Educating for Global Fluency by developing Chinese & English dual-language skills, nurturing cultural adaptability and inspiring excellence in our students for a positive impact in our world.
Our History
Hope Chinese Charter School is the first public Chinese immersion school in the Beaverton School District. The dream for this school first began in 2010, in a Saturday language school. Parents saw their children blossom in the Chinese classes, and realized they wanted something more. The vision for the school was initiated by parents, and quickly gained momentum and high interest from local educators, leaders and community organizations. The original team was made up completely of volunteers – people who felt passionately that a peace building, Chinese immersion education would greatly benefit their children and the community. These volunteers donated hundreds of hours and private funding for the dream of offering Chinese immersion to local students. The school successfully opened its doors in the Fall of 2012.
HCCS credits the passionate parents, educators, and sponsors for igniting the dream and carrying it forward. These dedicated volunteers overcame significant challenges including launching during a period of severe district budget cuts, facing tough charter requirements and multiple rejections, and not receiving any start-up grants. Volunteers and teachers overcame these challenges by making sacrifices, working harder, and pulling together. In addition, we thank Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School for trailblazing the path as the first language immersion charter school in the Beaverton School District. We also thank our partners at the Beaverton School District who provided their time and expertise to strengthen our development plan, challenged us to reach for excellence, and continue to support our success.
HCCS Founders
Why Chinese?
China is home to 18.6% of the world’s population. It has 1.4 billion residents, 4 times more than the United States. In 2015, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest economy. Oregon now ranks third of the 50 states in terms of trade wi
th China. China is credited for introducing some of the world’s most important inventions, including paper, ink printing, the compass and gunpowder. Teaching children about Chinese language and culture opens their eyes to an incredibly interesting and sophisticated world, as well as opens doors of opportunity for higher education and career choices in the years to come. Chinese is also one of the most difficult languages for a westerner to learn. Chinese is a tonal language, where 4 subtle tones are used to differentiate words. Small children can easily pick up the tones as well as the written characters, but it is much harder for adults. We believe it’s valuable to teach children this challenging language early, when they are most receptive to it.
- China: Economy, CIA World Factbook, July 11, 2016. Web. 18 July 2016. https://www.cia.gov/
- Clark, Josh “Top 10 Ancient Chinese Inventions” March 9, 2009. http://science.howstuffworks.com.
- Oregon Exports: 2015 Destination Countries, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, August 13, 2015. Web. 18 July 2016. https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com
- World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2015. Working Paper No. ESA/P/WP.241. 18 July 2016.