Written by Elaine Li ’24 and Grace Taylor ’24, Editors-in-Chief
The Edition

Halfway around the world from their school in Beijing, 15 Capital Normal University High School sophomores found themselves in Fort Washington. Entering a new country and way of life, the students had their first day of school on January 29.

“We think of American high school as real colorful, with lots of activities and all those athletics, arts and everything,” Capital Normal University student Brena Bai said. “You can study more freely here.”

For Bai and many other CNU students, the Curriculum Partnership Program, a joint Chinese-American program between CNU and GA, offered them an exclusive opportunity to experience American education and culture. The CPP prepares Chinese students for admission to Bachelor’s degree programs in English-speaking countries. In this program, students are required to take four courses taught in English per year and must pass at least four AP courses during their high school career.

Assistant Director of the Curriculum Partnership Program Christina Bauman, Director Jennifer Bamigboye, and Counselor Amanda Amorosi ’16 played integral roles in bringing this program to life at GA.

 

“I have to say that this immersion program might be one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had since I came to GA eight years ago,” Bamigboye said. “I have never been able to interact with my CNU students in this type of context, and I feel, after just ten days, that I know the students really well.

“My colleagues put forth huge effort to ensure the success of this trip, but I think they would agree with me that the hard work was absolutely worth it,” she continued. “We hope to continue this program each year going forward. I can already see how it has strengthened the relationship between our two schools.”

Upper School Chinese teacher Ms. Tsung Tsai emphasizes the importance of exchange programs like the Curriculum Partnership Program.

“Exchange programs are critical for continuing to support and enhance the rich and diverse perspectives and experiences of the GA community. They offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves in different languages and cultures, fostering a deeper understanding and respect for people from different backgrounds and countries.”

CNU, founded in 1914, is renowned for its stated commitment to fostering academic excellence and strong moral character in its students, which rings true to GA’s own mission statement.

 

Similar to GA’s status as a college prep school, CNU prepares students for college through a demanding and rigorous academic environment, with 100% of each graduating class attending four-year institutions in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries outside of China.

While the two schools have similar curriculums, the exchange students’ experience at GA highlighted significant differences in American and Chinese culture and schooling. In particular, students from CNU recognized the way in which GA encourages balance between schoolwork and activities such as athletics and the arts.

“Back in my school, there’s eight classes from 7:20am to 5pm, and here its 8am-3pm with only six classes,” exchange Fred Qu said. “I don’t really have a preference because both schedules have advantages. Here, the class times give you more time to do activities you really like. In China, the class schedule lets you learn more because there’s more classes to take.”

In addition to GA’s greater emphasis on students’ passions, CNU students were surprised by the discussion-based English and history courses at GA, which focus on interaction amongst students and teachers around the centralizing Harkness Table.

“In China, our teachers just give us lectures and hardly let us have time to discuss,” said Leo Wang. “But at GA you can really discuss anything as long as the topic is related to the class. I think that is great because in the discussion we can learn other things that we don’t know and explore ideas.”

Over the course of their time in America, the Chinese students shared many memorable experiences with their host families and the greater GA community.

 

“I know that sports are a really important part of people’s lives here,” Yang said.  “I went to an NBA game for the Sixers. I hadn’t watched a whole basketball game before this time, so it was very impressive and exciting for me.”

Jessica Wang ’25, who hosted exchange student Mavis Chen, was grateful for their time together. “We did a lot of fun activities together such as drawing when she first came to my house,” said Wang. “I would recommend hosting exchange students, especially to those who aren’t Chinese. You would definitely learn a lot from them like I did.”

GA’s Asian American Student Association, AASA, held a lunch with the students from CNU. This event was an eye-opening and compelling experience for many AASA members who were not familiar with Chinese culture and academia.

“As someone who speaks Chinese, it was a fun experience both to practice speaking and interact with them,” Melinda Shen ’24 said. “They were very friendly and open-minded. If they didn’t know an English term, they weren’t afraid to ask what it meant.”

 

“Exchange programs bring diverse cultures and practices to the school, enriching the GA community’s understanding of new customs and traditions,” Tsai said. “This fosters an environment of respect and appreciation, particularly for the Asian community. Our GA classrooms become more dynamic and diverse, inspiring our students to explore new ideas from a global perspective and build friendships and connections worldwide.”

Ultimately, many at GA were excited to finally welcome students from CNU back to campus following the pandemic. Such an opportunity for cultural exchange and educational integration demonstrates a shared dedication to experiential learning, connecting American and Chinese students across the world.

CLICK HERE for more photos of the CNU students, GA students, and the host families.