It’s one of the “things we can do working together,” DeForest said. “I hope we can find others.”

The idea to offer the language to local students came from local businessman James E. Winner Jr., Sarandrea said. Winner got area superintendents together to talk about the global influence of China.

“The more we thought about it the more we agreed with his idea that it would be a great idea and leg up for all the kids in the valley that were exposed to it in the long run,” Sarandrea said, adding that he and Sharpsville Superintendent Mark Ferrara met with Winner Thursday. Winner is also offering financial support and assistance, contacts and help securing Ms. Chen’s visa and other paperwork, Sarandrea said.

Ms. Chen is originally from Taiwan and taught English there before being hired to teach Chinese at Glendale school district north of Altoona, Sarandrea said.

Glendale was discontinuing their program when Sarandrea and Sharpsville Superintendent Mark Ferrara happened to run into that district’s superintendent at an unrelated function and he mentioned it in passing, Sarandrea said. It was almost like “divine intervention,” he said.

Sarandrea said he and Ferrara traveled to Glendale and watched Ms. Chen in the classroom and were “thoroughly impressed.”

“One of the things we noticed about June is that her teaching style and her mechanics are excellent,” Sarandrea said, mentioning that she seamlessly transitions from one exercise to another.

They were so inspired by her skill that Sarandrea said he and Ferrara hope to travel to Taiwan next summer to see how teachers are trained there, noting the “wonderful reputation” education has in Asia.

Herald staff writer Tom Davidson contributed to this story.