Equity in education

By Tiffany Cuddihy | Citizens 

Chinatown Learning Center was awarded $15,000 through the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant Program.

Starting preschool can be a difficult transition for any child. It means leaving their parents’ sides, often for the first time, and spending much of their day surrounded by unfamiliar faces in a new place. While this can be overwhelming and scary for preschoolers, this milestone experience is an essential part of growing up.

Now imagine if a child doesn’t understand the language their teacher or classmates are speaking.

How can a preschooler do their work if they don’t recognize the words on their paper? For children whose first language isn’t English, the American classroom isn’t just new and scary. It’s completely foreign.

Carol Wong was one of those children.

“I didn’t really know much English beyond ‘hello’, when I started school,” said Wong.

Growing up in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, her family was one of the only Asian families in the town. But that’s familiar territory for the Wongs. Back in 1929, Carol’s late father, Wee Chu Wong, was the first Asian baby ever born in Lycoming County.

While Wong’s father spoke English, her mother, who was from China, mainly communicated in Chinese at home. This made it difficult for Wong to enter the American school system, where English would become the only language she’d hear all day.

“I did struggle with the language, but luckily, I had amazing teachers to help me adjust. I fell in love with learning,” Wong shared about her own experience.

Related: Learn more about the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant

In fact, Wong was so inspired by her teachers that she decided she’d become an educator herself one day.

She went on to receive both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Penn State, graduating in 1979. From there, she formed an after-school program for preschoolers at a church in Philadelphia. Wong would spend the next few years gaining knowledge of how children learn and grow, while also raising her own two daughters.

“I started to notice that many of the preschoolers of immigrant parents, although very smart, would fall behind due to the language barrier,” explained Wong. “This didn’t seem right or fair.”

So, in 1993, when the opportunity to rent a building in Chinatown became available, Wong decided to put her degrees and experience in education to work and opened an after-school program of her own. She founded Chinatown Learning Center (CLC), a bilingual preschool and after-school program in the heart of Philadelphia’s Chinatown District that she still runs to this day. The center provides a bilingual program for children 3 to 5 years old.

^{Chinatown Learning Center is a bilingual preschool and after-school program in Philadelphia’s Chinatown District.}

There is also a school-age program, which offers students from kindergarten through eighth grade after-school enrichment care. There, they can complete homework, study, and build on their English language skills outside of their regular classroom setting.

Chinatown Learning Center has been recognized as a Keystone STARS 4 program, which means it’s been designated a safe, enriching, and respectful learning environment for children in the Philadelphia area. Led by Wong’s strong belief in education, all of the teachers hold either a bachelor’s or associate degree in early childhood education, and the preschool program is aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards.

Wong and her staff use sign language, pictures, music, exercise, games, and toys to engage the students and encourage them to play as they learn. While many of the students start out shy, Wong loves watching them grow and gain confidence through the program.

“Children are like sponges. They catch on so quickly,” noted Wong. “It’s amazing to see them start to understand something and then teach others as they learn.”

Being located in Chinatown, the CLC services mostly Chinese students, but they welcome diversity. They have English-speaking students who learn Chinese at the center, as well as other ethnicities who also benefit from the individualized attention the programs offer.

"I want all CLC students to feel proud of who they are,” Wong declared. “We teach English as a second language and American customs, but we also make sure to celebrate the traditions, holidays, history and culture of their family’s heritage as well."

One child, two worlds

Wong and her staff work with the students’ families to help everyone in the household feel set up for success. Beyond teaching English, the CLC gives lessons on standard hygiene practices and cultural etiquette, and they even provide materials for students to bring home, so they can continue their education outside of the classroom.

“I’ve found that at home, the children have different values and standards to live up to than they do in the classroom,” shared Wong. “I make sure to talk with families to help them understand both sides.”

The main thing, according to Wong, is to teach a love of reading. A lot of families the CLC serves don’t have books at home.

“We try to provide those things when possible,” said Wong. “That family engagement is so important.”

While family time can be a crucial component for developmental success, some cultures don’t practice open communication. This can make it difficult for students to speak freely about school work or personal matters with their parents.

“There are definitely cultural challenges to overcome with immigrant families, like being OK with asking for help and setting realistic expectations for children,” said Wong.

“But,” Wong continued, “most parents really do just want what’s best for their children.”

Still, there seems to be added pressure for immigrant children to succeed.

“I do have to remind some parents that not all kids want to become doctors and lawyers when they grow up,” she added with a smile.

Wong recognizes that beyond their educational future, her students’ emotional, social, and mental well-being cannot be overlooked. The CLC uses creative playtime, role-playing activities, and performance exercises to touch on subjects like bullying, racism, parent pressures, and identity.

