ABOUT US
Who We Are
Cricket Academy is a non-profit educational organization with a reputation for
providing high quality instruction in Chinese language (Mandarin) and culture to
English speaking families. Since its formation in 2000, Cricket Academy has evolved
and grown tremendously, and today, Cricket Academy:
- Helps children of all ethnic backgrounds become good global citizens and knowledgeable future employees.
"It was important for us to instill a sense of wonder and appreciation for all people and cultures. Cricket Academy was a great way for our son to make friends while learning." -- Z Zakaria
- Leads the way in making the Chinese language more familiar and more approachable to families.
"Before our first day of class, we have never even heard the language spoken. The teacher helped us feel at ease, and in a few weeks my daughter was singing along in Chinese with her classmates." -- Dione Baker
- Fosters a sense of community among the families with children from China.
"My daughter lights up when she sees other children and adults from China and
Southeast Asia. Even as a toddler, I knew seeing her classmates felt familiar to
her. It was like a missing part in her life had been restored." -- Colleen
Marchant Williams
Our classes are offered on Saturday mornings. Language classes are also offered for parents, to give them the tools to actively support their children's learning, and to meet their own needs.
Our History
Cricket Academy was founded in the spring of 2000 by a group of parents who had children adopted from China, and who wanted to make sure they would grow up knowing about their Chinese heritage. With help from a team of native Mandarin speakers from the People's Republic of China, the first classes were offered in the fall of that year, when 35 families signed up for four levels of instruction.
Over the course of that first year, Cricket Academy helped to build a sense of community among the families within the local chapter of the Milwaukee Area Families with Children from China (MA-FCC), strengthened ties to the local Milwaukee Chinese community, and deepened our families' sense of identification with our children's Chinese heritage.
Since then, these founding families have been joined by many other adoptive, as well as non-adoptive families who share their interest in Chinese language and culture.
Our Mission
We foster children's cultural awareness by providing fun and educational programs in Chinese history, culture, and language.
Our Vision
Cricket Academy is a cornerstone of Chinese culture and language within Southeastern Wisconsin.
Board of Directors
'I didn't even know Cricket had a Board.' This is what I and many others had said upon learning about Cricket Academy's Board of Directors. Well, yes, we do have a Board, and it has made some significant accomplishments in the last year. As Cricket Academy's Board of Directors, we are working on many initiatives to strengthen Cricket's foundation to enable our programs to continue to flourish in the future.
In 2008, the Board applied for and received a grant from the Nonprofit Management Fund for Board development and planning. We have been working with a nonprofit consultant to solidify our vision, mission, and goals. We have also undertaken the significant task of developing our board to meet all the guidelines of nonprofit management. This year the Board intends to pursue additional grant funds.
The Board is extremely excited about the future of Cricket, and it is eager to push its current momentum to accomplish even more. We have developed the following committees:
- Finance
- Marketing/PR
- Fundraising
- Governance
- Programs
We understand the value Cricket brings to families in Southeast Wisconsin and look eagerly forward to serving you and realizing Cricket's dreams of making our children future global citizens.
Sally Winberg, Board Chair and the Cricket Academy Board of Directors:
- Pam Guyer
- Yi Hong
- Jessica Kaiser
- Helen Ramon
- Tom Simon
- Valerie Strobel
- Z Zakaria
