Irene Coeny
FOUNDING DIRECTOR
I am Irene SauKing Coeny, founding director of Planet Han. I am Chinese-American and a parent of two wonderful girls. I want to share my motivation and journey with you in setting up this program.
I grew up in Hong Kong and attended an education college majoring in Chinese Literature and History. My hope was to become a teacher working with young children. I achieved my goal and had the pleasure of teaching in an elementary school in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, everyone studies English so I did not appreciate the benefits of being proficient in a second global language until my parents decided to move the whole family to New York City. I was forced to give up teaching for financial reasons. But life is full of surprises and my fluency in English opened many doors for me. It allowed me to complete my college education and embark on a career as a CPA. Most importantly, it helped me to meet my wonderful husband, Matt, with whom I have two beautiful daughters.
I want to give my children the same gift my parents gave me – fluency in a second global language. My choice of Mandarin Chinese is not because of my ethnic background but because it is the most practical second language for young children to learn today.
As parents, we must prepare our children for the future. Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world and the third in the United States. As our global cultures become more intertwined, helping your child gain proficiency in Mandarin Chinese will give your child a competitive advantage for the future.
When I was first introduced to the MAT (Model.Action.Talk.) approach, I observed, firsthand, how effective and engaging this method is in teaching young children Mandarin Chinese. This technique has been proven to help children regardless of ethnicity.
Life has come full circle for me and I am back in education after all these years. I hope you will join us in fulfilling the mission of Planet Han by allowing us to teach your child Mandarin Chinese. We place our children first and I am confident you and your child will have a blast on Planet Han.
Lucie, 17 years old - Director’s Daughter
FIFTEEN YEARS!? Planet Han has meant so much to me over these past... fifteen years. Thinking back on it, it really moves me to consider how I've grown up alongside my mom's passion project as long as I can remember. From attending classes and summer camp to eventually working as a counselor, I feel like I've really gotten to know and love this school from the inside out. I've become fluent in Mandarin, which has been incredibly important to me throughout my life—language is something that brings people together, and Mandarin has connected me to so many people, and those bonds have meant everything to me. I've found friends in teachers and students, and not only have I learned a new language from nothing (WOW!), I've done so in so, so many creative ways. From thumb wrestling to be emperor of a dynasty, to hunching over the calligraphy table until I perfected my writing, to donning a wig to be a Trolls character—in Chinese. Most of the time, when I was learning Mandarin, I barely even realized I was because, at Planet Han, learning is fun, and fun is learning. In short, Planet Han has brought me wonderful friends, good times, and, most importantly, an entire language and its culture. I am so proud to be the daughter of the founder of something so special. You've really done something amazing, Mom, and I hope you see that every day.
Marcie, 21 years old - Director’s Daughter
Fifteen years ago, I started learning Mandarin with Planet Han, and I am so lucky to have grown up with this school. I began with zero knowledge of Mandarin and, over time, gained strong linguistic and cultural fluency. I have made invaluable bonds with teachers with whom I am still connected, and the Planet Han family is incredibly special to me. Through these fifteen years, my role at the school aged with me – I have been an after-school student, a summer camper, a summer camp counselor, and SAT subject-test prep student…the list goes on. Now I get to stay connected with Planet Han more remotely by designing social media graphics and promotional material.
Planet Han is not just a school to me. Learning Mandarin there taught me a dedication to practice, immersion, and playfulness that I apply to other languages I have studied – Greek, Russian, and Italian became far easier with my constant commitment to Mandarin at Planet Han. Beyond that, this school has been a space of friendship and care. My summers at Planet Han were characterized by a tangible joy that gave me confidence in my own heritage. I treasure every memory I have made at Planet Han, and I am grateful for the support the school continues to provide me in my post-academic career. Thank you, Planet Han, and happy birthday!