Hiba Academy Opened New Mandarin Immersion School
The private school for pre-K through fifth grade officially opened its doors in San Francisco this September.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Language Learning
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Families seeking bilingual education now have a new option as Hiba Academy Bay Area opened its first U.S. campus in September 2026. The private school provides Mandarin-English immersion for students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.
Why it matters
The school aims to foster linguistic skills and cultural fluency for local students, including those from families without Chinese-speaking backgrounds. It represents a new cross-cultural bridge for San Francisco youth as educators look to align with global education trends.
The school currently serves 36 students across 33 families, a cohort that includes 10 children from non-Mandarin speaking households. The final capacity and growth trajectory for the new campus remain unknown.
The players
Hiba Academy Bay Area
A new private Mandarin-English immersion school in San Francisco serving pre-K through fifth grade.
Colette McWilliams
The founding head of school who brings 29 years of professional experience to the new campus.
Wellington College Education
An international educational organization that established its first U.S. location in San Francisco.
The details
Hiba Academy Bay Area operates as the first U.S. location for Wellington College Education, blending Eastern and Western teaching methods. Founding head of school Colette McWilliams collaborated with educators in China to build the curriculum and plans to return for visits annually. The school marked its arrival in San Francisco with a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony held on September 18, 2026.
Timeline
September 2026: Hiba Academy Bay Area opened for its first academic term.
September 18, 2026: The school held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Across the Bay
The school's focus on cultural exchange follows the pattern set by the 2023 youth exchange initiative announced by President Xi Jinping, which aims to increase student travel and collaboration between the two nations. This opening extends those bilateral efforts into the local K-5 classroom environment.
Local families with children entering pre-kindergarten through fifth grade can now consider this Mandarin-English immersion program as part of their school search. Prospective parents should monitor the school's admissions office for future enrollment windows and open house dates.
The takeaway
The school provides a new pathway for early language immersion in San Francisco, emphasizing a blended Eastern and Western curriculum. Families interested in this model should follow the school's development as it integrates into the local educational community.
Further reading
Find more updates on the city's academic landscape in San Francisco Language Learning.
Source note: This article includes information reported by China Daily.
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