D.E.E.P. began as a fundraising project at Lake Forest Academy (LFA) in Illinois. During the 2003-04 school year, Richard Zhao, then a senior a LFA, initiated a series of fundraising activities to build a new school in Jiangxi Province of China. Zhao and his friends rallied within the school and raised money by selling fried rice and Krispy Kreme donuts, and with the one or two dollars of profit made from each box of rice or donuts, we collected more than $12,000 U.S. dollars within a year with additional donations from friends, parents, and trustees.

The funds were then sent to Yujiang County in Jiangxi of China, and it was matched by Yujiang People’s Government to construct a brand new primary school that replaced two older schools, Jindun and Nixia. Jin-Ni LFA Hope School was completed in August 2005.

Operation D.E.E.P. remains as a sponsor to the school and provides financial resources annually. Moreover, Zhao was named "Honorary Headmaster" and now serves as a liaison between the school and the public for educational visits and exchanges.