Liu Xiantao, a senior student at Beijing Normal University, is already deep in preparation two months before he officially becomes a teacher in Meitan county in Guizhou province. The graduate-to-be has been reviewing lesson plans and notes from his volunteer teaching experiences in rural areas in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces during his school years.

This fall, Liu is one of many BNU graduates who are answering the call to bring quality education to China's central and western regions, where teachers are in urgent demand.

Since 2020, the university has rolled out a plan aimed at encouraging students to take up posts in counties, especially those that have been lifted out of poverty. Each graduate involved in the plan would receive a reward of 100,000 yuan ($14,000).

"For students from rural backgrounds, this plan gives us the confidence and security to take that step," Liu said, adding that the school also offered post-employment support through mentorship programs and teacher development centers.

To support the plan, the university has organized three education job fairs and more than 600 targeted recruitment events this year for the class of 2025, offering over 10,000 teaching positions. The goal is to build a precise and practical bridge between teacher candidates and schools in need.

Over the past five years, nearly 2,000 graduates have joined the plan, according to the university.

To help graduates land a job, the university has expanded its curriculum to include career guidance courses for future educators, employing case studies, field assignments and in-class discussions to deepen students' understanding of teaching as a vocation.

Yu Xiaolei, head of student affairs at the university's Party Committee, said China's grassroots education system urgently needs passionate and well-prepared teachers. So the university is ramping up efforts in teacher training, issuing strong policy support and encouraging more students to build careers where they're most needed.

Ma Ruoran, a physical education major graduate this year, has already signed a teaching contract with a high school in Xianyang, Shaanxi province. During the internship, Ma closely observed how experienced teachers integrated national goals, such as health-oriented education, into their lesson planning. "It made me think about how I can apply advanced educational practices in grassroots schools," Ma said.

Cheng Jianping, BNU Party secretary, said in the next decade, each county that has been lifted out of poverty is expected to hire 10 BNU graduates and 100 graduates from normal universities under the Ministry of Education, contributing to the country's grassroots education system.