PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Carol Wong heads the Chinatown Learning Center, a school program focused on providing high-quality early childhood education to English language learners. She started the center in 1993 due to a lack of bilingual education programs.
“The main reasons that I opened my school was to build self-esteem and confidence in children, no matter where they came from, what language they speak or what culture they are,” said Wong. “It’s just to appreciate the best of both worlds.”
The Chinatown Learning Center gives families of new immigrants a safe and welcoming place to bring their children to preschool and after-school programs.
The center, located at 10th and Vine streets in the Crane Community Center in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood, provides a rare bilingual education for children of wide-ranging backgrounds. English and Mandarin are taught in the classroom. The afterschool program involves homework help and group tutoring.
Wong takes pride in hearing the voices of young people being uplifted — similar to how teachers elevated her voice as a child.
Wong was born and raised in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, but she could not speak English when she entered school. That experience allowed her to closely relate to the language barriers that come along with the new immigrant experience.
“I wanted children to have those resources and feel like we have your back and this is what we’re going to do,” Wong added.
She carried out her dreams as a 6-year-old to become the award-winning educator she is today. She has earned accolades like the Voice for Children Award and the Globe Award for Community Leadership.
Wong has helped educate thousands of students over the years who come from all over the Delaware Valley. She has set a high bar for early childhood education and after-school learning, highlighting the appreciation of culture in a bilingual setting.
“I love getting to know the community and watching the kids grow, and I’m so proud of all my students.”
Throughout Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, KYW Newsradio is celebrating the contributions of these diverse and essential communities with an audio series called “Asian Americans Making Their Mark.”