| Ping Huang: A pioneer in Chinese-American bicultural education By Heidi M. Pascual |
| "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. |
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| 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) |
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