In keeping with this belief, the school established the Learning Across Boarders (LAB) program to promote multicultural activities. In January 2013, 11 students and one teacher from Taichung Municipal Hui-Wen High School (in Taichung City, Taiwan) were invited to visit the school to participate in Pingree’s LAB program. To further enhance this international connection and place students and teachers in authentic situations that provide opportunities to address and compare new ideas and perspectives, a group of 9 Pingree students, accompanied by the school’s Mandarin teacher Ms. Sheng-Chu Lu, a native of Taiwan, were invited to visit Hui-Wen High School in March 2013.

During their stay from March 11 to 21, the students learn about Chinese culture and traditions such as food, religion, music, arts and Chinese medicine, and interacted with Huei-Wen students and faculty. Each student was placed in a host family in order o have a better opportunity to understand everyday life in Taiwan. At the end of their stay, students take a field trip to Taipei City to see the world-renowned National Palace Museum and Taipei 101, the second tallest skyscraper in the world.

This is the second exchange program Pingree High School has had with a Taiwan high school. In 2012, Pingree exchanged visits with Hsin Chuang High School in New Taipei City. Ms. Lu hopes to continue the efforts to foster a long-term friendship between Pingree High School and high schools in Taiwan.