Hello to the National Chinese Language Conference – We’re up to 249 Mandarin immersion schools!
This coming weekend the National Chinese Language Conference will take place virtually. Hundreds of Chinese teachers and school staff will be in attendance – it’s not too late to sign up, so if you were wondering what to get your Mandarin immersion teacher as a year-end present, well, it’s one possibility beyond yet another Target card.
In honor of the conference, I’ve posted the most recent list of Mandarin immersion schools I have. We’re up to 349 since the last time, adding Balboa School in Escondido, Calif. and ILIM School in Pineville, North Carolina, but losing Baton Rouge International School, which closes at the end of this year after a 22 year run.
Normally I’d do an analysis of how many public versus private schools there are, who teaches simplified characters and uses traditional, strand schools versus whole-school programs, etc. But I’m so busy with my day job that sadly I haven’t been able to do that this week. Hoping to get to it within the month.
Here’s the link to the full list. And below is the ongoing list of additions, changes and closures.
Beth
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School changes
April 2022 – ADDITIONS
California
Balboa School
K-12, private
Escondido, CA.
Opened 2020 (still checking this to confirm)
North Carolina
ILIM (International Multi-Language Immersion
601 North Polk Street, Pineville NC 28134
K – 5
The site says the school teachers in four languages, Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic. It’s not clear what part of the school day takes place in Mandarin.
CLOSURES
Baton Rouge International School
Founded in 2000, the school, which offered immersion in Spanish, French and Mandarin, is closing at the end of the 2021-2022 school year. The headmaster said a COVID-related drop in enrollment is behind the closure.
March 2022 – ADDITIONS
California
Avenues: Silicon Valley
K – 8, private. San Jose, CA.
This is the first West coast outpost of New York’s Avenues: The World School, which opened in 2011. It’s opening a middle school first, grades 6 – 9, a rarity in new schools.
Bell Tower School
K-8 Private, Alhambra, CA
ShuRen School
San Jose Campus
San Jose, CA 95125
Long in Berkeley, is opening a San Jose campus 2022-2023
Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School, Monrovia Unified School District
148 West Duarte Road, Monrovia, CA
The Middle School the district’s MI program feeds to.
Frontiers Academy
Has moved from Anaheim to nearby Costa Mesa, California
Kennedy Middle School
The Mandarin immersion program of the Redwood City School District, which begins at Orion Alternative Elementary School (formerly John Gill Elementary) reached sixth grade and moved to Kennedy Middle School in the 2021-2022 school year. The program will continue at Woodside High School in 4 years.
Minnesota
Lakes International Language Academy
K-12 charter school, Forest Lake, Minn.
Started 2004-2005, also has Spanish immersion track
North Junior High School
6 – 8, opened 2013-2014 school year, St. Cloud, Minn.
This is the continuation of program at Guang Ming Academy @Madison Elementary
Apollo High School
9 – 12, St. Cloud Minnesota
This is the continuation of the Mandarin immersion program that begins at Guang Ming Academy. The first cohort arrived in the 2017-2018 school year.
New Jersey
Maurice Hawk Elementary School, West Windsor, NJ.
Program launched 2018-2019 school year. Has now reached 4th grade.
New York
Pine Street School
Private,K-5, Manhattan.
Launched in 2017-2018. Also has Spanish immersion track
Oregon
Harriet Tubman Middle School, 6 – 8
Portland, Oregon
Utah
Tooele Junior High School, Tooele, Utah
Program reached 7th grade in the 2021-2022 school year.
The program will continue at Tooele High School in the 2024-2025 school year.
