It’s 9:55 on a Saturday morning in Suwanee, Georgia, and dozens of young children are running around the schoolyard of the World Hope Chinese School. They bound around an elaborate tai chi field and scamper past an obsidian sign with calligraphy etched in gold. Intricately decorated orange roofs tower above them, and gleaming white walls provide a backdrop to their frivolity. However, unlike their peers, these children have weekends filled with more than just mornings playing freeze tag and countless rounds of hide-and-go-seek. As the loud clanging of a bell fills the air, the children all stream into classrooms, prepared to embark on a journey into the Mandarin language and Chinese culture.
In 1999, local businesswoman Sujen Tu Sze founded the World Hope Chinese School, teaching free Chinese lessons to locals. As the demand for foreign language education increased, the school grew to accommodate over a hundred students of all ages, from preschoolers to adults. In less than two decades, the school’s courses have extended beyond basic Chinese lessons to advanced Mandarin classes, SAT tutoring, calligraphy classes, art lessons, and high school math classes.
As the principal and founder of the school, Mrs. Sze is on a mission to keep the Chinese culture and language alive in the souls of the younger generation. She strives to educate the children of Chinese immigrants, keeping them in touch with their roots as they learn to read, write, and speak in Mandarin in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. She also works to help people of all identities immerse themselves in the vibrant five-thousand-year-old history of the East.
As one of the only institutions in the country that teaches Chinese philosophy, the World Hope Chinese School not only educates the minds of young students but also shapes their souls. Mrs. Sze believes that in this day and age, a time when hatred, prejudice, and crimes are rampant, it is imperative that children are taught ethical behavior at a young age. The school has a morals class in which students read and recite works of acclaimed Chinese philosophers like Confucius. Mrs. Sze hopes that the class will help students put kindness, respect, and equality over materialism and money.
Many of the students have reaped the benefits of their classes at the World Hope Chinese School. Some of them have furthered their Mandarin educations in advanced classes at their high schools. Many have scored extremely high on their SATs, and a few have even attained perfect scores on the SAT subject tests. Beyond their test scores, several students have a richer understanding of the Chinese culture and changed mindsets after taking classes at the school.
After serving hundreds of students, the World Hope Chinese School continues to provide cultural enrichment and moral guidance to the community.
For more information, call (678) 472-2006 today.
