Twenty-three 8th grade students from the dual language Mandarin immersion program at Hosford Middle School are off Wednesday, April 2, for two weeks in China. It is their Chinese Research Residency trip. They will return to Portland Thursday, April 17.
They will spend a week in the Suzhou area saying in the homes of the families of Lida Middle School, mostly with the same students that visited them in Portland in February. They also plan to visit Shanghai.
The trip leader is Kojo Hakam, a Portland Public Schools Mandarin immersion specialist. PPS teacher Luke Wisher, Hosford Assistant Principal Vanessa Martinez, and three parents are also going.
(Phote from Shu Ren website)
The cost of the trip is about $ 2,500 per person. PPS teachers go on PPS work time and have their expenses paid by Shu Ren, the parent group for the Mandarin immersion programs. PPS does not pay any other expenses. Shu Ren does lots of fund raising for the trip.
The Mandarin immersion program has made this annual 8th grade Chinese Research Residency trip since 2008.