Washington
Bel-Red Bilingual Academy
0 – 8, Bellevue, Washington
Launched 2019-2020
Wyoming
CY Middle School
Casper, Wyoming
Program progressed from grade school 2019-2020
CHANGES
E.E. Waddell Language Academy, a K-8 public school in Charlotte, NC, has changed its name to South Academy of International Languages (SAIL)
CLOSURE
Horseshoe Trails Elementary School
At the end of the 2020-2021 school year the Cave Creek Unified School District closed the Mandarin immersion program at Horseshoe Trails, which was founded in 2015. It has just gotten to middle school. More here:
Unable to open
CE Academy
This charter school outside Raleigh, NC had planned to open this fall, but COVID-19 made that impossible. They haven’t given up but it’s been a rough year.
101 Preston Executive Drive, Cary, NC 27513
Opening 2021-2022
Location not yet determined
http://ceacademy.org/education/
April 2021
Science Language and Arts International School
9 Hanover Place, Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 636-3836
K – 8
Two immersion programs, French and Mandarin
Founded 2011, Mandarin track began in 2020-2021.
Rondo Elementary School, Eastvale, CA
New K – 5 50/50 Mandarin immersion program beginning in the fall of 2021.
International School of San Antonio
French and Chinese immersion preschool, ages 2 – 12.
They plan to add a Mandarin immersion track beginning in Kindergarten which will continue through grade school in the 2021-2022 school year.
Brilliant Star Montessori School, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
This Montessori school goes through 6th grade and offers some form of Mandarin immersion, though it’s not entirely clear what from their website. The school itself was founded in 2000. I can’t tell when Mandarin was added. It’s certainly the only Mandarin program in this U.S. Commonwealth. It is near Guam in the Philippine Sea.
Not immersion
Brooklyn Global Prep, Brooklyn, NY
This is a preschool through Kindergarten school that appears to have opened in 2020. It has It doesn’t yet have an elementary school program so I’m not including it on my list but note it here as it seems they might build up into a grade school at some point.
Dallas International School
They’re really a French immersion school that offered Mandarin classes
Founded in 1987, Dallas International School is the only private international school in Dallas offering a fully bilingual French and English program that also includes a third language in Spanish, Mandarin and German. With its internationally renowned curriculum and multiple language instruction, the school prides itself on a small class size approach, offering students the exposure to diverse cultural views through a rigorous, premiere educational experience. From Pre-School to 12th grade, Dallas International School prepares students for academic competitiveness thanks to its successfully-proven hybrid education system between a French and American-based curriculum. Offering an attractive French Immersion Program (FIP), Dallas International School gives non-native French speakers the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the French language with the goal of becoming fluent and compelling as strong candidates for college and university placements once they graduate from high school (12th grade). The school also offers a strong Spanish, Mandarin Chinese and German language program. Dallas International School is committed to guiding students to lead fulfilling lives and become global leaders of tomorrow.
For more information, please visit: http://www.dallasinternationalschool.org
June 2020
Fremont, CA Mandarin immersion program
The program is building out!
“For the 2019/2020 school year, we have 14 classes; 2 each for grades kindergarten through sixth grade at Azevada Elementary School. Additionally, there are 2 seventh and 1 eighth grade class at Hopkins Jr. High School. We also have 17 students enrolled in the 9th grade at Mission San Jose High School. In total, there are about 400 children in the program now. According to the latest survey of parents representing 69% of the children in the program, 73% of the families speak English, 15% speak Mandarin, and 9% speak Cantonese as primary languages at home. 59% of the families surveyed also speak a second language in the home at least 10% of the time.”
Cherrywood Elementary School
San Jose, CA, Berryessa Union School District
Launched in 2018-2019
Oberlin Magnet Middle School
Raleigh, NC
The middle school continuation of the Wake County Public School System’s Mandarin immersion program which begins in Stough Elementary School.
Oak Meadow Elementary School in El Dorado Hills, California has changed its name to Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter School. https://www.buckeyeusd.org/domain/4702
St. Michael’s Catholic Academy
Flushing, NY. Mandarin program launched in 2013.
Emanuele Elementary School, New Haven Unified School District, Union City, California.
New program to start Fall 2020.
Fifer Middle School
Caesar Rodney School District
Continuation of the program that began in Simpson Elementary in 2013.
