PVCICS is a tuition-free regional public charter school located in Hadley, Massachusetts. Entrance is by lottery. PVCICS prepares students for academic and cross-cultural success through rigorous study and instruction aligned with state and federal standards, augmented with Chinese language and culture. PVCICS focuses on graduating students with excellent scholarship, high proficiency in Mandarin
Chinese and English, and sensitivity to multiple cultures. PVCICS opened in the fall of 2007 with Kindergarten and 1st grades. Each year since opening, it has added grades and grown. Students come from all over the Pioneer Valley and most have no background in Chinese when they enter the school. PVCICS currently enrolls roughly 500 students in grades K-12 from nearly 30 communities in the Pioneer Valley. PVCICS offers an "IB for All" high school program where all 11th and 12th grade students take all International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Some high school students fulfill the requirements for the full International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, while others opt to earn IB Certificates in certain subject courses. Richard Alcorn is Executive Director and Ms. Kathleen Wang is Principal. As school leaders and lead founders of PVCICS, they are committed to building a public Chinese immersion school for families in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. PVCICS employs a talented group of almost 100 educators and professionals from all over the world.
