Two Weeks at NEIA

For two weeks this summer, NEIA’s sister school, Wahaha International School, called our campus home.

Wahaha incorporates a project-based learning approach into its curriculum. At MIT, Wahaha students learned about biotechnology and the science of sound through immersive, hands-on projects. Dave Wright, Wahaha’s Director of Student Development, believes that learning by doing is the most effective strategy and helps students overcome language barriers. 

“One MIT professor, the first thing he said was, ‘Okay, so within the first 10 minutes you guys are going to start building something.’ And sure enough, by minute seven, they were building their own stereo.”

Coco, a 10th grader at Wahaha, said that the teachers at MIT made the classes a lot of fun. Her classmate, Eric, said he will never forget seeing Harvard’s campus in the rain or the Blue Man Group performance they witnessed. Dave also shared some of his favorite student reactions, such as their awe of Fenway Park while attending a Red Sox game and historical sites like the Kennedy Library.

Dave highlighted how some students have been positively influenced by the trip, making them even more motivated and driven than they were before. Wahaha focuses on college preparation, and, for many of the students, this is not just their first “dorm life” experience, but also their first time in the United States. 

Everyone on campus is ecstatic about future collaborations between Wahaha School and NEIA. Our schools aim to share resources to offer unique educational opportunities to Chinese and American students in the coming years. Wahaha and NEIA both believe in learning through experiences, preparing students for their best future, and fostering international cooperation and understanding. NEIA is grateful to have built this lasting partnership.