Black Butte High School in Rock Springs has a cultural exchange program with Taiwan.

Last April, Black Butte High School in Rock Springs began a cultural exchange program with Taiwanese schools. Students enrolled in Chris Clifton’s World Cultures class meet with Taiwanese students via Google Meet.

“I just want students to see what life is like in Taiwan,” said Clifton. “I’ve been really impressed by how much fun students have had.”

As the program stands, any student can interact with students in Taiwan since it’s not restricted by income like a study abroad program would be.

However, Clifton said he would be open to a student and teacher exchange with Taiwan in the future so that his students can meet the Taiwanese students they have digitally interacted with.

The program may be implemented in other schools across the state.

If demand for the program continues to increase, students may want the opportunity to engage with Taiwanese students in a more meaningful way and diminish the language barrier between the two groups. Mandarin classes could be implemented in schools if the state recruited a Mandarin teacher.

However, there are no definite plans set to establish Mandarin classes in the schools at this time