CHINA, HART FORGE LINKS.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The Hart High School District is forging links with the world's most populous nation to build a student exchange program that could begin as early as next year.

William S. Hart Union High School District Superintendent Bob Lee, who attended a two-week conference in the People's Republic of China through Virginia Tech earlier this month, said the foundation for exchange has been laid between the district and two Chinese high schools.

A group of Chinese students may attend classes at a local high school as early as January, and Hart students may have the opportunity to study in China next summer, he said.

``I went over with the hope and desire that we can establish the relationships to start an exchange program,'' Lee said. ``We're still working out the details. A lot of it will be working with the American Embassy for visas, and finding homes here for home stays.''

The ``China 2004: Educational Leadership Conference'' was organized by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and People's Education Press - China's state-run school textbook publisher. The two-week visit to Beijing and the ancient capital of Xian connected U.S. educators with their Chinese counterparts.

``It's an introduction to let us see the Chinese culture, their economics and what their school system are about,'' Lee said.

At a school board meeting last week, Lee said he was impressed by a China flush with new construction and modern school facilities, where the Communist-inspired centralized economy began to give way to free markets more than a decade ago.

``It's not just for the Olympics,'' he said, referring to the 2008 Summer Games to be held in the capital city of Beijing. ``There is a tremendous amount of foreign investment coming into China.''

The Hart governing board in January approved the trip, which costs about $2,950, plus travel expenses.

The proposed exchange, with Beijing Normal University and Gao Xing No. 1 High School in Xian, would bring 10 Chinese students and a teacher to Santa Clarita for a monthlong stay.

``Their students will be engaged (in classes) here,'' Lee said. ``Their teacher will be here to teach Mandarin Chinese to our students, as well as Chinese culture.''

Hart students will have their turn to study and explore China in June and July 2005. Both Chinese schools have experience hosting foreign students from exchange programs in Canada, Germany and Boston, Lee said.

``They have the process down pretty well, so it will be easier when our kids go to China,'' he said.

Though Hart district students may have to pay to enroll in the program, the district plans to solicit businesses to help shoulder the costs, Lee said.

``We hope to find some corporate sponsors,'' he said, noting a number of U.S. companies are investing in China, ``and we hope we can use some of that to offset the costs.''

The district has increasingly cast its eyes overseas in the past year. Last October, Hart hosted 21 students from Pinegrove School in Solan, India, for a three-week visit through the Cultural Bridges Student Exchange Program.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com