Our children were barely 4 years old when, as lively and inquisitive youngsters, they began an unusual, yet incredible, educational journey at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, a Chinese immersion school in Washington DC. They come from diverse backgrounds, interconnected in their family’s belief that they could be a bridge to the world. We strive as their parents to instill in them a sense of leadership and responsibility for the world they are inheriting, and to fully take advantage of the improbable gift of growing up fully bilingual in English and Mandarin. Today, many of our children aspire to be engineers, scientists, diplomats, activists, musicians, lawyers, architects, and doctors, and even to run for public office one day! They desire to be world leaders, help others, and make their country and the world a better place than they’ve found it. It is for this reason that we are asking for your financial contribution to help our children go on an educational tour to China in the summer of 2018. The experiences they will have while traveling, living with a Chinese family, building bonds with their Chinese counterparts, and experiencing the culture and language they’ve studied most of their lives, will serve as life-long lessons and will undoubtedly advance their perspective of themselves and their role in this world. The trip, organized with Total Immersion Experience, costs $3300 per child, not including the costs for the accompanying parent. Washington YuYing, as a public charter school, does not have the resources to support our trip financially. Paying for it is an extremely daunting challenge for every family in our group, yet we are optimistic that with support from the larger community, we can raise the funds necessary to allow our children to go on this trip, regardless of the economic status of their family. Our collective goal is to raise $45,000 for the students in the group. Every $50, $500 or $1000 adds up! We greatly appreciate any assistance you are able to provide and thank you in advance for your help. Help us make this happen! Please give often and generously if possible: we can only do this with your support!