Huskies and Dragons in Wuxi, China

It all began with the school’s strategic plan and the work of Dan Love, New Hampton’s global curriculum coordinator. New Hampton’s strategic plan calls for a globally focused curriculum, and Love knew this effort had to be grounded in meeting and living with students from other nations. With that in mind, he laid the groundwork for setting up the exchange, traveled to China this past winter, and returned with a letter of intent expressing both schools' mutual interest in working together.

“This is a dynamic time to be at New Hampton School,” said Love. “This cross-cultural exchange is really exciting. Traveling abroad, our students will reflect on the world through a new lens, and bring these experiences back to our classrooms here in New Hampshire. Along the way they’ll gain valuable cultural knowledge to help them become better global citizens.”

Shibei Senior High School is located on a brand new campus, built to showcase China’s emergence as a leader in secondary education. It is a public boarding and day high school in the town of Wuxi, just 40 minutes by train from Shanghai. The school has 2,100 Chinese national students, more than half of whom live in dormitories on campus.

During the ten-day exchange, New Hampton students will shadow an English-speaking Chinese student through a week of classes, participate in a service learning activity, and visit nearby cultural and recreational sites, including two days in Shanghai.

New Hampton School Board of Trustees President Peter Galletly visited Shibei High School at the beginning of May when he was in China on a business trip. “I could not be more enthusiastic for this exchange to take place for our students,” said Galletly. “ I look forward to talking to students next fall when they return.”

Stay tuned for more news on this exciting new program including the first group of Chinese students who will be visiting NHS this fall. If you would like more information about the China Exchange, please contact Global Curriculum Coordinator Dan Love at 603-677-3534; dlove@newhampton.org.