One of 12 schools nationwide to receive national award for excellence.

The Sidwell Friends Chinese Program received a national Outstanding K–16 Chinese Program Award in November at the annual meeting of the Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) in New Orleans, Louisiana. In all, 12 schools were recognized for their excellence in curriculum innovation, student learning, and community engagement. CLASS commended Sidwell Friends for being one of the first American high schools to offer comprehensive Chinese language education.

In announcing the award given to Sidwell Friends, CLASS Membership Chair Na Li, said: “Spanning grades 4–12, the program integrates language, history, and experiential learning through a mission-based curriculum rooted in Quaker values such as peace, integrity, community, equality, and sustainability. Students explore China through classroom study, exchanges with sister schools in Beijing and Shanghai, fieldwork opportunities, and collaborations with various American and Chinese institutions. With more than 270 students enrolled in Chinese courses and 70 in China-related history classes, Sidwell students have earned national recognition in speech, writing, and research competitions, using the School’s Quaker values to foster cross-cultural understanding and global citizenship.”

Sidwell teachers Qihui Tang, Xuan Wang, Yuan Angel, and Fei Reed attended the conference and received the award.

“Though only four of us attended the award ceremony, the award is for the whole Chinese Studies Program, which also includes Edith Zhang, Jake Dingman and Wenjiao Cai,” says Tang. “And although it is always rewarding to be recognized for one’s work, the real honor for us is getting to teach our students every day in and outside the classroom. Day by day, week by week, year by year, we see our students expand their worldview by learning and experiencing the Chinese language and culture in creative and thought-provoking ways.”

The CLASS award is the second national award for excellence that Sidwell’s Chinese Studies Program has received. Their first was in 2023 from the Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA), an organization devoted to the study of Chinese language, culture, and pedagogy.