November 28, 2023
Dear Friends of Yu Ming,
I’m honored to be writing my first message to you as Yu Ming’s new CEO. The past few months of getting to know our stakeholders have been nothing short of inspiring, and I am truly grateful to be a part of this community committed to our students’ well-being, learning and growth as future multilingual changemakers.
Thanks to the collective dedication of our supporters, Yu Ming moved into its inaugural permanent home in August, allowing us to put down roots, build relationships within the community, and focus on our educational mission without the uncertainties of leased and older facilities.
Alameda County Board of Education Trustees Ken Berrick and Janevette Cole (3rd and 4th from left) joined CEO Stacey Wang, Emeritus CEO Sue Park and Yu Ming founders, board members, and volunteers to inaugurate the Chestnut Campus.
Yu Ming had been searching for a permanent facility since its founding in 2011. It is no small feat to relocate students and staff from campus to campus every few years, all the while building a National Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished School that is among the top achieving schools in California for all students, regardless of socio-economic, race, or language background, and learning difference.
We celebrated this new home a few weeks into the school year, in the company of many of those who helped build this incredible school and community over the years–founding families, Board members, parent volunteers, community partners, elected officials, and alumni. Great School Voices captured some of their stories in this article.
Home is belonging. At our school, where our families represent as many as 28 home languages, we work hard on fostering a collective sense of belonging for our students across geographies and cultures, preparing them to shape our interconnected, multicultural world. It means a lot for us to be able to offer them the stability and permanence of their very own campus.
This is the first of three permanent sites Yu Ming needs to secure in order to continue to provide an innovative, life-changing education to our growing student body. This community is a force that has moved mountains to get Yu Ming to where it is today. I am excited to continue this important work alongside you. If you have been a part of our journey and have yet to see our new facility, please reach out for a visit. We would love to have you.
With gratitude,
Stacey Wang, CEO