The first middle school class,6th grade, began in 2018.
Westdale Middle School, Baton Rouge, LA. It will launch in 2020-2021.
This is the continue of the program at Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet, which launched in 2013.
Centner Acadamy, Miami, Florida. A private K- 8 school which launched with a preschool and Kindergarten in the fall of 2019.
Haven Elementary School, Savanna, GA. Launched fall 2019.
East Light Academy, a charter school in Charleston, SC, has closed.
Why isn’t Whittle School & Studios on the list?
This new school, which launched in Washington DC in 2019 and plans to open in New York, lists “Mandarin immersion” as one of its educational offerings. However it doesn’t appear that it actually offers more than Mandarin classes taught entirely in Mandarin. Which is how all languages are pretty much taught these days, so it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t appear to teach any actual subjects in Mandarin. And neither does it offer 50% of the school day taught in Mandarin. Thus, it’s not a Mandarin immersion program by the standards of educations (See the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition for more info.)
https://carla.umn.edu/immersion/index.html
a
March 2020
ADD
Yi Hwang Academy of Language Excellence
Suwanne, Georgia.
Also offers Korean immersion.
New Address:
East Link Academy Charter School, Greenville SC
December 2019
ADD
North Harnett Primary School, Angier, NC, public, K – 2
Orem High School, Alpine School District, Alpine, Utah, public
Little Tiger Immersion School, Austin, Texas, private K – 5
AXIS International Academy, Ft. Collins, Colorado. Charter, K – 5.
Tessa International School, Hoboken, NJ. Adding a Mandarin immersion track 2020-2021
Appoquinimink School District, Odessa, Deleware,
- Kindergarten: Spring Meadow Early Childhood Center (2020)
- Grades 1-5: Old State Elementary School (2021)
Center Academy, Miami FL private, K – 12
DELETED
Global Village Academy, Ft. Collins, Colorado. See article here:
August 5, 2019
Global Village Academy charger school in Colorado Springs has changed its name and management model and beginning July 1, 2019 will be the Colorado International Language Academy. The school was part of the Global Village charter collaborative but is now an independent charter school.
June 17, 2019
ADD
Shelyn Elementary, Rowland Heights, CA
June 1, 2019
Mark Twain Middle School
Feeder school in Los Angeles Unified School District for Broadway Elementary Mandarin immersion program
Belvedere Elementary School, Aiken, South Carolina
The district is also adding Spanish and German immersion at two other elementary schools.
Ms. Lam’s Montessori School, Brooklyn, NY
Launched an elementary school program after having had a preschool program for several years.
May 22, 2019
Additions:
Wilson Elementary School, San Gabriel, Calif. A K – 5 program opening 2019-2020.
Socratic Language School, Washington D.C. A K – 5 private school that launched 2018-2019.
May 13, 2019
Additions
Chinese Immersion School, Eugene Oregon (name change, was Crest Elementary.)
Kennedy Middle School, Eugene Oregon (announced, the first class from the elementary program won’t arrive until 2022)
Churchill High School, Eugene Oregon (announced, the first class from the middle school program won’t arrive until 2025)
Remove: Empower Charter School, San Diego. It was supposed to launch with both a Spanish immersion and Mandarin immersion track, but appears to only have a Spanish immersion track.
May 10, 2019
Additions
Sierra Madre Middle School, Pasadena, California
San Miquel Elementary, LAUSD
Rigby Middle School, the continuation of the Mandarin program begun six years ago at South Fork Elementary School in Rigby, Idaho
Orangewood Elementary West Covina Unified, CA
Lots of Utah additions:
Horizon Elementary
Hurricane Intermediate
Lava Ridge Intermediate
Sunrise Ridge Intermediate
Tonaquint Intermediate.
St. George, Utah
Mueller Park Junior High School, Bountiful, Utah
North Park Elementary in North Logan is no longer the host school for the Cache County Chinese DLI. It has been moved to Cedar Ridge Elementary in Hyde Park.
