Chinese American International School

Chinese American International School educates students for embrace Chinese, become their best selves, and create their place in the 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 bilingual, multicultural curriculum in English and Chinese to prepare children for an increasingly interconnected world. Shirley Lee, 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 Chinese English dual language immersion programs in the U.S. This bold experiment has become a shining model of success. Today, the school enrolls more than 520 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 three lively, bustling campuses: the Alice A. Carnes Center for Pre-K at 42/52 Waller Street, the lower school campus at 150 Oak Street and the new middle school campus at 888 Turk Street.