Teachers, Schools Become Diplomats Through New Partnership

Recently announced exchange partnership promotes understanding between teachers in the U.S. and China

CHARLOTTE, N.C., -- The Chinese Culture and Education Center (CCEC) and International Teacher Exchange Services (ITES) today announced a strategic partnership designed to promote educational and cross-cultural exchange opportunities for schools and teachers in the U.S. and in China.

The partnership draws on the expertise of these two organizations with the following objectives:

To provide U.S. schools with the tools and expertise required to implement Chinese language classes into their curriculum
To provide opportunities for highly-qualified Chinese teachers to teach in the U.S. and for their U.S. counterparts to experience teaching in China

Such partnerships are widely seen as a way to promote understanding between China and the U.S. and are supported by many individual State Education Departments and school districts across both nations. "America is the world's biggest developed country, and China is the world's biggest developing country so we need each other and we need to understand each other," said Dr. You Shaozhong, Minister Counselor for Education Affairs at The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Washington, DC. In endorsing this partnership Dr. You added, "Cultural and educational exchanges of this nature are a wonderful way to promote respect, learning and mutual understanding. Providing highly qualified and proficient Chinese teachers is one of the most critical factors for successful Chinese programs in American schools. I wish CCEC and ITES much success in their endeavors."

Dr. Jianli Wang, co-founder and Senior Director of CCEC, is enthusiastic about the new partnership. "Educating our younger generation and preparing them to thrive in the global village is becoming more critical and challenging than ever. With perfect synergies between CCEC and ITES, we look forward to playing a leading role in serving our local schools and communities with our expertise and resources in international education."

CCEC currently partners with China Services International (CSI), a branch of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) of China, to provide cultural and educational exchange opportunities for over 120 students across 20 North andSouth Carolina education campuses. "Expanding to include K-12 teachers is a natural evolution of our service and one that was prompted, in part, by requests from our school clients," added Wang.

"This partnership marks a very important step for ITES," said Rory McNicholas, president and founder. "ITES is already designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor highly qualified foreign teachers who come to teach in the U.S. as participants in our exchange program. Working with CCEC will provide a platform for attracting Chinese teachers to the U.S. and will significantly add to our capability to offer opportunities to American teachers wishing to experience teaching inChina."

About CCEC

A non-profit organization headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina, CCEC has served local schools and communities since 2001. CCEC brings a unique, rich knowledge of China and an in-depth perspective of teaching the Chinese language to help American schools implement Chinese language and immersion programs. CCEC provides ongoing classroom and curriculum support as well as cultural and language services to local communities. With branch offices in Durham, NC, Beijing, and Jinan, China, CCEC also has strategic partnerships with dozens of universities, secondary schools, and government agencies both in the U.S. and in China. For more information, visithttp://www.ccecbridge.org.

About ITES

International Teacher Exchange Services (ITES) provides opportunities for schools and students worldwide to experience firsthand the benefits of having highly qualified international educators teaching in the classroom. ITES teachers bring unique international teaching methods and perspectives from around the world to help students prepare for the global marketplace. ITES is headquartered in Charlotte, NC and has offices in Venezuela and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit http://www.itesonline.com.