As students from Valley High School prepare to leave for an eight-day trip to China tomorrow, they also are preparing for a mission to form lasting bonds between their school and the Asian country.

"What's very important is it's not a visit for sightseeing and fun. It's a visit we hope will result in a partnership with a Chinese school district," said George Batterson, superintendendent of the New Kensington-Arnold School District, home of Valley High, who will join them on the trip. Six other adults will also accompany them.

The district will send 18 student representatives to Beijing to meet with students and teachers at their partner district, the Education Bureau of Jilin City, tomorrow. Last January, Mr. Batterson signed an agreement to share learning concepts and for a teacher exchange program with Jilin City. But he believes the trip could lead to a greater exchange of ideas and -- possibly -- students in the future.

New Kensington-Arnold already shares a closer connection to China than many other school district in the area. The district is a member of the University of Pittsburgh's Confucius Institute, and has two full-time teachers who were born in China. Also, the agreement with Jilin City places a strong emphasis on computer conferences and other technological advances to keep students and teachers on both sides of the globe in contact long after the trip ends.

Before being approved for the trip, the 18 students had to discuss ways to educate classmates and the community at large about what they would learn in China. Sending them is a way for the district to show its commitment to the partnership and for students to demonstrate how important they believe it is for their generation to collaborate with peers in China.

"China is moving in fast forward," said Leslie Deutchman, 16, of Arnold.

She said the country is in the midst of a "new industrial revolution" and that it is essential for Americans to form alliances with China.

"If you want to do something important, you're probably going to have to go to China at some point," she concluded.

Although most students recognize the significance of their mission to form international bonds, they can't help but think about how the trip can improve their lives personally.

Hannah Miller, 16, of New Kensington, said she wants to go into the FBI someday and that "world travel looks good for that."

Elise Zavadak, 17, of New Kensington, who sat on the strategic planning committee for the trip, said she looks forward to making new acquaintances, but can't wait to visit the National Aquatics Center in Beijing, known as the Water Cube, "to walk the same steps Michael Phelps walked."

And Klace Danko, 18, of New Kensington, said she just wants to "walk the Great Wall."

Naturally, Chinese teachers Zhao Pu and Zeng Jun of Wuhan, capital of China's Hubei province, hope students will soak up as much of the Chinese language as possible during the trip.

"If you want to learn a language, the best way to learn is to practice in that country," Ms. Pu said. "Then you can speak and learn the language all the time."

As students immerse themselves in Chinese culture and history -- they will attend 12-hour school days in Jilin City and visit historical sites such as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City -- Dr. Batterson said he hopes students remember how they can make the trip benefit the future of students back home.

The second-year superintendent said New Kensington-Arnold already stands out for its use of technology -- the district has invested $1.8 million in technology for the next three years and plans to issue laptop computers to students in grades 4-12 by 2010. But he hopes someday it will stand out for the way it uses technology to combine classrooms halfway around the world.

"We're going to be able to have constant communication with them. We think we'll be leading school districts in Pennsylvania and in America with this technology."