Timberline Middle School, Alpine, Utah
Vista Heights Middle School, Saratoga Spring, Utah
Adele Young Intermediate School, Brigham City, Utah
Alta High School, Sandy Utah
Corner Canyon High School, Draper, Utah
Brighton High School, Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Taylorsville High School, Taylorsville, Utah
Cottonwood High School, Murray, Utah
Fiddlers Canyon Elementary Cedar City, UT
Springville Junior High School, Springville, UT
Bonneville High School, North Ogden, Utah
(additions as of Jan 25th)
1 middle
1 high
January 2019
Changes:
Hope Chinese Charter School, Beaverton, Oregon
New address
International Charter School of Atlanta
Only got through 8th grade. The original plans to be K – 12 have changed.
2018-12-31
ADDITIONS:
Adobe Bluffs Elementary School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
AXIS International Academy, Ft. Collins, CO (opening Fall 2019)
Camelot Prep, Orange, CA K – 12 Private
Chief Sealth International High School
This is the high school portion of Seattle Public Schools’ Mandarin immersion program. It begins at Beacon Hill Elementary and Dearborne Elementary schools, continues at Mercer Middle School and then finishes at Chief Sealth. [Note: Sealth is pronounced See-ELTH. And he was indeed the Salish chief after whom the city was named.]
Columbia River High School, Vancouver, Wash. The Mandarin immersion program that began at Franklin Elementary School in the 2009 – 2010 school year continued to Jason Lee Middle School, Vancouver, Wash. where its first cohort began in 2015-2016. The cohort arrived at Columbia River High School in 2018-2019. Vancouver’s program offers only a Mandarin language course in middle school and high school, no subjects are taught in Mandarin, making it only a semi-immersion program past 5th grade.
Cornerstone Mandarin Immersion Program, Palo Alto, Calif.
East Point Academy Middle School, West Columbia, South Carolina — The middle school portion of this Mandarin immersion charter began in 2018-2019 and is in a different building.
Jason Lee Middle School, Vancouver, Wash. The Mandarin immersion program that began at Franklin Elementary School in the 2009 – 2010 school year continues to Lee, its first cohort began in 2015-2016. Vancouver’s program offers only a Mandarin language course in middle school and high school, no subjects are taught in Mandarin, making it only a semi-immersion program past 5th grade.
Pacific Academy, K – 12, Irvine, Calif.
Plantation Elementary School in Lafayette, La. Has changed its name to Cpl. Michael Middlebrook Elementary
Polis Montessori World School, private, New York City
Springbridge International School, private K – 8, Campbell, Calif. Offers Mandarin and Japanese immersion.
International Additions:
No. 28 Primary School in District 5 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
This is an elementary and possible middle school (K-8, I think) in Argentina. The only information I could gather was from a news article here
http://www.ecns.cn/video/2018-12-04/detail-ifzahqkf0373628.shtml
Luyanzi College Kampala, Uganda
This is a school that teaches Mandarin and may be immersion. While it’s called a college, what I can glean from its website and the article about it online makes it seem as if it’s more a high school-college, which isn’t uncommon in many parts of the world. But not fully clear. It has a website, though it’s not always up. There’s also an article up about it here.
Stamford American International School, Singapore
K – 12 school that offers a bilingual Mandarin /English track.
Singapore American School, Singapore
Began offering a Mandarin immersion track in 2017-2018
DELETIONS:
UC iPrep Charter Academy, Los Angeles
Closed abruptly on August 22, 2018
Worldspeak, Los Angeles
Removed as a parent told me it is only preschool and Kindergarten. Waiting to hear back from the school.
Silicon Valley International School
Closed.
Hope International Education Foundation, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Didn’t end up opening.
Not sure on:
Int’l Montessori Academy, Bellevue WA
2018-11-09
Additions:
Ms. Lam Montessori School, Brooklyn. Was preschool only, now adding K – 5.
