What is a Confucius Classroom?

The People's Republic of China has named St. Mary's School the VERY FIRST Confucius Classroom in North or South America. This award gives southern Oregon students and community members unprecedented access to Chinese language studies, travel to China, and friendship-building opportunities with Chinese students, teachers, and professors.

While there are almost 300 universities in the program worldwide participating at the Confucius Institute level, including over 50 major universities in the USA, just twelve secondary schools (high schools) in the world have been so honored by the Chinese government. St. Mary's is the first secondary school to receive this distinction in the Americas.

Why Is This Important?

Confucius Classroom status is part of an initiative by the Chinese Ministry of Education to provide Chinese language instruction and Chinese cultural studies available to high school and college students around the globe by providing the ability to communicate with each other's nations. Learning the Chinese culture and language bridges the cultural gap between nations.

How Does This Benefit St. Mary's School?

The program provides funding for St. Mary's Mandarin teachers, community classes in Mandarin, textbooks, and an exchange program with a sister school in central China, and a wealth of other opportunities.

St. Mary's Confucius Classroom extended Mandarin language instruction to local elementary and middle schools in Southern Oregon during the 2009 school year.

In December of 2009, Frank Phillips Head of School, was honored with the International Performance Excellence Award from the Chinese Government. Click Here To Read Full Story >>



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