Founders & Directors

Cathy Hsiao, Founding Director

• Cathy was born and raised in Taiwan. She attended college and graduate school in New York State. She worked for Siemens USA in New York City for many years before moving to California.

Charles Ge, Founding Director

• Charles was born and raised in Fujian, China. He attended college and graduate school on the East Coast, before moving to California to work for Hewlett Packard for several years. He owned a successful manufacturing/trading business.

Wei Qun E, Director

• Wei Qun was born and raised in Hebei, China. She immigrated to the US to study and became an attorney. She has clients on both sides of the Pacific, and is active with various community and nonprofit organizations.

How We Started

Step into any bookstore in China these days, and you will find a large children's section. On closer inspection, you will realize that the books there are not really books per se. They are workbooks, test preparation materials, essay-writing instructions, and of course many practice drills on English vocabulary and grammar.

We noticed this situation years ago, and wondered how children learned English. At that time, schools and parents recognized the importance of English instructions and there was a big government push for it, especially after Beijing won the bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

We found the answer by speaking with school children in various cities. In China, students have only the standardized textbooks that are used nationwide. For the most part, these textbooks are neither interesting nor relevant. Some students lose interest in learning English, which negatively impacts their chances of getting into good universities. For those who persist because they understand the value of this language skill, there is virtually no English-language reading material outside of the school system to satisfy their enthusiasm for learning.

Because of restrictions on importing books, foreign language books can only be found at a few exclusive bookstores in Beijing and Shanghai. That leads to the fact that even if public libraries have the funds to purchase English-language books, they are simply not on the market. Most libraries are so cash-strapped that they cannot even provide locally published books, not to mention high-priced American books.

People in the United States are accustomed to an abundance of wonderful children¡¦s literature, and consider children¡¦s books a critical component of education. We decided to support Chinese children in learning English and to encourage them to appreciate the cultures behind the language.

Volunteers

We work both sides of the Pacific. Your involvement is greatly appreciated.

In China,

• We deal with various libraries via local volunteer liaisons who facilitate the communication process and help us gather information on the library. Volunteers also represent us in attending the opening ceremonies and help us with PR campaigns to spread the word.
• We collaborate with the Ministry of Culture and the National Library. Volunteers help us reach the decision makers and navigate the bureaucracy.
• We will set up a website soon so that the Apple Tree Libraries have a place to exchange ideas and experiences. The website will be hosted and maintained by volunteers in China.

In the US,

• We raise funds, procure books, and recruit volunteers to help further our mission.
• Volunteers help in fundraising, PR, and book procurement, mostly in California.
• We also constantly recruit volunteers who can help with the individual libraries in China, so that we have librarians, teachers, and youth volunteers to visit these libraries in the summer. They are from all over the US.
• Members of the Chinese American Librariansˇ Association (CALA) advise and mentor the Apple Tree Libraries for us. Their efforts help bring the library profession to a higher level in China.