Bay Area Schools
Below are the Mandarin immersion programs we know about in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you know about a program we have missed, please contact us. If you are looking for a school in some other part of California or the United States, click here.
–San Francisco–
Jose Ortega Elementary School
Grades K through 5, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, CA
URL: joseortegaschool.org
Jose Ortega is a public elementary school located at at 400 Sargent Street, San Francisco, CA 94132 Near San Francisco State University. Its “dual-immersion” Mandarin Immersion program integrates Mandarin into the General Education curriculum. No prior exposure to Mandarin is necessary; it is designed for English-speaking and Mandarin-speaking students to develop communication and literacy skills in both languages. Students from homes with other languages are also welcome to participate.
Starr King Elementary School
Grades K through 5, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, CA
Starr King is a public elementary school located at 1215 Carolina St., San Francisco, CA 94107 in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood. The Mandarin immersion program at Starr King Elementary School started in 2006 with two classes of kindergarteners. Each subsequent year an additional grade will be added, until there are six grades, K-5. When the rollout of the Mandarin immersion program is completed in 2011, a total of 240 students will be enrolled in the immersion program.
Chinese American International School
Chinese American International School
Grades Pre-K through 8, San Francisco, CA
URL: www.cais.org
Founded in 1981, Chinese American International School (CAIS) is an independent Pre-K to 8th-grade school in San Francisco, California. We provide students of all backgrounds with a bilingual, multicultural learning experience.
The first Mandarin-immersion school in the nation, CAIS is recognized as the role model for bilingual education. The U.S. Office of Education called CAIS the “national prototype for the teaching of Chinese at the pre-collegiate level.”
Find out more about CAIS, and how we’re helping students along the path to more fulfilling lives in a new era of global awareness and opportunity.
Presidio Knolls School
Pre-K, San Francisco, CA
Presidio Knolls provides a multi-lingual, multi-cultural environment where children can freely develop their gifts and interests. Children should be the driving force behind what they learn. Instead of being led, we encourage our children to actively direct. Therefore, it is our mission to provide the necessary tools and language skills in a loving environment so that children, at an early age, will be equipped to succeed in this globalizing world.
Little Footprints Preschool
Pre-K, San Francisco, CA
PDF: Little Footprints Fact Sheet
Little Footprints Preschool is a new Mandarin immersion preschool opening in the Sunset district of San Francisco June 2011. The school is 100% Mandarin immersion with a play‐ and environment‐based curriculum. We believe children learn through play and interacting with their environment, along with guidance and facilitation from well‐trained teachers.
–Greater San Francisco Bay Area–
Azevada Elementary School
Kindegarten beginning Fall 2010, public, Fremont, CA
Info: Chinese Immersion Parents’ Council of Fremont
Yu Ming Charter School
URL: http://www.yumingschool.org
Grades K-8, East Bay CA (Alameda County; location TBD)
Yu Ming Charter School is the Bay Area’s first Mandarin immersion public charter school.
Yu Ming Charter School’s mission is to: Provide an academically rigorous college preparatory program (K-8). Graduate bilingual and biliterate students via two-way dual immersion in Mandarin Chinese and English
* Nurture intellectual curiosity and international perspective Develop young people with compassion, moral character, and a sense of responsibility for the community and environment.
College Park Elementary School
Grades Pre-K through 5, San Mateo-Foster City School District, San Mateo, CA,
What a better way to prepare our children for the new century than to give them the ability to speak what is and will continue to be one of the most internationally important languages for commerce and trade! College Park Public Elementary School offers:
- Highly qualified Mandarin credentialed teachers
- Mandarin within California standards-based curriculum
- Fully equipped World Language Lab
- Fun, interactive, stimulating program including art, dance, calligraphy
- On-site Pre-K Mandarin Immersion Preschool
- On-site Mandarin resource center for the school and the community
- Options for Mandarin immersion or Mandarin as an elective
Shu Ren International School
Grades Pre-K through 5, Berkeley, CA
URL: shureninternationalschool.com
SShu Ren International School
Grades Pre-K through 8, Berkeley, CA
URL: shureninternationalschool.com
Shu Ren International School is a private Mandarin and English dual immersion school serving students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade. The school opened in September 2008 with Pre- Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade and will add one grade each year. The child-led, transdisciplinary curriculum nurtures children to become independent, open-minded, and enthusiastic lifelong learners. The school also offers after school cultural enrichment classes, Mandarin immersion summer camp, and adult Mandarin classes. It is located in central Berkeley.
Global Montessori International School
Grades pre-K through 6, Berkeley, CA
URL: globalmontessoriinternationalschool.com
GMIS is a pre-K through 6 Mandarin/Japanese immersion school that opened in 2008. The school is a Montessori based education whose motto is:’Follow the Child.” Children acquire Mandarin or Japanese skills through songs, art projects, field trips and Montessori activities designed to develop a child’s inner curiosity.
Pacific Rim International School
Grades K through 3 (so far), Emeryville, CA and San Mateo, CA
URL: pacificriminternationalschool.org
Pacific Rim International School opened in the Fall of 1989 and is committed to providing children with the very best Chinese-English and Japanese-English bilingual multicultural education in a Montessori environment. Our emphasis is on the development of the whole child: social, physical, emotional, intellectual, linguistic, aesthetic, spiritual and cultural needs. We devote our best efforts to assisting children in the acquisition of skills and knowledge as a preparation for life.
