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Riverbank School District Duo Takes Chinese Educational Tour
RUSD
During a recent visit to China, Riverbank Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Daryl Camp, center, and Senior Director of Human Resources Marcus Wirowek, at right, had the chance to experience Chinese culture as well as tour places like the Great Wall as shown here. Photo Contributed

Riverbank Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Daryl Camp and Senior Director of Human Resources Marcus Wirowek, in partnership with Confucius Institute at San Francisco State, took part in the 2018 “Chinese Bridge” Tour in China for U.S. educators from June 5 to June 15. They traveled in guided tours to Beijing and Guangzhou where they learned about the current and historical culture of China. While at the various school sites the group engaged in lectures along with interaction with others that were familiar with the Chinese educational system which gave them a greater understanding of the similarities and differences between the Chinese and United States of America’s educational systems.

“The 2018 “Chinese Bridge” Tour in China for U.S. Educators was a valuable professional experience that will benefit students in the Riverbank Unified School District,” said Camp. “The tour provided educators from the United States an opportunity to visit schools, historical/cultural sites and engage with both higher education and “K-12” educators.”

Among the many benefits of participating in the tour, Camp explained that it will also encourage support for the Riverbank Academy of Multilingual Education (R.A.M.E.) program. They visited universities and schools in Beijing, and two schools in Guangzhou as well as the Confucius Institute headquarters. They met several Chinese educators including 47 principals.

Camp and Wirowek got to experience the Chinese culture delighting in their food and taking a tour to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Beijing Opera, and Tiananmen Square.

The immediate impact for RUSD in results of the tour, Camp explained, was the expansion of the partnership with Confucius Institute at San Francisco State, networking with other school districts, securing guest educators for 2019-20 and the possibility of creating a Mandarin course at Cardozo Middle School for the 2019-2020 school year. To further support RUSD students and prepare them for the 21st and 22nd century workforce, Camp would like to have RUSD explore the following possibilities: student exchange high school opportunities, local partnerships with respect to guest educator housing and host families for exchange students, and business partnerships for awareness and possible internship.

“This was one of the professional highlights of my educational career. I look forward to continuing the partnership with the Confucius Institute at San Francisco State in the future,” stated Camp.