11:01 a.m., May 29, 2007--Delaware high-school students will learn firsthand about China this summer through the first international program of the Governor's School for Excellence, sponsored by the Office of the Governor, in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Education and the University of Delaware. The program is funded by a $217,205 grant from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended.

The Delaware Governor's School for Excellence in Chinese Language and Culture will provide academically talented students, ages 14 to 17, with the opportunity to study the Mandarin language and Chinese culture for seven weeks in Beijing, China's capital.

This summer's program will be held from June 16 to Aug. 5 at the Number 2 High School of Beijing Normal University, one of the most prestigious high schools in China. Twenty-four academically talented Delaware students have been selected for the program.

“This program is one of many efforts in Delaware to enhance the learning experience of our high-school students while also helping to provide them with the resources and opportunities they will need to succeed in college and the workplace,” Gov. Ruth Ann Minner said. “This is a tremendous opportunity for those students who are selected for the program, and I am eager to hear about their experiences when they return.”

Jianguo Chen, assistant professor of Chinese and Chinese literature at UD, and George Irvine, program manager in the Center for International Studies, secured the federal funding to establish the program, working in partnership with the University's Division of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Chen will serve as the new program's academic director. A native of mainland China, he currently teaches courses in Chinese language, literature, culture and film at UD.

“As China is emerging as an important player in the world, there is a growing need for a better understanding of this ancient yet increasingly vibrant country,” Chen said. “The Governor's School for Excellence in Chinese Language and Culture will provide Delaware high-school students with a good opportunity to experience China on a firsthand basis. We are very pleased and very fortunate to be awarded the grant that has made this possible,” he noted.

The program's theme is “Understanding Modern China: Tradition and Transformation,” with special emphasis on China's emerging popular culture. Guest lectures will be presented by well-known directors, film stars, musicians and cultural figures.

During the seven-week summer institute, students will learn about a rich variety of topics, including Chinese visual and performing arts, the aesthetics of Chinese films, Chinese painting and calligraphy, religion and history, martial arts, the Chinese family, the status of women, youth problems, the country's increasing modernization and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Students also will climb the Great Wall, tour the Forbidden City, sightsee among the terra-cotta soldiers and the mausoleum of the first Chinese emperor, explore the Garden City of Suzhou, participate in the Beijing Olympic Games' volunteer activities, meet with film stars and visit local families, among other highlights. Homestay arrangements will allow students to experience the different lifestyles and customs of Chinese society.

When they return from China, the students will serve as cultural ambassadors, sharing their experiences with peers and community groups through structured follow-up activities in each student's high school and community, and on the UD campus, according to Chen.

Four chaperone-leaders, including three faculty and administrators from UD and a Delaware high-school teacher, will accompany the students and oversee the program. In addition to Chen, the UD team will include Maria Tu, assistant professor of Chinese, modern Chinese women's literature and world literature, and Diane Henker, assistant director of UD's Center for International Studies. Tu will serve as the program's lead instructor in Mandarin Chinese. Henker has more than 10 years of experience in international education, coordinating nearly 100 study-abroad programs to locations around the globe.

This is the first overseas program offered by the Delaware Governor's School for Excellence, a summer institute for high-school students that has been administered by the University of Delaware for the past 27 years.

In the Delaware-based program, offered July 15-21, students will live in residence halls on UD's Newark campus and attend either the academic program consisting of discussions, lectures, debates and films revolving around a specific theme, or the visual and performing arts program, which provides tutorial instruction with a noted artist and culminates in a performance or public display of the students' work.

Students are nominated to participate in the Governor's School through their schools, in a competitive application process.

To learn more about the program in China and the application process, visit [www.udel.edu/govschool/china]. For more information on the summer program at UD, see [www.udel.edu/govschool/index.html].

Article by Tracey Bryant