PALM BEACH GARDENS – Watson B. Duncan Middle School is one of 23 schools selected to host teachers from China and Egypt as part of the U.S. Department of State’s Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP).
Zhi Xia was awarded a fellowship from the State Department to teach Chinese to Watson B. Duncan Middle students for the 2015-2016 school year. The school competed with other schools across the country for the opportunity to host a teacher from the TCLP program.
“I am so pleased that Watson B. Duncan Middle School will have the opportunity to have an exchange teacher from China teach our students Mandarin and Chinese Culture. In addition, I am looking forward to sharing the American Culture with our exchange teacher,” said Phillip D’Amico, Principal at Watson B. Duncan Middle. “I think that this is an amazing opportunity for Watson B. Duncan Middle School and the community at large.”
As part of the program, Zhi will participate in community events and outreach programs, and also will be assigned a mentor teacher – Todd LaVogue, the Finance/Innovation teacher at Watson B. Duncan Middle.
“I am thrilled to be selected as the mentor teacher for this exchange program,” LaVogue said. “I am a lifelong learner so this program will provide me with the opportunity to learn much about education, culture and language in China. I also can’t wait to show our exchange teacher our school and community.”
TCLP is designed to increase the study and acquisition of important world languages in U.S. schools. This program enables primary and secondary schools to strengthen their teaching of critical languages by bringing Egyptian and Chinese teachers to the U.S. to teach Arabic and Chinese language for an academic year. Launched in 2006, TCLP has provided fellowships to more than 190 primary and secondary school teachers of English from Egypt and China to teach in K-12 schools throughout the United States.
TCLP is funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, private-sector, professional and sports exchange programs. The program is implemented by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, an international nonprofit organization that prepares individuals and institutions to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.