History of the Connecticut-Shandong Partnership
The idea for partnership between Connecticut schools and schools in Shandong Province, People's Republic of China is an outgrowth of a trade and economic partnership formed between the Chinese province and our state in 1986. Twenty years ago, then Governor William O'Neill and the Governor of Shandong Province signed a pact to form a business relationship. As a result of the agreement, the Connecticut China-Shandong Province Council, and organization involving community leaders, educational institutions and businesses in Connecticut, was created to foster friendship, trade and other relationships bewteen the two regions.

In 2002, the Connecticut State Department of Education received funding from the US Department of Education to send a delegation of 17 teachers to conduct field study in China and Shandong Province. The Shandong Provincial Comission on Education hosted the delegation. Out of that experience the idea for establishing a relationship that would encourage collaborative programs, exchange and joint educational activities was formed. Daniel W. Gregg, Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut Department of Education, was appointed to facilitate educational exchanges. In January 2003, the Connecticut State Department of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement with Shandong Provincial Commission on Education, and from that the Sister School Exchange Project and many related educational exchanges were launched.

In 2004, 2005, and 2006 educators and administrators from Connecticut have gone to Shandong Province to establish sister school relationships. To date their are over 50 school districts with sister schools in Shandong Province. In addition, educators from Shandong Province have visited Connecticut schools to provide professional development in teaching methods in their sister schools. Connecticut and Shandong principals have participated in job shadowing exchanges. A group of educators are planning on traveling to Shandong province in April 2007 to establish sister-schools.

In April 2005, Miss Nancy Betkoski and Miss Maria Avery traveled to The People's Republic of China, Shandong Province to establish a sister school relationship with Yuacai Middle School in Qingdao, China. The trip organized through the State Department of Education and made possible through a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation.
As part of our committment to our sister-school partnership, Miss Avery's Social Studies classes participated in a exchange package that was sent to Principal Sun at Yucai Middle School in February 2006.
This school year Mrs. Gordon will be joining Miss Avery to learn about China in their 7th and 8th grade classrooms and to create aditional exchange packages to send to our sister school.
Plans are also being made for an East Asian Cultural Day sometime in January 2007 along with Chinese New Year activities. Stay tuned for details!