About CAIS

History: Thirty Years of Innovation and Accomplishment

Implementing a Vision for an Interconnected World

In 1981, a group of multi-ethnic San Francisco Bay Area parents, educators and civic leaders implemented a compelling vision. They created a school with a dual language, multicultural curriculum in English and Chinese to prepare children for an increasingly interconnected world.

Shirley Lee, a founder and the Head of School for 15 years, began teaching four young students in two modest classrooms. CAIS was the first school of its kind in the nation and remains one of the few independent Pre-K through eighth grade English-Chinese immersion programs in the U.S.

This bold experiment has become a shining model of success. Today, the school enrolls more than 470 students. Under the leadership of Head of School, Jeff Bissell, CAIS graduates continue to enter leading high schools and universities. Some alumni now study and work in China, while others enjoy exciting careers in the U.S. that draw on their bicultural education.

The school has grown from two classrooms to a lively, bustling campus with two libraries, two computer labs, four science labs, an art studio, a health center, multiple multipurpose rooms, a gymnasium and playgrounds and a new Pre-K campus located 10 minutes from the main campus.