Trip To China Caps Decade Long Immersion Journey

ST. CLOUD -- A trip to China caps off a 10 year journey for some students in the St. Cloud immersion program.

Called a "Capstone Trip", the immersion group will be traveling to China for 17 days in March, in order to experience and use their second language in an authentic setting.

Immersion Program coordinator Sue Linn-Hasbrouck says this is not just an opportunity, but a large responsibility for the students who are attending the trip.

"We are excited for students to participate in the Capstone opportunity, but families can opt out, and individual students are expected to be ambassadors for our community and country."

Hasbrouck adds it will be a life-changing experience.

Some of the highlights of the trip include seeing the Great Wall, an Olympic Park tour, and Tai Chi lessons.

The trip is being sponsored, and partially funded by the Confucius Institute of Saint Cloud State University. The other funding is being raised by the Immersion Program Families themselves.

The Chinese Immersion Program is held at Madison Elementary, and the Spanish Immersion Program is held at Clearview Elementary.

Clearview is set to become a Spanish Magnet School in the fall.

The Spanish Immersion Program is set to go to Spain around the same time next year.