Norwin School District to hire coordinator to plan Chinese student visits

After 16 Chinese elementary and middle school students attended classes throughout Norwin School District last year, officials want to hire an ambassador who can keep the program going.

School board members have approved hiring a Chinese Youth Ambassador Program Coordinator who will plan Chinese student’s visits to Norwin and create a handbook for Chinese and Norwin teachers and students.

The coordinator will not work more than 30 hours during the 2019-20 school year. Board members approved five hours of work for the remaining 2018-19 school year.

A group of Chinese students, who spoke fluent English, spent three weeks living with host families and taking part in Norwin’s academic programs. In September, 20 Chinese students and two Chinese teachers will head to the area for two weeks. This time, the students will range from fifth to eighth grade.

Working with the International Foundation-EDU China, Norwin will receive $550 per student per week and $300 per teacher to cover costs, tuition and housing fees and other program costs. Any other expenses will be covered by the district.

Last year, three Norwin educators — Superintendent William Kerr, Trisha Brunazzi, the gifted/STEM education coordinator at Hillcrest Intermediate School and Thomas Swenson, fifth grade language arts teacher — traveled to Shenzhen, China, to collaborate on the program.

The agreement extends through June 2023, linking Norwin to two private Chinese schools — Peking University new Century School and Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School.