For third straight year, Young Cultural Ambassadors program builds multicultural understanding and appreciation 

SAN JOSE, CA – Two elementary schools in Santa Clara County will host a delegation of students, parents, and educators from China as part of an exchange program created by the Multilingual Education Services Team of the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) and the Chinese Society of Education.

Now in its third year, the Young Cultural Ambassador Program will consist of 130 students, plus about 50 parents and teachers who will visit two different county elementary schools in the next two weeks. Students will have classes together, eat together in the cafeteria, and play together during recess to gain a better mutual understanding of their various cultures.

On Jan. 24, a delegation will visit Santa Rita Elementary School in the Los Altos School District. The visit will begin at 8 a.m. and last until 2:45 p.m. The visit will culminate with a Chinese cultural performance beginning at 12:50 p.m. 

On Feb. 3, another group will visit Katherine R. Smith Elementary School in the Evergreen School District, where they will tour the 21^stCentury Classroom at Katherine Smith between 8 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

“It has been a great joy to witness the excitement, pride, and amusement of the young cultural ambassadors from China and the students in San Jose,” said Dr. Yee Wan, Director of Multilingual Educational Services for the SCCOE. “Hearing the students from San Jose wanting to visit another country and to learn another language reinforces our purpose of promoting global education and 21^stcentury skills.”