Thirty-three students and four educators from China have received permission from the Chinese government to visit Tech Valley High School and the Capital Region next month.
The visit follows outreach last spring conducted by education officials and those with Capital Region BOCES, whom visited schools and universities in China.
The education contingent, which will be guests of Tech Valley High School, Capital Region and Questar III BOCES, are scheduled to arrive in the region on February 13 and leave on February 17. Prior to coming to the region, they will land in New York City on February 8 and tour the city, Boston and Washington DC before making their way north.
While in the Albany area, the delegation will visit TVHS and other area schools, as well as businesses and historical locales. Specific details of the trip are still being planned, though what is certain is that the delegation will not only visit TVHS, but will also look at other schools in the region. Those stops will include the Schodack, Bethlehem, South Colonie and Schoharie central schools, as well as Capital Region BOCES’ Career and Technical School, where the visitors are scheduled to enjoy a meal prepared by culinary students.
In Schodack, where students are taught Mandarin Chinese through a distance learning program, Superintendent Bob Horan said his students and faculty are “very excited about the visit.”
“Even if there is a snow day, the instructor and the students will come into school that day to share their experiences,” Horan said.
Meanwhile in Schoharie, the delegation will meet with junior and senior high school students.
“The senior/junior high school administration and staff are very pleased to hear that the delegation will be visiting Schoharie Central and are planning a special formal welcome for the students and administrators,” said Superintendent Brian Sherman. “Our Chinese guests will be interacting with students in the classrooms, touring the facilities, and meeting with the administration to discuss program implementation and the possibilities of additional exchange activities and opportunities.”
The Chinese visitors are coming from Tianjin – the third largest city in China – and one of the stops on the tour of BOCES and other education officials last spring.
TVHS families, TVHS Principal Dan Liebert said, will host to the visitors throughout the stay.
“We’ve been working with them to establish an exchange between Tech Valley High School and their schools since our visit – and they are coming to formalize that,” Capital Region BOCES Assistant District Superintendent for Instruction Kathryn Gerbino said.
The exchange program will fit perfectly with the TVHS curriculum, in which all students already study Mandarin Chinese and the Chinese culture. The Chinese, meanwhile, want to experience the U.S. educational system — and specifically what TVHS offers — because of its accent on project-based learning and fostering creativity. China continues to revise their educational system, particularly with an eye towards encouraging students to be more creative and innovative problem solvers.
A group of TVHS students visited China last summer as guests of The Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban) and a second contingent of students and parents are expected to visit the country in April.
