Writer / Molly Connor
This January, Park Tudor School was treated to an exciting international experience when five students from the prestigious Beijing High School Four International Campus arrived in the Midwest for the first part of a three-week exchange program.
As part of the Indianapolis private school’s first exchange with China, the students — three boys and two girls — were assigned to local host families and given the task of becoming fully immersed in the daily life of a typical Park Tudor student. Before arriving, the Chinese students sent letters of introduction, explaining their objectives for the program and telling their host families a little more about themselves and their lives at home.
“This amazing exchange opportunity enables both our Chinese language students and the Chinese students to enhance their language and culture learning, and start an international friendship that will last a lifetime,” said Caroline Lee-Thompson, director of Park Tudor’s Chinese Studies program, in a press release.
With the dual focus of language and culture in mind, the students were given many opportunities to engage in common experiences with their international counterparts. In addition to traditional school-sponsored activities, including school plays and varsity sporting events, the students were treated to tours of Indianapolis, local cuisine, quality time with their host families and even a special Chinese New Year celebration.
Unexpectedly, the Chinese students were greeted by this winter’s unprecedented snowfall and freezing temperatures. “The most exciting part of the snow days was the fireplace and toasted marshmallows. Fireplaces aren’t common in China, and we don’t burn marshmallows. They tasted great!” said student Annie Yang.
The experience has been an overwhelming success for everyone involved. “It has been such a delight to be able to spend three weeks at Park Tudor. The administration, faculty and students were so warm and made us feel like friends and colleagues. Our students learned a lot about both culture and education,” said BHSFIC chaperone, guidance counselor and psychology teacher Peggy He.
This summer, a handful of select Park Tudor students will travel overseas to spend several weeks in Beijing, completing the exchange and immersing themselves into Chinese culture.
The level of curiosity from the American students regarding daily high school life in China surprised 15-year-old Tom Shen, a BHSFIC student. “I think that experiencing traditional Chinese education will be the best way to share with them. There are so many differences, including class size, after-school activities and standardized testing,” he said.
Yang, a 15-year-old who loves the piano and sports, is looking forward to sharing local cuisine, including seafood and barbecue, with the Park Tudor students. She is quick to reinforce, however, that the most important part of the experience will be the people — how they associate with one another and how they study.
BHSFIC is well-known as one of China’s “key schools” and is widely recognized as a pioneer in science and mathematics education. They recently opened an international campus designed to host students from all over the world.
To learn more about Park Tudor School, its curriculum and programs, visit www.parktudor.org.
