Prior to the year 1996, there were two Chinese immersion programs in the United States, both of which existed in the San Francisco bay area. In that year, the first Chinese immersion program outside of the Bay Area started in Potomac, Maryland and has spread to many other parts of the United States.[5] Depending on region, there is typically a governing body that regulates and networks various Chinese schools together. In the United States for example, the Chinese School Association in the United States is one such governing body founded in 1994.