WARSAW — A trio of teachers from Warsaw will embark on a trip to the Far East this summer, thanks to a partnership that spans an ocean and thousands of miles.

Warsaw Community School Corporation Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert told the corporation’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Feb. 13, that an invitation was sent from China and the opportunity will not cost the school system a dime.

“WCS has collaborated with multiple schools as partners and collaborators throughout the world,” Hoffert said. “Over the past 10 years, multiple schools from China have sent visitor students, teachers and administrators from our partner schools in China.”

Hoffert said those schools decided it was time to return the favor and play host to U.S. educators. “These schools have invited teachers to participate in a professional development exchange with their teachers and educational strategies in mathematics and STEM education.

Hoffert told the board the three teachers involved in the two-week summer training will be Sandy McClellan from Jefferson Elementary School, Mathematics Instructional Coach Angela Luecke and Abbi Richcreek, STEM teacher at Edgewood Middle School.

The collaboration will include teachers from schools in Columbus. Hoffert told the board that the two communities were of interest to the hosts due to the large manufacturing bases in those two towns — orthopedics in Warsaw and Cummins Diesel in Columbus.

“They would like to pay to have our educators come over and spend some time,” Hoffert told the board. “Usually this is a very expensive trip, but they are going to pay pretty much almost all the cost,” he said.