2018-07-14
ADDITIONS
- East Light Academy opens in Charleston, SC. This is a sister school to East Link Academy in Greenville, SC, and I believe also to East Voyager Academy in Charlotte, NC.
- Ms. Lam School, private K – 8 in Brooklyn, NY. This is the first U.S. outpost of a school with 5 campuses in Taipei in Taiwan.
- International Montessori School, Durham NC. Had Spanish and French immersion. Added Mandarin immersion in the past few years. Trying to get more information.
- Yi Hwang Academy of Language Excellence in Gwinnett Co., Georgia. Mandarin/Korean immersion opening in 2019-2020
- Science, Language & Arts International School launching a private K – 8 Chinese immersion program in Brooklyn in 2019-2020. It has a Mandarin Pre-K in place now and a long-time French immersion program.
- PS/IS 102Q Bayview School, Queens
- I received a note from a parent at this school that 102Q has a new K-8 Mandarin immersion program. There’s nothing on the website to indicate it does and no one answers the phones, but that’s not uncommon with NYC schools. So, If anyone has more info on it, please pass along.
CHANGES:
- New name for Barnard Asian Pacific Language Academy, it’s now Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School,
- Hopkins Public Schools in Hopkins, Minn.: Xin Xing Academy now feeds to a program at West Junior High which feeds to Hopkins High School. The Mandarin program is now up to 11th grade.
- College Gardens Elementary School’s Mandarin immersion program in Rockville, Maryland has moved to Bayard Rustin Elementary School.
DELETE:
- Camelot Academy, Orange County, Calif.
- This appears to have shifted from being a Mandarin immersion program to an arts and dance-focused private school. It also appears that the school brings in a lot of students from China to study there, unclear exactly how this interacts with its Mandarin program. I’ve asked for more information. One parent told me the amount of time students spend in Chinese is decreasing.
2018-07-11
New address and whole school status for Jie Ming Mandarin Immersion Academy in St. Paul, Minn.
2018+06+19
Added HOPE International in Prince Edward Island
2017-11-07
Removed Hale in NYC, just has one Chinese class, not immersion, according to Morgan Ho.
Arizona Language Preparatory
4645 E. Marilyn Road Phoenix, Arizona 85032
Grades K-6 but expanding to 8th next year
Public Charter
The school is Tri-lingual, different grades get a different percentage but roughly 40% Mandarin, 40% Spanish, 20% English
simplified
azlanguageprep.org
tawnie.weaver@azlanguageprep.org
phone: 602-996-1595
Fax: 602-344-9560
Batesville Primary School? has the old address and email for arizona language preparatory but all that information is incorrect
2017-07-29
New
iPrep, a Los Angeles charter school, is launching a K-8 program.
Maryknoll School, a Catholic school in Honolulu, is launching a K -8 program. This is Hawaii’s first Mandarin immersion program.
Mawson Primary, near Canberra in Australia. Looking at their website, they offer Mandarin one day a week, so it’s unclear to me if this is true immersion. I don’t know enough about the Australian educational system to be able to tell.
Houston Mandarin immersion magnet school moved to a new address.
In Bellevue, Washington, Tillicum Middle School starting program in the fall. It’s taking students graduating from Jing Mei elementary immersion school.
Mulberry House, Hong Kong.
This starts in preschool at looks to go to only 3rd grade though it could be that it’s building out.
Linden Hill Elementary in Wilmington DE is adding an immersion program.
And some possible removals
I’ve gotten emails that the two Mandarin immersion programs in Michigan, Pattengill Academy and Oakbrook Elementary School, are no longer offering Chinese immersion programs. The school’s aren’t open for the summer so I can’t confirm this. Because of that I haven’t removed them from the list, but if anyone has any information about what’s going on there I’d be most grateful.
Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 
Guang Ming Academy graduated its first cohort, June 2020! A few parents are working on a short history of the program.
I’d love to publish it on the blog!