From the Shu Ren of Portland website:
In August 2005, the PPS Mandarin Immersion Program was the recipient of a prestigious grant for Mandarin language instruction. The grant comes through the National Security Education Program (NSEP, part of the U.S. Dept. of Defense), and is called the "K-16 Chinese Pipeline Flagship Program". The grant was jointly awarded to the University of Oregon and Portland Public Schools, with the U. of O being the primary recipient. These two public institutions will share $700,000 a year with the goal of producing college graduates who are not only fluent in Mandarin, but fluent in Mandarin in their major area of study (engineering, biology, psychology, etc.) If all goes as planned, Oregon will be the national center for Mandarin language instruction, preparing students with near-native fluency who are taking college-level courses in Mandarin.
The money comes through the U.S. Dept. of Defense because Mandarin has been identified as a "national security language" (in addition to Russian, Arabic and Korean). In this context, national security encompasses economic security and America's ability to compete in a global economy. As long as the U of O and PPS live up to their grant obligations, the grant is open-ended and with no requirement to re-apply.
The Center for Applied Second Language Studies at the University of Oregon will administer the project in close cooperation with Michael Bacon of PPS. During the 2005/2006 school year, more money went to the U. of O to develop proficiency benchmarks and language assessment tools. PPS received about $200,000 last year, and a larger portion of the grant to come in future years. Last year the money was primarily used for additional staff, including a curriculum specialist, plus three educational assistants. Funds were also used for intensive staff developement to further develope and align the Mandarin curriculum.
The grant will cover existing or expanding Mandarin language programs at Woodstock and Atkinson elementary schools, Hosford middle school, and Cleveland and Franklin high schools. The Woodstock immersion program expanded in the fall of 2006 with the addition of a second kindergarten class. The grant covers classroom and experiential learning, meaning that there will be an emphasis on community service, study abroad and other linguistic and cultural learning opportunities outside the classroom. The U of O will also provide college scholarships for students who demonsrate near native levels of fluency in Mandarin. Students must apply to compete for a scholarship.
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