Chattanooga, TN (December 2, 2015) --- Thelma Chan, current Chattanooga Chinese School principal, says 66 students are enrolled in levels one through five, as well as traditional and adult conversation classes this fall.  Students age range from 6 to mature adult.  Operating as a school through a contract with Chattanooga State Community Education, it remains as popular now as when it first began 19 years ago during the fall of 1996, under the leadership of Mrs. Fui-Fang (Emma) Chen.  Lulu Copeland, Chattanooga State’s Director of Economic and Workforce Development, a parent at Chattanooga Chinese School set up this long time relationship. 

Mrs. Li-Hwa Huang was the first principal of the school when it began in February 1978 under the auspices of the Chattanooga Chinese Association, a non-profit organization. A retired associate professor that taught physics at Chattanooga State, Huang still teaches at the Chinese School today.

“Due to our school’s presence at Chattanooga State, many of our teachers, students, and members of our Chinese Association and the Chinese community are familiar faces in your school. Chattanooga State has made an impression in our Chinese community. Some of our students are students of Chattanooga State and some of our teachers have become teachers at Chattanooga State,” states Chan.

In collaboration with the Chattanooga Chinese School, Chattanooga State Community Education will be offering a 12-week Chinese for Travelers class on Sundays starting in February 2016. This class is set up to support Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce trip to China, and other leisure and business travelers planning to visit China or Taiwan.

In addition to Chinese language and culture classes, Chattanooga Chinese School set up the Richard Jan Scholarship at Chattanooga State for students of Chinese origin who are enrolled in at least 12 semester hours.  Applicants must maintain a 3.3 GPA or enter as freshman with a minimum ACT score of 20 or a comparable SAT. Students with existing post-secondary degrees are also eligible and also may be awarded other types of Foundation Scholarships or other types of aid.

For more information about the Chattanooga State’s relationship with Chattanooga Chinese School contact Lulu Copeland at lulu.copeland@chattanoogastate.edu or call 423.697.3100. To apply for the Richard Jan Scholarship, see https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/scholarships.