Chicago Students to Receive Free Chinese Classes

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By Noelle Mateer / Dec 17, 2018 10:47 AM / Society & Culture

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said VIPKid will offer Chicago public school students free Chinese courses. Photo: VCG

Kids at Chicago Public Schools are about to get a lot better at Mandarin.

Beijing-based online education giant VIPKid will offer public school students in Chicago free online courses as well as a “virtual pen pal program with students in China,” Chicago’s Office of the Mayor announced Thursday.

VIPKid, whose backers include basketball star Kobe Bryant, has had success among teachers in the U.S. who use the online platform to remotely tutor Chinese students in English. Now they’re flipping the script with their Mandarin-learning platform, called Lingo Bus.

More than 10,000 students at public schools in Chicago currently study Mandarin, the statement said.

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