Towards the end of an immersive summer in China, National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) students studying Chinese in Nanjing through a US Department of State grant administered by American Councils, traveled to Shanghai for a meeting with US Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. The meeting was held at the US Consulate in Shanghai's historic district, home to many embassies and historic mansions. Joshua Lustig, Cultural Affairs Officer and Marina Ritseme, Vice Consul of the US Consulate greeted the students and gave them a brief tour of the Consulate and were then seated for a discussion with Secretary King and other US Department of Education officials.
The roundtable discussion provided the NSLI-Y students with an opportunity to describe their experiences as students in Nanjing. Secretary King first asked the students to discuss some of the differences they had experienced as students in the US and China. Many NSLI-Y students drew upon discussions they had with their host siblings to describe the similarities and differences between the two educational systems. Many spoke about the pressures of testing in China, the large amount of homework, and the emphasis on memorization in Chinese classrooms. The conversation then turned to education in the US, where several students from the Chicago area took the opportunity to speak about the Chicago public schools with Secretary King, who previously served as Commissioner for Education in New York State.
Secretary King concluded the discussion by asking students to return to their hometowns and engage their community by sharing their experiences on the NSLI-Y program and highlighting other educational opportunities. He also noted that perceived failures such as receiving a low test score or not being selected for a scholarship should be viewed as new opportunities, rather than shortcomings. The students left the US Consulate engaged and excited to continue their Chinese studies and to become mentors to other students in the US They were grateful for the opportunity to visit the Consulate for such a memorable meeting.
Joshua Lustig, the US Cultural Affairs Officer, noted, "As a former civic educator, it was a real treat watching young people discuss the future of our education system with our country's highest level officials. The students were polite, prepared, serious, and very engaged."
About the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program, sponsored by the US Department of State, provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in summer and academic-year overseas immersion programs.
NSLI-Y is part of a US government initiative that prepares American citizens to be leaders in a global world. Now more than ever, it is important that Americans have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to promote international dialogue and support American engagement abroad. NSLI-Y aims to provide opportunities to American youth that will spark a lifetime interest in language learning.