When most of our students meet their UCS teachers, it's the first time they have met or even seen someone from another country. Although our students can recognize American movies and brand names, they don't have much knowledge about the lives and values of western people. In the same way, while most Americans have strong ideas about China's government and its policies, they know little about the history that led to those policies, and the impact they have on daily life in China. There is much that can be learned on both sides, and no better way to learn it than through education and person to person connections.

The Universal Culture School in Yue Yang is an experiment created by foreign teachers in partnership with the Chinese leaders of that school. The goal is to improve the overall quality of English Language education in China, make that quality education available to students from a wide range of backgrounds, and to build strong connections between individuals across borders. In order prepare our students to become thoughtful, engaged world citizens, our curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, self expression through language and the arts, cultural understanding and practical experience.