At Beijing Haidian Kaiwen Academy, after-school programs—known as After-School Activities (ASA)—are more than an extension of the regular curriculum. They are a key pathway for students to discover interests, develop strengths, and explore their potential beyond the classroom.

Through a carefully designed ASA system, Haidian Kaiwen Academy supports every student in finding areas of genuine interest and pursuing growth with depth, consistency, and purpose.

A Thoughtfully Designed ASA System: Breadth, Depth, and Continuity

Over the years, Haidian Kaiwen Academy has continuously refined its after-school program framework to ensure both breadth and depth, spanning academics, arts, athletics, technology, and interest-based enrichment. Equal attention is given to continuity across grade levels, allowing students to progress step by step as their interests and abilities evolve.

ASA offerings include academic enrichment and competition preparation, thinking and skills training, music and visual arts, athletic teams and clubs, as well as student-led organizations—meeting the diverse needs of learners at every stage.

Entering the 2025–2026 school year, the school has further optimized this mature and coherent system, offering more than 200 ASA courses from Kindergarten through Grade 12. Each division has expanded its offerings, particularly in academic competitions, student clubs, and athletics, providing students with more choices and more specialized pathways for development.

In this article, you’ll find an overview of the new updates to Haidian Kaiwen Academy’s ASA program for the 2025–2026 school year, along with highlights from each division.

Part I | What’s New in ASA for the 2025–2026 School Year

1. Expanded and More Tiered Academic Competition Programs

As students’ overall academic level continues to rise, Haidian Kaiwen Academy has significantly expanded its academic competition ASAs, both in variety and in instructional depth, enabling more students to participate in high-level academic challenges.

Middle School

Building on existing offerings—such as math and science competitions, Mercuri Business School, World Scholar’s Cup, and Future City—the middle school has added:

– Middle School Programming Team

– VEX Robotics Competition

– Model United Nations

– Speech Club

– CSP-J/S Informatics Competition

– ESL academic competition tracks covering TYC, ALL, and HIPPO

High School

In addition to established competition ASAs in mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics, computer science, and robotics, the high school has introduced:

– Advanced Innovation Talent Development Camp

– Informatics Competition Program

– Biology Competition

– Brain Bee (International Neuroscience Competition)

– CTB Innovation Challenge

– WSDA English Speech & Debate

– World Scholar’s Cup

– Art Competition Preparation

Alongside this expansion, academic competition ASAs are now more clearly tiered, ensuring students receive instruction that matches their current level while supporting long-term growth.

Robotics Pathways from Elementary to High School

In the previous school year, the Grade 4–5 Elementary Robotics School Team achieved strong results, advancing to the national finals at the World Robot Contest Beijing Qualifier and earning Second Place in the “AI Innovation Unlimited – Intermediate Group” category at the Beijing Championship.

Building on this success, the robotics program now extends to Grades 2–3, creating a continuous learning pathway. The elementary robotics ASA is also aligned with VEX and FTC robotics teams at the middle and high school levels, allowing students to progress gradually to more advanced competitions.

Informatics Competition Programs with Differentiated Levels

New informatics competition ASAs at the middle and high school levels are now offered in multiple tiers, accommodating both beginners with no prior coding experience and students with existing programming foundations.

Through focused instruction in programming syntax, algorithmic thinking, and advanced problem-solving, students are prepared to compete in high-level contests such as:

– CSP-J/S Informatics Competition

– USACO (USA Computing Olympiad)

– NOAI (International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence)

Expanded Academic and Technology ASAs in Elementary School

Elementary academic offerings continue to grow. This year:

– Chinese Language (CLA) ASAs added Shenglü Qimeng and Zhuzi Family Precepts

– English Language Arts (ELA) expanded to include Cambridge Young Learners English, English Speech, Debate, Reading, and Drama—taught by international faculty

In response to developments in the AI era, the elementary school also introduced new technology ASAs. In addition to Kubo coding, block-based programming, and Python, students can now choose:

– C++ Programming

– AI Foundations Lab

2. More Diverse Student Clubs and Interest-Based ASAs

Beyond academics, Haidian Kaiwen Academy offers a wide range of interest-based ASAs to help students develop talents, explore passions, and build long-term hobbies.

