Sixth-grader Eve Solovey, a student in our XinXing Chinese Immersion program, has won the Minnesota/Midwest Chinese Bridge Competition and will represent the region at the International Chinese Bridge Competition in China this September!
The Chinese Bridge Competition is an international Mandarin contest for students from elementary school through college. Local and regional competitions are organized by Chinese Consulate General offices worldwide. Eve placed first in her group at the Midwest competition in Chicago last May and was selected to compete in Beijing and Tianjin, joining participants from more than 70 nations. Events require fluency in Mandarin and deep engagement with Chinese culture. Eve will be giving a speech and performing a traditional lion dance.
Eve’s Mandarin journey began in kindergarten at Eisenhower Elementary in the XinXing program and continues at West Middle School. She has studied the language for seven years. “When I realized I had actually won first place, I was super excited,” she said.
To prepare, Eve has been practicing with her favorite teacher from Eisenhower. Her speech highlights her experiences learning Chinese and exploring Chinese traditions. Eve also practices lion dance, which she began after learning kung fu. “My kung fu teacher also teaches lion dance, so I just wanted to try it!” she said.
XinXing Chinese Immersion begins at Eisenhower Elementary, where all core subjects are taught in Mandarin for the full day in grades K-2. English language arts are introduced in grades 3-4, with a balanced mix of English and Mandarin by grade 5. The program continues at West Middle School and Hopkins High School, preparing students for advanced Chinese coursework and the opportunity to earn up to 16 college credits by graduation.