TOLEDO—China, in addition to hosting the Olympics this summer, welcomed more than 400 educators in July to experience the language and culture as well as to establish ties with Chinese school systems.
 
Kim Grilliot, principal of Notre Dame Academy (NDA), was the only private school delegate from northwest Ohio to be part of the College Board delegation.

Notre Dame Academy principal Kim Grilliot visited the largest library in China as part of her tour with the College Board delegation to establish ties with schools in the Hubei Province. (Photo courtesy of Notre Dame Academy)

The Hubei Province of China has 86 universities and colleges with more than a million students. English is taught as a second language in most primary and middle schools. Delegates visited elementary and middle schools, high schools and universities.  

“NDA is adding Mandarin Chinese to the curriculum in fall 2009,” says Mrs. Grilliot. “An important element of our foreign language curriculum is cultural exchange. The trip allowed us to begin establishing relationships with schools in China for possible exchange in the future.”

Programs under consideration include a three-week cultural exchange, summer programs where students can connect with each other and spring break trips.

“Foreign exchange programs encourage students to immerse themselves in the culture, to learn more about day-to-day life, and to become more fluent in their speaking abilities,” Mrs. Grilliot adds.

“The trip was eye opening for me. As an educator, I compared and contrasted the Chinese education system with ours,” she says. “I also learned more about the history and culture of this rising economic power.”

College Board President Gaston Caperton says, “In the new global community, students will need fluency in other languages and an understanding of diverse societies. Advances in technology offer us a great opportunity for sharing ideas and creating a better future, and I look forward to that future being made brighter by the Chinese Language and Culture Initiatives that we are building together.”