The Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS)

and Its National Conferences

The Chinese School Association in the United States (CSAUS) is a (501) (C) (3) not-for-profit organization established in 1994 by Chinese School leaders and educators in the United States.

The goals of CSAUS are to provide information, networking, services to member schools in promoting Chinese language and cultural education, helping the younger generation to preserve and appreciate Chinese heritage, bridging educational and cultural exchanges and friendship between USA and the People's Republic of China, and representing its member schools in marketing and maximizing organizational efforts to gain resources and supports from related institutions in the United States and from China.

Currently, CSAUS has nearly 200 membership schools in the United States, covering 37 states and all major cities. Most Chinese schools operate on weekends and/or after school hours all year round. Classes are provided to anyone who is interested in Chinese Language and Cultural Arts regardless ethnic and cultural background. Many schools actively participate at local International Cultural events and serve as Chinese Community Centers as well. CSAUS has been growing rapidly in the past five years. The number of student's enrollment exceeded 30,000. Services and impact reached out to tens of thousands of Chinese-American families. There are thousands of bilingual Chinese Language Instructors, Cultural Artists, parents and volunteers teaching, working, and supporting our schools. CSAUS has successfully coordinated many nationwide projects such as advocate of a new Chinese textbook series ("Zhongwen" North America edition), language evaluation tests, Chinese arts and cultural performance tours in US cities and projects in bridging friendship among Children in America and in China etc.

CSAUS’s National Conference is held every two years. The First National Conference was held in Columbus, Ohio in October 1995. The Second National Conference was held in Houston, Texas in December 1997. Conference participants included educators and representatives from Chinese Schools all over the United States, officials, and experts from educational institutions in the United States and the People's Republic of China. Both Conferences were very successful, which not only provided opportunities for the schools in networking and facilitated efforts to plan and respond to major issues in Chinese school development, but also had a great impact on other related organizations to initiate joint efforts with CSAUS and to allocate more resources to Chinese Language and Heritage education in the United States. The CSAUS Third National Conference was held from December 3 to 5, 1999 in Washington D.C.. Again, it was a big celebration for our achievements in the past and a new milestone for its further development in the new Millennium.

I would like to express my warmest welcome to each one of you to visit the CSAUS.

Jeff L. Zheng

President, CSAUS