By Robin Ruehlen
C & G Staff Writer

UTICA — Students in the Utica Community Schools may soon have the opportunity to discover firsthand what it’s like to live and learn in China.

Last week, the district announced a “cultural and educational” partnership with Chongqing, China, the Municipal Education Commission and Michigan State University, in hopes of building a greater cultural and educational understanding for students and teachers in both countries.

The Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution creating the partnership at its Jan. 14 meeting.          

Board President Carol Klenow said in a statement the partnership provides a different twist on academic programming.

“Now all of our students will have the opportunity to touch this issue of globalization,” she said.

Superintendent Christine Johns said the partnership would teach UCS students to understand both the differences and similarities of Chinese culture through music and art exchanges, student/staff exchanges, international internships and online education.

“The world is changing, and we are a global marketplace. We need to have cultural understanding and be able to communicate and work together, which I’m hoping is what evolves from this program,” Johns said.

“Already, Michigan is developing a partnership with the region, and this is a perfect opportunity to join in that effort.”

Located along the Yangtze River in southwest China, the manufacturing city of Chongqing is one of the largest in the nation. The city is also home to a Ford Motor Co. plant and a study abroad program with MSU’s College of Education.

The partnership has been in development since spring of 2007, when a delegation of educators from Chongqing visited Henry Ford II and Utica high schools to learn more about secondary education in America.

In June, Johns traveled to Chongqing at her own expense with the Chinese Bridge Delegation to determine what Chinese language programs might be available for UCS students, and her trip was followed in the fall by visits from Director of Curriculum Robert VanCamp and International Baccalaureate Diploma Coordinator Tom Lietze.    

The link with Chongqing marks the second international partnership for UCS.  In 1988, the district partnered with the Shiga Prefecture to create the Far East Institute for the study of Japanese language and culture. The district currently offers French, German, Spanish and Japanese languages in its secondary schools, and with the new partnership, could offer Mandarin Chinese in the future.

“We’re hoping to have some additional educators and students from Chongqing visit us this spring, and as we work with MSU, we plan to have some exchanges within the next year or so,” Johns said.

The partnership will be re-evaluated for extension in February 2011.

You can reach Staff Writer Robin Ruehlen at rruehlen@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1105.