thoughtful and intentional school.

— Sixth Grade Parent

My impression of Daystar has always been this: it embraces change while remaining grounded in reality. Shared values are the foundation of any meaningful choice. We are so happy that our child joined the Daystar family from K class onward.

— Fifth Grade Parent

In Closing

Mr. Hsu personally responded to every parent’s message. In an era that prizes efficiency, a board member willing to take the time to respond to every individual message is, in itself, a powerful expression of respect—and perhaps the best reflection of what it means to remain connected to the real world.

What is an odyssey? It is not simply a long journey of wandering. It is also a journey home. Through the songs of the Sirens, through fog and storms, what ultimately returns home is what we believed in when the journey first began.

For Daystar, that original belief has never changed: Character first. The real world above all. People will always matter more than tools.

The tides of change continue to rise and fall like waves. Yet through these sincere echoes from our community, and through these fellow travelers who are willing to pause, reflect, and move forward together, Daystar continues to hold firmly to its original purpose.

The educational odyssey of the AI age continues. But as long as we are heading in the right direction, every step is part of the journey home.

北皋校区 Beigao Campus

三里屯校区 Sanlitun Campus

泉发校区 Quanfa Campus