A
large delegation from China visited Orange County Public Schools as part of the
World Affairs Council of Central Florida (WACCFL). The delegation was made up
of leaders of rehab and special education programs in China and they wanted to
learn about OCPS and Exceptional Student Education programming. The delegates
are and were nominated by Chinese leaders. The WACCFL is home to the local
branch of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), which is
administered by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and
Cultural Affairs. The IVLP works to facilitate short-term visits for current
and emerging foreign leaders in a variety of fields to the United States to
experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their
American counterparts.
The
delegates met at Lake Silver Elementary School for two hours March 10, 2017.
The first hour included a presentation from the ESE directors to provide an
overview of ESE in OCPS, while the second hour included a tour of the units and
classrooms at the school. The purpose of the visit was to return to China with
best practices exemplified at Lake Silver Elementary School. The delegation was
very impressed with the services and equipment provided our students through the
programs offered.