Students are also encouraged to found their own clubs, connect with peers who share similar interests, organize activities, and build teamwork and leadership skills.

Middle School – New Offerings Include

Chinese Drama Club, K-Pop Dance, Portuguese, Tea Culture Practice, Beijing Central Axis Architectural Models, Youth Bridge, Traditional Calligraphy & Fan Art, Herbal Culture, Intangible Cultural Heritage Paper-Cutting, Enamel Painting, Cloisonné Art, Environmental Design, AI Maker Club, Kahoot Cup Team, Jazz Dance, Classical Dance, and Godot Game Design.

High School – New Interest ASAs

Singer-Songwriter Workshop, Myth & Fantasy Literature, American Culture, Academic Writing, Tea Culture Practice, 3D Printing & Design, Walking Dialogue Club, Jazz Dance, Visual Arts (Character & Animation), Emergency Response Training, Traditional Calligraphy & Fan Art, Herbal Culture, Paper-Cutting, Enamel Painting, and Cloisonné Art.

High school student clubs also continue to expand, with new additions such as Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, musical theater workshops, student math research groups, mock trial, dance clubs, astronomy and astrophotography, arts collectives, media labs, and公益-focused organizations.

3. Expanded Sports Teams and Athletic Clubs

In the 2024–2025 school year, Haidian Kaiwen Academy officially joined the ISAC International Schools Athletic Conference. Student athletes competed in soccer, basketball, volleyball, badminton, swimming, golf, and track and field, achieving strong results.

In 2025–2026, sports teams and athletic clubs will continue to operate on a seasonal model, allowing students to build skills, gain competition experience, and develop strong team connections.

New additions include:

– Middle School tennis, basketball, and volleyball teams

– Expanded swimming and track teams across middle and high school

– High school track team

Athletic clubs have also expanded, offering options such as Kyokushin karate, table tennis, outdoor floor hockey, and comprehensive fitness training.

Part II | ASA Programs by Division

Elementary School

The elementary division offers over 100 ASA courses across arts, sports, technology, academics, enrichment, competitions, and school teams.

– Kindergarten: ASAs run Monday–Wednesday

– Grades 1–5: Four ASA sessions per week

Prior to course selection, the school hosts ASA information sessions and fairs to help families understand the program structure and explore offerings firsthand.

Middle School

For the 2025–2026 school year, the middle school offers ASAs across six categories: academic competitions, student clubs, interests, athletics, sports/music teams, and academic enrichment. Students in Grades 6–8 select four ASAs per week from 60+ courses.

High School

The high school offers ASAs across five categories: academics, student clubs, sports teams, music ensembles, and interest-based programs.

Students select four ASAs per week from 90+ courses, tailored to their interests and strengths. Before course selection, both middle and high school students attend ASA Fairs, where they can speak directly with instructors and club leaders.

A System Designed Around Student Growth

A strong course system is not built by simply adding options—it requires careful planning guided by students’ developmental pathways. At Beijing Haidian Kaiwen Academy, the ASA program is designed with the same rigor as the core curriculum.

From course goals and content to grade-level alignment and faculty expertise, each element is carefully researched and thoughtfully implemented. The balance between exploration and depth allows students to try widely while also building sustained expertise.

Looking Ahead

We believe every spark of interest deserves to be nurtured, and every form of potential deserves thoughtful support. Moving forward, Haidian Kaiwen Academy will continue to refine its ASA offerings, introduce forward-looking fields, and respond to students’ evolving needs.

Through these rich and diverse programs, students are supported not only in achieving excellence across academics, arts, and athletics, but also in becoming self-driven, collaborative, innovative learners with a global perspective—prepared for lifelong learning.