| Chicago North Chinese School (“CNCS”)
was founded in 1981 with the mission to provide a superb learning
environment in Chinese language and culture for the next generation
of ethnic Chinese families and non-Chinese community members
in the Chicago area. The CNCS offers Chinese language courses
and culture related activities for students ranging from kindergarten
to high school and adults as well. The school is a non-profit
organization supported by the voluntary services of 15 administrative
officers and more than 20 teachers, most of whom are parents
of enrolled students.
Currently, classes are held at the Des Plaines Campus of
Oakton Community College. More than 200 students are enrolled
in eleven levels of Chinese language classes during the hours
between 1:25 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. on Sundays from late August
to mid-May. The CNCS also offers other elective cultural and
athletic classes including Chinese folk dance, Tai-Chi, Judo,
Chinese brush painting, Chinese-knot making, Chinese yo-yo,
badminton, and basketball before, during, or after the language
classes to youths and adults. The CNCS language program has
been approved as an Ethnic Language Program by the Illinois
State Board of Education since 1994.
In addition to the weekly classes, the CNCS regularly sponsors
various events within the school and participates in social
events around the Greater Chicago area. For instance, the
Chinese speech contest, the Chinese word contest, and the
Chinese New Year Celebration are three major events sponsored
by the CNCS annually. The CNCS has hosted the Chinese Word
Contest with the participation of ten other Chinese schools
in the Chicago Metropolitan area for the last six years. Both
the CNCS Chinese Folk Dance Team and Lion Dance Team have
been very popular and invited to perform in various community
events with great appreciation from the hosts and audiences.
The CNCS strongly believes that the school can contribute
significantly to the cultural diversity in the Chicago metropolitan
area by implementing its mission through the effort of all
volunteers and community sponsors.
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