History

The impetus to begin Bilingual Buds started in 2003 when Sharon Huang was pregnant with twins and commuting into New York City.

During her downtime on the train, she began reading about the cognitive benefits of learning a second language for children. Born in Queens to immigrant parents from Taiwan, speaking Mandarin had not been a priority. However, as an adult and a soon-to-be mother, Sharon understood the missed opportunity of not being fluent and literate in Chinese. She wanted to give her sons the gift of bilingualism—to expand their ability to communicate, but also to enlarge and inform their view of the world. When she read that children begin to lose the ability to hear sounds outside of their native language as early as 6 months old, Sharon became driven to create what didn’t yet exist locally—a Mandarin immersion school for young children.

Bilingual Buds, the first of its kind in New Jersey and New York, now serves over 100 students. Sharon’s vision has grown to encompass two languages (Mandarin and Spanish), two locations (Summit, NJ and New York City), and a continuum of immersion programs from Mommy & Me to Summer Camp Abroad in Beijing. Below are key highlights from the school’s previously unimaginable journey:

2004

Sharon researches early childhood immersion programs across the country, creates a mission statement and develops a set of educational beliefs that continue to guide the school.

2005

Bilingual Buds begins in the basement of Sharon’s home. Five students, including Sharon’s twins, enroll in this unique preschool program that meets 2 days per week, 2 ½ hours per day.

2006

Bilingual Buds relocates to Livingston, NJ and begins its first, 5-day per week bilingual preschool, with the goal of continuing to Grade 3.

2007

Bilingual Buds moves to its current location at Saint John’s Church in Summit, NJ.

2008

Center for Applied Linguistics’ SOPA test is first administered to Bilingual Buds students as a standardized method for assessing target language proficiency. All students in the Mandarin program ages 4 and above are tested.

2009

Bilingual Buds launches its Spanish program, offering Preschool and Pre K based on the school’s proprietary immersion curriculum. It is also the pilot year for Bilingual Buds’ Summer Camp program in Beijing. A Chinese partner school relationship is established, with two Bilingual Buds students learning alongside native-speaking preschool children.

2010

Bilingual Buds enrolls its 100th student in New Jersey. In May, the school launches its New York City location on 175 Riverside Boulevard at 68th Street, offering Mandarin Preschool and Pre K/K programs. Also momentous that spring, several Bilingual Buds’ first graders achieve Advanced Low proficiency on the SOPA exam—a milestone for the school, as well as for the Center for Applied Linguistics. Bilingual Buds is subsequently asked to help further develop the Center's scoring rubric for future test takers.

2011

Bilingual Buds' Summer Camp in Beijing program expands to serving 8 families from Manhattan, Colorado, San Francisco, and Singapore, among others. Ten children participate fully in the classroom life of a local preschool and summer camp, sharing communication and connection with native-speaking students.

Bilingual Buds' New Jersey campus enhances its target language extracurriculars with the addition of two specialized gym teachers who provide instruction in Mandarin and Spanish.