SISTER SCHOOLS. With a generous donation from the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City Association, Portland Public Schools’ Russian Immersion Program is set to begin a relationship with Gymnasium #3, a public school in Khabarovsk, Russia. Pictured clockwise from top left are a birds-eye view of Khabarovsk, young environmental volunteers from Khabarovsk at a Korean cedar planting event as part of an Earth Day festival, and a view of the Khabarovsk skyline. (Photos courtesy of the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City Association)

From The Asian Reporter, V18, #14 (April 1, 2008), page 11.

By Ian Blazina

With a generous donation from the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City Association (PKSCA), Portland Public Schools’ (PPS) Russian Immersion Program is set to begin a relationship with Gymnasium #3, a public school in Khabarovsk, Russia. PKSCA has donated $1,000 to PPS to initiate the cooperative venture between the schools, with another $1,000 to be donated to Gymnasium #3. While the details of the exchange are not yet finalized, the donations may fund a teacher exchange, the creation of an interactive website and message board for students at both schools, and other telecommunication support.

Khabarovsk is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, located 30 kilometers from the Chinese border at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Khabarovsk has seen an increased Asian presence, with Chinese tourism trade and business investment from South Korea and Japan thriving.

"The exchange program is going to provide a real-life learning experience to the students from both sides — Portland and Khabarovsk," said Natalia Gunther, curriculum specialist with the PPS Russian Language and Culture Program. "As students will be immersed in the language and culture, they will have opportunities to use their language with native speakers, at the same time learning about the people and country."

In the fall of 2006, PPS received a three-year federal grant to start a two-way Russian-language immersion program at Kelly Elementary School and Franklin High School. The Russian immersion kindergarten class at Kelly Elementary includes 21 students, 15 of whom are English speakers and six who are Russian speakers. Seventy percent of the students’ school day is in Russian — the language is learned in the process of completing the same kindergarten curriculum taught in the other PPS programs. A first-grade Russian immersion class will be added next year to accommodate the current kindergarten class, eventually growing to include the entire elementary education.

Two Russian classes are currently offered at Franklin High School — Russian for Russian-speaking students and Russian as a foreign language. In these classes students learn Russian language, culture, and history. The school district is working collaboratively with Portland State University’s Russian department to develop curriculum and provide opportunities for students to study Russian at the college level.

Kelly Elementary hosts tours of the Russian classrooms every Wednesday morning. To schedule a visit, call Natalia at (503) 314-8554.

For more information on PPS’ Russian Immersion Program, call (503) 916-6350 or e-mail <russian@pps.k12.or.us>. To learn more about the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City Association, visit <www.pksca.org>.