A song. A memory. A reason to join in.
ABOUT I-IMMERSION
Language and culture become personal through everyday experience.
I’m Alice Ding, founder of i-Immersion. I’m interested in what makes a child curious, comfortable, and ready to join in.
At Nihao School, I explore those questions through play, relationships, and everyday experiences with Mandarin and English. Growth Journal and our family events bring that conversation beyond the school day.
It began with a song.
I began learning English around age eleven. Disney songs drew me in before I understood every word. I could sing along, carried by the melody and the feeling. Over time, those songs became part of my connection to English and American culture.
That experience still shapes the questions I ask as an educator. What makes a child want to join in? A familiar person, a favorite food, or a song they ask to hear again can give a language a personal place in their day.
I founded i-Immersion in 2008. At Nihao School, I explore those questions through a mixed-age early childhood program. Through Growth Journal and family events, I also share that curiosity with parents and other educators.
Four pillars, one connected way of learning.
i-Immersion connects children’s early learning with the adults and experiences around them. Nihao School, Growth Journal, and family events are the places to begin today. Support for educators is part of our longer-term direction.
Start with what brings you here: a school for your child, a question about learning, or an event to enjoy together.
Early Education
At Nihao School, children explore through play, caring relationships, and everyday experiences with Mandarin and English.
Family Foundations
In Growth Journal, I share observations and questions about language, play, and family life—giving parents another way to look at everyday learning.
Provider Connections
A direction we’re developing: ways for educators and childcare professionals to exchange ideas and reflect on practice.
Community Connections
Planned playdates and family events invite children and grown-ups to share play, cultural experiences, and a little discovery.
A language with a place in a child’s life.
I hope immersion gives a child something they want to return to: a song they love, a person they feel close to, a memory they want to revisit.
That’s why I pay attention to how children join in. Music, movement, food, stories, and play offer different ways to participate. I look for the interests and relationships that make a child want to take part.
My hope for i-Immersion is to keep that curiosity growing, for families and educators too. Nihao School is where I put these ideas into daily practice; Growth Journal is where I share what I notice and the questions I’m still exploring.
I’m still asking questions. You’re welcome to explore them with me.
— Alice Ding
Founder, i-Immersion