“My students are just trying to figure out who they are and how to exist within two worlds,” said Wong. “It’s our goal to help them be successful at both.”

Lifelong connections

The CLC has become so much more than a school. It’s a home away from home for many of the students who have made their way through the program. They even have former students who come back, some for help with college applications and others to return to work at the center.

“Once you’re a CLC student, you’re always a part of the family,” commented Wong.

She has also helped parents find scholarships for their kids and has even driven former students to college tours. Beyond being the director at CLC, Wong is a board member at many local organizations and is often the first person many former students and parents turn to when they have questions about local events, politics, and city updates.

“I like to be involved and network with everyone in our community and in the greater Philadelphia area,” Wong said. “It’s important to make connections from all walks of life.”

Funding the future

Chinatown Learning Center, is a recipient of $15,000 through the Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant program, which is part of Citizens’ $1.5 million commitment to minority-owned businesses.

In January 2020, the center moved into the new Crane Community Center located in the heart of Chinatown, which was a huge undertaking for Wong and her team. They intend to use the funds from the grant to continue outfitting the new space, which will now include masks, hand sanitizer and other safety measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. Plus, the money will go toward payroll, professional development workshops for staff, and investing in remote learning programs for their students.

“We miss seeing all of our kids, but the money from Citizens will help us better prepare for their return,” Wong declared. “As a small business owner, this grant couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Related: Our journey for social equity

The universal language

The struggles and successes that come with being a small business owner are something that Wong grew up witnessing first hand. For 80 years, her family owned a laundromat in the Williamsport area. While hers would remain one of the only Asian families in town for much of Wong’s life, she admits that she always felt connected to her tightknit community, mainly because Wong’s parents and grandparents treated every customer like family. For eight decades, the Wongs were a part of the town’s fabric. Everyone knew them, and they knew everyone.

Eventually, however, the family moved to Philadelphia, where the abundance of diversity was a stark contrast to life in Williamsport. Suddenly, the Wongs were living in a neighborhood predominantly made up of Chinese immigrants, but they didn’t know anyone. Starting over in a new place is a difficult transition whether you’re a child or a retired grandparent.

Knowing how to communicate with all types of people, even in unfamiliar surroundings, is a skill that can last a lifetime.

For almost three decades, Chinatown Learning Center has been teaching children and families how inclusion in the classroom can lead to a more compassionate world. Because kindness, it turns out, is the universal language.

“If you’re friendly and open to talking about yourself, your culture, and where you come from, then most people will embrace you,” Wong concluded. “I’ve spent the past 27 years teaching my students that the only thing they have to be in life is themselves.

“That,” Wong continued, “is a lesson that can translate to anyone.”

Small business advice that works

We asked Wong to share some tips for new and growing small business entrepreneurs:

1. Get involved in your community. When you start a small business, you don’t just open the doors, and customers flood in. It’s important to establish relationships and build friendships ahead of time, so you have a network of support and an index of potential customers on day one. Attend professional workshops, offer your expertise to other businesses, and join local meetups to start forming connections.
2. Grow with the times. Just because you’ve always done something a certain way, don’t be afraid to change things up. Whether it’s how you advertise or how you do inventory, do some research and see if there is any new technology or resources to help you be more efficient and financially savvy.
3. Get your name out there. Send out newsletters to local police stations, town halls, and community centers, and let them know about your business. Tell them about some projects you’re working on, and invite them to any upcoming events. Sometimes just breaking down the walls and inviting people in is the best way to find common ground.

Related: Download the Small Business Guide to Resiliency

Looking forward to 2021

In 2021, Wong isn’t just looking forward. She’s looking inward. See how she plans to help her community of students and staff find healing and success in the future:

1. Invest in virtual communication. Whether COVID-19 is a factor or not, this past year has shown how virtual learning and conversing is connecting people in a new way. The technology isn’t going anywhere, so it’s important to find ways to make it work for your business. Take classes on how to utilize remote learning to your advantage, and get comfortable with planning meetings through virtual platforms.
2. Check in on the community. So many small businesses are struggling right now, and unfortunately, that will likely still be the case in 2021. See how you can volunteer to help other businesses in your community survive. This is a time for coming together and sharing our strengths.
3. Make mental health a priority. Whether it’s your customers, clients, or staff, try to create a business environment that promotes mental health and overall wellness. Offer yoga classes (even virtually), put meditation time on the calendar, and simply ask “how are you doing?” and really mean it. Times are tough, and kindness is a powerful currency right now.

Citizens: Our journey for social equity

At Citizens, we live every day by a credo that calls for us to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion and to operate with understanding, empathy, and care.

The Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Grant program is a central part of our multimillion-dollar commitment to creating a culture of inclusion within our company and throughout our greater communities. We encourage you to read more about our plans at the link below.

Learn more