“Asia is no longer the ‘Far East,'” wrote Mary Brown Bullock, now a professor of China studies at Emory University, in a 1996 Chronicle of Higher Education article. “We are inexorably linked to this developing region.”

Bullock’s words were prophetic – the rise of China as an economic power over the past decade has changed global politics immeasurably, and made international relations with the country a top priority of American policymakers, business interests, social organizations and educational institutions.

Most attention on United States/China relations focuses on the national level – especially diplomatic dealings and economic development – but given China’s growing influence, grass-roots efforts are of equal importance.

Which is why what’s happening within SAD 17 is worthy of applause.

SAD 17, in Oxford County, has thoughtfully instituted an exchange program to bring a Chinese instructor to Maine starting this fall, while sending teacher Jason Long to China. The district opened communication with Chinese schools in 2002, through the work of teacher Craig Blanchard, and has worked diligently to keep the relationship flourishing.

The latest contact came in April, when district administrators traveled to China to seal the exchange, buoyed by grant funds from the Freeman Foundation, through the Institute for International Education. So far, the district has spent about $10,000 in tax money to maintain contact with its Chinese counterparts.

It seems to have been worth every penny. Just as school administrators must find innovative methods of saving money, it’s just as crucial that they invest in educational innovations. SAD 17’s Chinese exchange program is a farsighted effort that shows that learning in this global society should know no borders.

Education is about instruction, but also experience. Filling students’ minds with critical information is as important as broadening them with exposure to new concepts or cultures; both should go hand-in-hand in modern classrooms.

China is an amazing country, with an intriguing culture and remarkable history. Its world contributions are numerous, and its economic and political influence will change the United States, and global society, in years to come.

That this realization is just starting to dawn on many American minds makes SAD 17’s five-year dedication to opening relations with China even more laudable.

More districts should show this kind of anticipation, and embrace, of innovative educational programs for their students. The China exchange program is a fine example, and a model for others.