Confucius Institute Partners with Paint Branch Elementary School on "One World, One Dream" Program

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland and Paint Branch Elementary School (PBES) in Prince George's County are working together to help the College Park school reach new heights. This school year, Maryland - and its Confucius Institute - are partnering with Paint Branch to focus on China as part of its "One World, One Dream" project ("One World, One Dream" was the theme of last summer's Olympic games held in China).

The partnership employs three major strategies: bringing UM experts into the school and classroom, providing opportunities for PBES students and staff at the university and beyond, and the professional development of PBES staff and faculty.

The partnership is overseen by an advisory board made up of stakeholders from the University of Maryland, Paint Branch Elementary, and city of College Park communities. The partnership includes Maryland's College of Education, the Office of the Vice President of Administrative Affairs, and Paint Branch Elementary.

CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE PROGRAMS GIVE STUDENTS A TRUE WORLD VIEW

The Confucius Institute will be involved in helping move the elementary school's "One World, One Dream" program forward. Both the director of the institute, Professor C.S. Liu, and Executive Director Alan Chung are thrilled with the new partnership. "Acquiring an understanding and proficiency in Chinese language and culture opens the door to a better future for our students in a global society," says Chung. "It is the intent of our Confucius Institute to promote and provide more Chinese language and culture programs to the students in Maryland schools."

There are a number of activities and projects being planed for PBES including:

• A newly developed partnership between Paint Branch Elementary and the Nankai University Elementary School - made possible when the Confucius Institute hosted a delegation of teachers and school leaders visiting China this past summer.
  
  
• The Confucius Institute is sponsoring a new full-time Chinese language instructor at Paint Branch.
  
  
• During the school year, each classroom will embark on a long-term project which culminates in Paint Branch's annual Community Day in May. Many of the classroom themes relate to China: developing a Chinese restaurant, a comparative study between the Olympic host countries of China and Brazil, a study of habitats in China and other nations, and many more.
  
  
• The development of the 6th grade classes as 'Confucius Classrooms,' deeply engaging students in the study and exploration of Chinese culture and language.
  
  
• Plans are being made for an educational summit in China between 15 6th graders from Paint Branch and their counterparts at Nankai University Elementary School during Spring Break.

The University - Paint Branch Partnership

	Paint Branch Elementary School

Maryland's program of community outreach efforts with Paint Branch Elementary continues a relationship that included a number of projects during the 2009 school year:

• Paint Branch Students conducted an art appreciation writing exercise at the David C. Driskell Center on campus.
• After the MSA state exams, the 3-6 graders attended a Gymkana Exhibition at the School of Public Health. Five students received free camp scholarships for winning essays about Why I Want to Live Fit.
• Professor Andy Egel (College of Education - Dept. of Special Education) conducted an assessment of the Autism program.
• The College Park Scholars program conducted a community service day at Paint Branch. Multiple murals were painted throughout the hallways.
• The College of Education has five students doing regular observations in classrooms and three PDS students assisting with classroom instruction.
• The NAEYC chapter at Maryland conducted a fundraiser on campus to purchase school supplies for children. Through the partnership forming between the local chapter and Paint Branch Elementary, Bonnie MacIntosh and students from her Early Childhood program bought classroom and school supplies and presented them to Paint Branch staff.
• The Lakeland Stars continues bringing PBES students to campus to participate in a long-standing mentorship program.
• Dr. Richard Berg (Retired Professor, Department of Physics) put on a Physics is Phun presentation about light and sound for 4th and 5th graders.
• Professor Isaac Williams (Assistant Professor of Architecture, School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation) spent time in the kindergarten classrooms talking about shapes and architecture.
• Robert Daly (Director, Institute for Global Chinese Affairs) spent time in the 6th grade classrooms, helping to compare the United States and China.

For More Information:
Amy Neugebauer
Project Manager
University of Maryland/Paint Branch Partnership
202-487-3103
aneugeba@umd.edu

About Paint Branch Elementary School

Paint Branch Elementary, located in the City of College Park, instructs students in grades pre-kindergarten to grade 6 and runs a Head Start program. It also hosts an Autism program which follows a full inclusion model with teachers co-teaching in classrooms from grades K through 4. There are approximately 330 students at Paint Branch.

Dr. Jay Teston became the school principal during the 2008/2009 School Year. He comes to Paint Branch from several elementary schools in Maryland and Virginia as school principal and as school leadership development specialist for Prince George's County.

About the University of Maryland

From its pre-Civil War roots as Maryland's first agricultural college and one of America's original land grant institutions, the University of Maryland today is the flagship campus of the University System of Maryland and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. Ranked No. 18 by U.S. News & World Report, it also has 32 academic programs in the Top 10 and 86 in the Top 25. The current faculty includes three Nobel Laureates, six Pulitzer Prize winners, 42 members of the National Academies of Science, a three-time Emmy Award winner, and scores of Fulbright scholars. Maryland is committed to excellence as the state's premier center of research and graduate education and the institution of choice for undergraduate students of exceptional ability and promise. For more information about the University of Maryland, visit www.umd.edu.

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