ChineseatHome.com

English
Home Our Services China Today New about Chinese Language Summit Schools Administrators Travel to China with Educational Delegation
Summit Schools Administrators Travel to China with Educational Delegation

Three Summit Public School administrators shared their experiences of an educational visit to China at the January 21 Summit Board of Education meeting.

Julie Glazer, assistant superintendent of schools for curriculum and instruction; Paul Sears, principal of Summit High School; and Felix Gil, principal of the Summit Primary Centers, were among 400 U.S. School district leaders and education decision-makers selected to participate in the 2009 Chinese Bridge Delegation: Taking the Next Step, a one-week education visit held in early December 2009 that was designed to strengthen and expand Chinese language and culture programs in U.S. schools.

At the board meeting, the three administrators presented a slide show of their visits to Chinese schools and cultural sites and provided an overview of the goals and purpose of the trip.

The Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters sponsored and funded the trip in partnership with the not-for-profit College Board. There was no cost to the educators or their school districts. Established by the Chinese government in 1987, Hanban is the nation’s official agency authorized to promote internationally the Chinese language and culture.

"As the fifth such trip the Hanban/Confucius Institute has hosted, Taking the Next Step differed from previous trips in that it was tailored to the needs of institutions already offering some Chinese language programs, with a focus on in-depth school visits and educational workshops," said Mrs. Glazer. Mandarin Chinese is currently being offered as a world language at Summit High School.

While in China, the Summit representatives attended presentations on successful instructional models and available resources, joined in partnership-building activities, and shared experiences and best practices for building Chinese language and culture programs with other U.S. and Chinese educators.

Photo above: Following a 13-hour flight, Paul Sears, Julie Glazer, and Felix Gil, from left, arrive in Beijing Airport. They marveled at the modern, efficiently run facility.

A visit to Tian’amin Square and the entrance to the Forbidden City.

At the Great Wall

Mrs. Glazer meets with the principal and an English teacher from a school in Zhejiang Province.

Chinese students have fun with stickers that say, "Summit, New Jersey, USA."