Last Tuesday, local non-profit and social venture OneWorld Now! (OWN) organized the Seattle Strong Luncheon to announce Seattle’s partnership with the Obama Administration in the 100,000 Strong Initiative. The initiative aims to strengthen US-China ties and American familiarity with China by diversifying and increasing the number of American students studying abroad in China.
For the past 9 years, OneWorld Now! has taught Chinese after school at Seattle high schools. OneWorld Now!’s model focuses on critical language classes (Chinese and Arabic), leadership training, and study abroad opportunities for underserved youth. OWN’s track record and students make them a natural lead agency in Seattle, where the goal is to not just increase but also diversify who goes to China.
Seattle has been selected by the Obama Administration, along with Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C., as one of the four leading cities to participate in the Initiative. Seattle is the westernmost American state and has a large deepwater port that serves as a gateway for goods to and from Asia. We have a large and vibrant Chinese and Chinese-American population, and many Chinese focused organizations such as the Seattle-Chongqing Sister City Association, the Washington China Relations Council, the Seattle Chinese Garden, Chinese Information and Service Center, and many others. Recognizing the importance of constructive ties with China, Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith just returned from our sister city of Chongqing, where he was leading a Seattle delegation.
Through the Seattle Strong partnership, OneWorld Now! hopes to generate funds and opportunities for underserved Seattle youth to study abroad in China. Seattle Public Schools Interim Superintendent Susan Enfield spoke at the event, as did OneWorld Now! alumnus Philmon Haile. U.S. Ambassador to China and former Washington State governor Gary Locke spoke at the event via video and expressed his support for the initiative and the work of OneWorld Now!
Via Mayor McGinn
No comments:
Post a Comment