The Barrington 220 School District started the Elementary Chinese Immersion Program in 2011 with two cohorts at Barbara Rose Elementary. These cohorts are thriving and parents have made a 5 year commitment to the district and this program. Though the program has lost part of its funding (FLAP grant), the Barrington 220 Consortium for Chinese Immersion* believes that this program is a pioneer program in Illinois and must continue and add future cohorts: It strengthens our school district as well as our home values, as programs such as these are highly desirable. Furthermore, we see the "Bridge to Chinese" program as a key element in the school districts Vision of Global Education.

Students in immersion programs typically score at or above grade level on measures of progress by the middle school. In addition to learning two languages and developing a high level of proficiency in them, they learn the content of their curricula. One of the value-added benefits of learning two languages is the cognitive growth and ability to function in different ways from monolingual peers. Studies have indicated that a long, sequence of study of Chinese benefits learners because they approach problem solving with a different vision and cultural lens.

With the world's largest population, China is emerging as an economic powerhouse in the 21st century. The rich cultural heritage of the Chinese peoples allows for a fascinating study of language and culture and its influence in the world. Mandarin, the most widely spoken form of Chinese, is considered to be the “standard” for foreigners learning the Chinese language.

*Barrington 220 Consortium for Chinese Immersion - is a task force of CI parents.