In 2020, the D219 Chinese program started a friendship with Fuzhou #1 High School in Fuzhou, China. When their 2020 trip to visit China was canceled due to the pandemic, the schools remained in contact through cultural exchanges over Zoom calls. This July, Niles North and Niles West students will travel to China to finally fully immerse themselves in Chinese culture and visit their sister school in Fuzhou. The trip is fully funded by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) and the China Tourism Group.
As the China-US relationship becomes more complicated, fewer students in the US choose to study in China. A decade ago, American students in China reached an all-time high of 25,000. Today, only 700 American students study in China. This trip serves as an initiative by both the US and Chinese governments to increase American studies in China, with the goal of 50,000 American students visiting China in the next five years. D219 students will be among the first to take part in this initiative.
48 students will travel to five cities during the two-week trip: Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. The trip will be chaperoned by Chinese teacher Limin Dove, World Language director Todd Bowen, Social Studies director Priya Amin, and Spanish teacher Alejandra Arteaga. While the itinerary has yet to be finalized, students will definitely visit Chinese high schools, meet Chinese students, and participate in cultural activities that they’ve learned about in the classroom.
“Every time I’ve traveled with students, [my favorite part has] always been watching students’ reactions, seeing them experience something,” Bowen said. “And in this particular instance, since I don’t speak any Chinese, it’s going to be watching and looking and seeing how students react, participate, what they get excited about, what intrigues them.”
Traveling to China will also allow students the opportunity to use their language skills, which they’ve been practicing for years.
“The students will fully immerse themselves in Chinese culture, experience China’s rich history and traditions, and practice their language skills,” Dove said. “They learn in the classroom and in real life situations. They will also do cross cultural communication skills, gain some global perspectives, and maybe they will appreciate diversity.”
Sophomore Lucah Du’s dad is from China, but he’s never been able to speak Chinese while he was there. Now, Du has been studying Chinese for the past two years and is excited to put what he’s learned into practice.
“Going on this China trip now that I actually know some Chinese would be a really great experience for me,” Du said. “I could learn more Chinese while going to China while knowing how to speak [some Chinese]. I feel like it’d be a great experience.”
Students will also get to explore famous Chinese landmarks, such as the Great Wall, West Lake, and the Forbidden City. Freshman Kara Sung will be visiting China for the first time this summer.
“I’m excited about visiting the Forbidden City in Beijing and visiting the schools, seeing what Chinese students usually do on a daily basis,” Sung said.
Dove, a Fuzhou #1 High School alum, has never taken students to China. She looks forward to traveling to her home city with students.
“It means a lot to me to show them the school that I went to, and the city that I grew up in,” Dove said. “I’m still thinking that I might if it’s possible, I would like my students, to meet my parents and my brother and who still live there and they do not speak English. So I will put our students’ language still skills on a real-life test. I’m so excited about that.”
This trip allows D219 students to continue their growing friendship with Chinese students.