American Go E-Journal

Go introduced to Chinese immersion classrooms in Barrington, Illinois.

Sunday March 12, 2023

Guo teaching third-grade classes at Barbara Rose Elementary School in Barrington District 220, with the seed grant from National Louis University and Helping Hand Grant from Barrington 220 Educational Foundation in January 2020.

The Barrington (IL) Chinese Immersion Council (BCIC) recently granted approval to a proposal to introduce the game of go to Chinese immersion classrooms in Barrington’s District 220 school district. “I hope that this game-based learning program will not only teach students how to play go,” said Xinming “Simon” Guo, the founder of Go and Math Academy in Chicago, who made the proposal, “but also spark their creativity, imagination, and critical thinking skills, as well as enhance their math abilities”

Xiaoyan Anderson and Zimin Mineo, members of the BCIC Board of Directors, say they hope that through the program, “more families will become involved in our organization, fostering cultural exchange and understanding, and ultimately helping our students become future leaders with an open mind and a global perspective.”

BCIC is a nonprofit organization created in 2014 to support students and families involved in the local school district’s Chinese Immersion Program. The go-related program was scheduled to begin for all third- and fourth-grade Chinese Immersion classroom students with support from teachers Mrs. Zander and Ms. Du during the 2022-2023 school year.