Detroit Teacher, School Receives International Education Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 14, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- International Teacher Exchange Services (ITES) has selected Ms. Cathy Chung as winner of the 2010 International Education Week Spirit Award and named her International Educator of the Year 2010. Ms. Chung, a visiting exchange teacher from Taiwan, teaches Chinese Language and Culture at the Plymouth Education Center (PEC) in Detroit, Michigan.

International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State designed to promote programs that prepare American students for a global environment. In support of IEW 2010 (Nov. 15-19), ITES held its annual Spirit Award contest, challenging all ITES teachers and school partners to use creative methods and techniques to engage their students and celebrate international education.

Ms. Chung and her U.S. students set up an e-pal project with high school students in Taiwan to enable personal interaction and explore their cultural differences. The e-pal project will continue as students plan to share holiday traditions and customs throughout the year. Additionally, Ms. Chung incorporated a variety of Chinese themes into her classes and engaged her students in ancient Chinese arts such as King Fu and paper cutting. Students also learned how to use chopsticks and made Chinese recipes.

Dr. Christopher Plum, Chief Academic Officer at PEC, said, "At the Plymouth Educational Center we go to great lengths to bring world-class programs to our students. We are convinced that by learning Mandarin Chinese, students will not only gain a new cultural perspective but will also stretch and develop their thinking in ways that will better equip them for success in an unpredictable future. It is clear that Ms. Chung is just the kind of professional educator our students need to make this happen."

Ms. Chung teaches in the U.S. as part of an initiative between the Taiwan Ministry of Education and the Departments of Education of Michigan, Indiana, Iowa and Ohio to promote Taiwan's high-quality Mandarin Chinese language and cultural education program in the region. ITES sponsors Ms. Chung to teach in the United States as part of the initiative.

Ms. Rose Chen, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago said, "We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to Ms. Cathy Chung for her great achievement and we would also like to thank Plymouth Education Center for giving Ms. Chung this precious opportunity to present her wonderful teaching in the school."

"The level of participation of ITES teachers in this contest just gets better every year, as does the quality of the projects submitted," said Rory McNicholas, President of ITES. "Ms. Chung impressed the judges with her enthusiastic and original approach to the contest and we are delighted to present her with both the IEW Spirit Award and name her our International Educator of the Year for 2010."

About Plymouth Educational Center

Plymouth Educational Center (PEC), a Michigan public chartered academy, is a K-10 school with a population of over 1,100 students. PEC offers a full range of academic core curriculum classes, which are fully aligned with state and national teaching standards. At PEC, the goal is to prepare students to become great thinkers, learners and productive adults. For more information, visit http://www.plymouthed.org

About ITES

International Teacher Exchange Services (ITES), a designated sponsor organization of the U.S. Department of State Exchange Visitor Program, provides opportunities for schools and students in the U.S. to experience firsthand the benefits of having highly qualified international educators teaching in the classroom. ITES teachers bring unique international teaching methods and perspectives from all over the world to help U.S. students prepare for the global marketplace. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., ITES also has offices in Venezuela and the United Kingdom. For more information visit http://www.itesonline.com or call Suzi Schweiger (704) 817-9742.

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SOURCE International Teacher Exchange Services