Confucius Classroom at Sunrise Drive Elementary School
In August 2013, the Catalina Foothills School District’s Chinese Immersion Program at Sunrise Drive Elementary School earned Confucius Classroom status through the Confucius Institute at the University of Arizona (CIUA). The Confucius Institute and Confucius Classroom are initiatives of the Chinese Ministry of Education, headquartered in Beijing. More than 390 Confucius Classrooms have been established around the world. Schools and districts that are awarded Confucius Classroom status have a demonstrated commitment to global education.
From 2013 until CIUA's closure in July 2020, the CFSD Chinese Immersion Program and CIUA collaborated to provide opportunities for CFSD students to:
• Learn a critical language with the potential to reach the highest levels of proficiency possible
• Access authentic resources that extend and enrich the curriculum
• Deepen their understanding of Chinese culture
• Participate in Chinese cultural events in their school community as well as in the greater Tucson community
These efforts were supported by the Confucius Institute Headquarters, an institution committed to supporting the needs of foreign Chinese learners.