20 Wallingford Students to Participate in Exchange Program With China

The following information came from a press release from Superintendent Salvatore Menzo:

Twenty high school students from China and 20 students from Wallingford will participate in a Junior Achievement student exchange program, starting this summer on the campus of Yale University in New Haven.

As part of the program, the students will continue to work together throughout the 2013-2014 school year on a joint student business venture, which will be followed by a trip to China by the American students during the summer of 2014.

The program will kick-off with a weeklong series of seminars August 4- 9 on the Yale University campus. The goal is to help students from China and the U.S. better understand each other’s cultures, economies and global business in general.

The sessions will include such topics as entrepreneurism, innovation, ethics and leadership. The week will also include field trips to Connecticut businesses and other places of note in the state.

The program is being organized by Junior Achievement China, based in Beijing, and Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, based in Hartford, Conn. The Wallingford Public School District has agreed to participate in this pilot program.

“We are delighted to participate in this student exchange program,” said Lou Golden, president of JA of Southwest New England. “It is critical for students to learn first-hand about the global economy, and we are fortunate to have such a great partner in JA China.”

“Cross-cultural understanding will play a key role in each student’s future success in the global economy,” said Yang Gao, Executive Director of JA China. “We are thrilled to join with JA of Southwest New England to offer this unique opportunity for American and Chinese students to gain mutual understanding while learning valuable lessons in business, entrepreneurship, and ethics.”

“The students and staff in Wallingford are excited to participate in this pilot program that will offer our students authentic opportunities for global competency development,” said Dr. Salvatore Menzo, superintendent of schools, Wallingford.

About Junior Achievement ® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches 4.2 million students per year in more than 120 markets across the United States, with an additional 6.5 million students served by operations in 117 other countries worldwide. Visit www.ja.org for more information.