A recent article in the AFN on the virtues, quality and or lack of after-school time programs scheduled to open its first classes this June in Ahwatukee, certainly provided the boost of motivation I needed to pursue what we believe offers a unique, high quality and fun environment for children to study basic Chinese as a foreign language.
As residents of Ahwatukee for nearly 10 years, my husband and I have searched in earnest for a Chinese Language School for our children, now ages 7 and 2 1/2-year-old twins. After unsuccessfully attempting to match our families schedule to restrictive weekend classes that were also not conveniently located, we tried our luck with private tutors, though quickly realizing this format was not suitable for keeping our wildly active children engaged enough to stay focused — let alone highly motivated to maintain an interest in learning what is now recognized to be a vitally necessary and marketable future skill for employability in the 21st century workforce.
The collaborative academic institutions behind Young Minds Keep Learning Even After the School Day Ends recognizes that schools cannot do the work alone to ensure that students have access to a broad base of quality out-of-school time programs. Ahwatukee’s 1st International Chinese Language School is driven by passionate and active parents in the community who sincerely hope to do their part to achieve this goal.
Mei McIntosh
Director, owner of Ahwatukee’s 1st International Chinese Language School
