Ping Huang: A pioneer in Chinese-American bicultural education
By Heidi M. Pascual
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"Participating in community events is helpful in two ways," Huang explained. "First this gives the kids the opportunity to show
what they have learned and second, this is also an opportunity for the community to learn Chinese culture; so it's good for both
the community and the kids."
Due to the popularity of her curriculum and the healthy environment she provides, more enrollees started to come. Recently,
Huang had to open another school located at 6913 Colony Drive. "When we started in September 2000, we had only five
children," Huangrecalled. "After a few months, there were three more kids. Now we have grown to 15 kids, plus my son, Tony."
The couple hired more teachers to help maintain the quality of their courses and upgrade necessary skills as a consequence
of this growth.
Huang's future plans? "We actually just started this second school this year, so I want to make these schools stable first and
have stable students," Huang said. "We also just started a Chinese School which is for older kids who graduated from our
preschool and kindergarten." She pointed out that four other Chinese American friends, including Chi Li, started this third school,
in order to help "continue" what the kids learned from Huang's preschool.
"Because the kids attend regular schools, some tend to forget the Chinese part of their culture," Jun Tu explained. "Our
weekend Chinese school aims to put them back somehow, so they don't forget the language and the Chinese cultural values
such as respect for the elders and other people."
To others who also dream of doing something in their life, Ping Huang has this to say:
"It's important to do something you like. This is something I like. If you want to do it, you can do it!" Huang said she wants to
make her schools a model in the nation by being the best they can be.
Visit http://www.mfacc.com to learn more about Ping Huang's schools. You may contact her at (608) 824-0896; 826-0898; or cell
772-6566.
Ping Huang speaks minimal English, but her pioneering
efforts speak volumes about her as a Chinese immigrant who
didn't let the language barrier constrain her goal of making a
difference in the Madison community. She has always
believed that understanding and acceptance create peace and
harmony in the world, and that they start with children.
With this in the back of her mind, Ping founded the Madison
Fine Arts Children's Center in 2000 at her own home, with the
aim of combining Chinese and American cultures in teaching
basic art courses to children. Unlike any other day care center,
her place provides a learning environment focused on cultural
exchange where parents and teachers plan the curriculum
together.
Huang brought her rich experience in preschool education
from the city of Wuhan, province of Hubei (China) where she
taught art, dance and keyboarding at the Children's Art School
and Youth Palace. A former assistant director in the Hubei
Children's Art Research Association, Huang was responsible
for setting up two highly respected fine arts preschools, where
many students were honored each year for winning various
local, national, and international competitions.
"I've always dreamed about having a preschool here," Huang said in an interview
with Asian Wisconzine recently, her husband Jun Tu and Chi Li translating for her.
"This is my interest and background; I studied it for many years in China and I
want to continue my career here in America."
Only in her mid-30s, Huang is understandably fired up to continue her "mission
in life" with children, even after her move to the United States to be with her
husband. She worked very hard to absorb everything she needed to do and learn
to start the ball rolling.
"I volunteered to teach Chinese language and arts in several local places
including public schools, for three to four years," Huang recalled. "I did a lot of
volunteer work to get familiar with the process."
Her husband, Jun, however, helped make Huang's dream a reality by being there
for her along the way. "She had to get certified before she can open her preschool
and in order to do that, she had to attend classes," Jun said with a big smile. "We
went to class together at MATC then at 4-C (Community Coordinated Child Care)
to make sure she understood the rules and regulations." She was assigned a
counselor from a Wisconsin State program that helps family day-care
businesses. The counselor helped the couple through the whole process of
setting up the "business."
A visit to Huang's preschool will immediately take a person to a kids' dreamland
where educational toys and activities are aplenty, the surroundings are very clean
and decorated with kid-friendly stuff, and the teachers and staff are warm and
caring. Huang's stated mission for the school is consistently being met because
of her intense involvement and dedication to children. For the past several years,
students of her school have participated actively in various community events that
highlight Chinese culture and in art competitions locally and nationally.
(Counterclockwise from top left) Ping Huang;
other photos: students and teachers of the
Madison Fine Arts Children Center; Ping with
husband Jun Tu (l) and Chi Li (r)