In  December 2008, Polk County School’s Superintendent Bill Miller and Technology/Accountability Director Dave Scherping traveled with other state board members as an inaugural delegation to Jiangsu Province in China. North Carolina has both a business and educational partnership there. Mr. Miller was assisted by State Board of Education Member Wayne McDevitt in opening the door to a Chinese teacher exchange program here in Polk County.

Providing partnership in China is Hanban. Hanban acts somewhat like the US Department of Education, providing support in many ways, including financial. Here in the United States, The College Board and The Center for International Understanding (now called Go Global NC) provide support and each year sponsors a Chinese language competition at NC State University.

This year it was announced that the program would award the school with the most outstanding Chinese program with an all-expense-paid trip to China for four students and a teacher (all costs covered by Hanban). The winner would be based on the highest scores on the HSK test, an internationally recognized Chinese language test. Polk County was named the winner of the 14-day trip that is a combination of cultural activities and time spent learning Mandarin in Chinese schools.

Rising juniors Eli Edwards, Hayden Gary, Brianna Richardson and graduated senior Leah Stockdale where chosen to go. Accompanying them is Jon Ezell, a math teacher at PCHS. He has extensive experience traveling abroad with students, although this will be his first trip to China. The students left July 9 and will return July 23.

Each year in Polk County, one Chinese exchange teacher is assigned to the middle school and another to the high school. Students may begin Mandarin classes in the 6th grade and continue through the 12th grade.

Much credit should be given to Lou Qiaying Gault, the Chinese exchange teacher, who worked many hours to achieve this wonderful success for the students and school. Although she had to return to Beijing at the end of the school year, she has joined them for a special reunion during this trip.

–  article submitted

by Gail Stockdale