CAIS

History: A Quarter-Century-Plus of Innovation
and Accomplishment

Implementing a vision for an interconnected world

In 1981, a group of multi-ethnic San Francisco Bay Area parents, educators and civic leaders implemented a compelling vision. They created a school with a bilingual, multicultural curriculum in English and Mandarin Chinese to prepare children for an increasingly interconnected world.

Shirley Lee, a founder and the Head of School for 15 years, began teaching four young students in two modest classrooms. CAIS was the first school of its kind in the nation and remains one of the only independent PreK through 8th Grade English-Mandarin immersion programs in the U.S.

This bold experiment has become a shining model of success. Today, the school enrolls more than 400 students. Under the leadership of Head of School Andrew W. Corcoran, who joined the CAIS community in 2001, CAIS graduates continue to enter leading high schools and universities. Some alumni now study and work in China. Others enjoy exciting careers in the U.S. that draw on their bicultural education.

The school has grown from two classrooms to a lively, bustling campus with two libraries, a computer lab, a science lab, an art studio, a health center, multipurpose rooms, a gymnasium and playgrounds.

In 2006-2007, CAIS celebrated its 25th anniversary with several events, including the first-annual, national Conference for the Teaching of Chinese Language and Culture (K-12), and a gala at City Hall.