At Tommy's Road Elementary (TRE), students take Mandarin as an enrichment class twice a week. The classes focus on reading, writing, and listening skills, speaking the target language, and learning about the culture. TRE believes that students will benefit from opportunities to learn the language outside of the classroom.
Through the CLP funds, TRE allowed Mandarin students to attend the state's Lantern Festival. While there, students enjoyed a lantern tour and a cultural arts performance. The purpose of the immersion experience was for students to experience a cultural event. After the event, students reflected on this experience and created a visual project to present to their class and the entire school. The administration, students, and parents then made a video to share with the board of education and the district.
In addition to the Lantern Festival, Mandarin students also had the opportunity to go to an authentic local restaurant and use their acquired language skills to order food. As part of the project, students also learned a traditional chess game.