Stonebrae Elementary School
Grades K through 5, Hayward Unified School District, Hayward, CA
URL: Stonebrae Elementary
Hayward Unified School District began the 2007 – 2008 school year with an exciting addition to traditional kindergarten classes. Students in the Dual-Immersion kindergarten program at HUSD’s newest school, Stonebrae Elementary, are learning in two languages: English and Mandarin.
The need for Mandarin speakers has increased dramatically over the past few years as China becomes more influential in the world’s economy. Students enrolled in the program will receive a rigorous curriculum that follows state standards, and will be bilingual and bi-literate (able to read and write) in both languages.
The program will expand slowly, each year adding another grade level to accommodate the current students as they progress through the 6th grade while registering a new kindergarten class each year.
Ohlone Elementary School
Grades K through 5, Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto, CA
URL: Ohlone Mandarin Immersion
PAUSD is located in the heart of Silicon Valley in the mid-peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area. The Mandarin Immersion program at Ohlone is one of the four K-5 school choice programs. In June 2007, PAUSD was awarded a Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant to assist with Mandarin Immersion program development and implementation.
International School of the Peninsula
Grades Pre-K through 8, Palo Alto, CA
URL: istp.org
The International School of the Peninsula is an independent, co-educational dual language school for nursery through eighth grade students. With over 25 years of educational achievement, ISTP is recognized as a leader in bilingual education. ISTP offers two nurseries through fifth grade bilingual immersion programs: Mandarin/English and French/English.
Wellspring Academy
Opening Fall 2009, K-1 to start, it appears from the web site. Palo Alto, CA
URL: wsacademy.com
The Mission of Wellspring Academy is to provide a unique bilingual English and Chinese educational environment for children (K-8th grade) that will emphasize:
- Outstanding academics emphasizing critical thinking and problem solving
- Leadership skills based on integrity, interpersonal skills, and intellectual strength
- Creativity with the ability to approach challenges from divergent perspectives,
think laterally and develop unique approaches to solving problems.
- A multicultural perspective and global view of the world
Yew Chung International School – Silicon Valley
Age 2 through 5th grade, Mountain View
URL: ycis-sv.com
Founded in 1932 in Hong Kong, Yew Chung Education Foundation has been providing quality bilingual and multicultural education for 80 years. Yew Chung International School – Silicon Valley’s Mandarin-English curriculum blends the best of eastern and western educational philosophies to create an engaging, culturally-rich learning environment focusing on the development of the whole child. Elementary school offers a Chinese language afterschool program, enrichment activities and Chinese immersion summer camps. Preschool is open year round and offers half-day and full day options.
Yew Chung International Schools are located in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing and Qingdao, in addition to our campus in Silicon Valley which opened in 2002.
Cupertino Language Immersion Program
K – 8, Public, Cuptertino, CA
URL: Cupertino Mandarin Immersion
The CUSD Mandarin Immersion Program began in the 1998 -1999 academic year with one kindergarten class. The first year was a language enrichment model where instruction in the target language was 10% of the school day. In the 1999 – 2000 school year, the program expanded to its intended approach of a two-way immersion program. This program is growing in numbers as well as depth and breadth of experience. Today the program provides children from grades K-8 with a two-way immersion education in English and Mandarin.
Two schools serve mandarin immersion students in Cupertino…
- K through 5 – Meyerholz Elementary School
- 6 through 8 – Sam Lawson Middle School
Mandarin Academy
Grades Kindergarten through 5, Cupertino, CA
URL: http://www.mandarinacademy.org/
We exceed California state requirements for English, math, social sciences, science, and fine arts. Our Chinese curriculum follows guidelines provided by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. While we would prefer our students stay at Mandarin Academy, our goal is that a student who moved with his or her family should be able to transfer, at or above grade level, to any public school in America, Taiwan, or China.
Premier International Academy
Preschool through 5, San Jose, California
URL: pilamandarin.com
Office: (408) 866-8234, Phone: (408) 728-5441, Email: info@pilamandarin.com
4250 Latimer Ave., Room 6 & 7
San Jose, CA 95130
“Premier International Language Academy is a private Mandarin Chinese immersion day school in the Campbell/San Jose area that serves Junior K through Grade 5. PILA offers a rigorous, integrated year-round academic curriculum conducted in Mandarin Chinese and English that emphasizes concept-based and thematic instruction, inquiry-based learning, cooperative and collaborative work in small groups and multi-modality learning experiences. Our small classes with low student:teacher ratios are essential prerequisites for providing a rich and motivating environment which is conducive to differentiated learning and individualized attention.”
Quail Run Elementary School
Kindergarten began Aug. 2011, Public school. San Ramon, Calif.
50/50 Mandarin immersion program
Contact: http://www.qres.srvusd.net/
Lingli Preschool
Preschool and afterschool classes for upper grades, Los Altos
Also offers Chinese enrichment classes for school age children so that those who learned Chinese in preschool can continue their language acquisition in Kindergarten and beyond. Classes are held at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1715 Grant Road, Los Altos. The tuition comes out to $25 per class and includes after school snacks and all learning materials. Email to info@linglischool.com
