Just five years into its Chinese language program, District 219 is proud to host its first Chinese exchange. Two students from Niles North and  seven from Niles West are hosting students from Hongjia High School in Taizhou, China.

Principal Kaine Osburn of Niles West and Susan Dobinsky, an ELL teacher at North, will host the two teachers that are coming from Hongjia High School.

The nine students and two teachers arrived today, Monday, Oct. 1, and will stay throughout the week. They will be leaving their host families on Friday, Oct. 5,  but will continue their stay in the United States for a few days after that.

The students will have plenty to do in their short time with the Niles Township students. Along with shadowing the everyday life of a D219 student, the Chinese students will be visiting local historic sites as well as popular tourist locations. They will also get to spend a day at the Latin School of Chicago, where they’ll be able to see the differences between a large public school like Niles North/West, and a smaller private school.

The exchange is coordinated by Wileen Hsing, a Chinese teacher at Niles North. She went on the first trip to China with a group of students in June 2011. The students greatly enjoyed the trip, but they wished they had more interaction with students their age, rather than just being a tourist, and this inspired the opportunity for an exchange.

“We know that the German and the French exchanges are so successful, so we started looking into options with a student exchange.”Hsing says.

The Niles Township students will be traveling to Taizhou, China, to stay in student dorms at Hongjia High School. They will stay four days at the high school and walk in the shoes of a typical Hongjia student. After this, the students will be visiting many famous Chinese sites.

The benefits of such an exchange program are obvious, according to Hsing.

“Students will get to practice their language in a real-life setting, which is the most ideal setting,” Hsing says. “One of the most basic human experiences is the experience of connecting with another person–finding out you share similar interests or thoughts or likes or dislikes. Making these connections allows us to understand people and feel compassion and empathy for them.”

This is a once in a lifetime experience for the students on both sides. It’s  fortunate that District 219 is able to host its first ever Chinese exchange, with the idea in mind that there will be many more in the years to come.