Highland students now have opportunity to visit China

by Chris Studor

Feb. 10 school board meeting

With approximately 80 Highland middle and high school students now enrolled in Chinese classes district wide, the Highland Local School District is offering students a chance to tour China for 10 days next fall in conjunction with Thanksgiving break. 

At the Feb. 10 Board of Education meeting, Chinese teacher Sunny Zhang gave a presentation on the trip, which board members unanimously approved.

Zhang explained that as a district, students and teachers have already participated in exchange trips to China. In 2012, five staff members visited Guangzhou and in 2014 there was a student exchange to Beijing and Guangzhou. The student exchange was extended in 2017 and 2019 with travels to Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong taking place in 2019.

Zhang explained that most of the school’s Chinese experience is sponsored by Young Envoys Scholarship Program for Young Americans to Visit China. Students going on the trip are issued scholarships by the China Education Association for International Exchange. The organization sponsors short- and long-term exchange programs.

“In 2024 President Xi’s speech during his visit to the United States, [he] invited 50,000 American youths to visit China in the next five years,” said Zhang. “The students from Highland going on this trip next year only have to pay for their airfare, registration fee [$350] and their visa application fee [$200]. Insurance coverage is provided through the grant.”

She added that the host organization is Zhejiang Education International Exchange Association, Zhejiang Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Youth and the American Language Education Institute. Chaperones from the host organization will accompany the students on the trip at a ratio of one chaperone for every 10 students. The minimum group size will be 20.

The trip will first be offered to the students enrolled in Chinese and if 20 of the students enrolled in Chinese courses are not interested, the trip will be opened up to other Highland High School students. 

Zhang said the State Department travel advisory for a trip to China is currently at a Level 2, which is the same level for travel to France and Spain.

“There will be exciting activities planned, including cultural tours in each city, educational workshops and exchanges and visits to local schools and interaction with Chinese students,” said Zhang.In other business at the board meeting, the board accepted with thanks the following donations; to Highland High School Cheerleading, $500 from ECS Tuning LLC;  to the Highland High School football program,  $1,318 from the Oriti Family; to the Highland High School Girls golf program, $100 from the Sprutte Family; to the Highland High School girls golf program, $85 from the Miller Family; and to Hinckley Elementary, $90 in snack cart items from the Hinckley PTO.