Some say Mandarin immersion programs are a passing fad. For now, though, they continue to grow in popularity. Here’s a tally of new programs added in 2012-13 from the Mandarin Immersion Parent Council in San Francisco – 24 new schools, including seven in Utah.

And  NBC news story about parents camping out overnight to enroll their kids in a Mandarin program in LA.

Wonder if this speaks to a growing realization of the importance of bilingualism, or a hunger for more rigor and relevance from our public schools – or both.