Happy New Year! We hope you had a peaceful, restful holiday. To welcome the new year, we have updated the Research and Resources section of the CELIN web pages and added two new sections to the Resources for Educators. We hope that you will find these helpful in your work:

Also take a look at the Study Abroad pages in Ask the Experts, where you'll find detail-rich student and teacher testimonials, and inspiring photographs (such as this image to the right—courtesy of the Chinese American International School in San Francisco).

CELIN has received numerous requests for information about curricula used in Chinese language education. Therefore, we decided that this will be one area of our focus this year. We’re conducting a survey of curricula that are used in Chinese language education and that educators need. Can you please take five minutes to complete this survey? This is an ongoing project, and we will be sending out information as we proceed. Stay tuned to find out what we are learning!  –Shuhan Wang and Joy Peyton

 

Generation Study Abroad 
In early March, the Institute of International Education (IIE) launched Generation Study Abroad, a five-year initiative that brings leaders in education, business, and governments together to double the number of U.S. college students studying abroad. IIE has already identified more than 450 partners who have committed to specific actions that will help reach this ambitious goal; the result will be thousands more American students graduating with the international experience necessary for success in a globalized world.

As a vital part of the initiative, IIE recognizes the significant role that high school educators play in bringing the world into classrooms. Teachers can inspire curiosity about the world, and we believe that building a pipeline for study abroad will be necessary to achieve our goal of doubling by the end of the decade. That is why the Institute is setting a target to identify at least 1,000 high school teachers who pledge to make their students aware of study abroad. Teachers are powerful motivators when it comes to encouraging students to pursue any and all types of global study, be it through a classroom project in second grade or on a study abroad program in college.

To join Generation Study Abroad, teachers are invited to Take the Pledge and agree to advocate for study abroad within your school community and incorporate a global perspective into your own teaching.


News and Opportunities from the Field

Learning Expedition with the Asia Society International Studies Schools Network and EF Educational Tours: Join fellow educators from the United States for the opportunity to take an in-depth look at Chinese and Japanese educational practices. Visit local schools in Shanghai and Tokyo, participate in workshops, and see major cultural and historical sites. Learn about the internationally renowned "Japanese Lesson Study"—a professional development strategy for teachers—and the approaches being used in Shanghai to increase student achievement. Work together with other educators to advance the learning of global competence and to gather innovative practices that will enhance our work in U.S. districts, schools and classrooms. Tour dates: April 15–25. Learn more.
 
David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships: Boren Awards provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study in Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East, where they can add important international and language components to their educations. Deadline: February 4

2015 Chinese Guest Teacher & Trainee Program: Apply to host a Chinese guest teacher or teacher-in-training for the 2015–16 school year. All guest teachers are qualified, experienced teachers from China. After a rigorous selection and training process, they serve as full-time Chinese language instructors in U.S. schools. Trainees are recent graduates from TCFL (Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language) programs in China and serve in schools with established K–12 Chinese programs. They collaborate with classroom teachers to integrate Chinese language and culture into the school and community. Application priority deadline is February 6. Learn more.

The Confucius China Studies Program Joint Research Ph.D. Fellowship, launched by the Institute of International Education, provides generous funding for doctoral students in the Arts, Education, Humanities, and Social Sciences who are specializing in the study of China. The Fellowship is open to both U.S. citizens and international students. Successful applicants will be supported for a period of at least six months to up to two years as they pursue research at one of 15 designated universities in China. Recipients will receive an annual living stipend of 80,000 RMB (approximately 13,000 USD), and an annual research stipend of 20,000 RMB (approximately 3,200 USD). Application deadline has been extended to February 12 for awards beginning in the fall of 2015. Learn more.

World of 7 Billion Video Contest: World of 7 Billion is holding a video contest for students to come up with innovative solutions to global challenges resulting from human population growth. Students must highlight a global issue dealing with either mass extinction, available farmland, or global education, explain why the issue is important, and provide at least one idea for a sustainable solution in order to be considered. Prizes include up to $1,000 for students and free curriculum resources for teachers. Deadline: February 19. Learn more.

Concordia Language Villages: Summer "Villages" combine language immersion, cultural activities, and fun camp activities, and are offered for students aged 7-18 in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. Programs are one, two, and four weeks long, with the four-week program offering one year of high school language credit. Scholarship deadline is February 20.

Duke Summer Academy for High School Students: A three-week, non-credit-bearing program offered by Duke University attracts students who represent the next generation of leaders from around the world. This program is designed to provide the academic and residential environment to gain a global perspective on multiple areas of interest for young leaders. Students will choose formal language instruction in either Mandarin Chinese or English for half of the class and then they will learn about communication, theory of language, public speaking, and debate. Applications due: May 1. Learn more.

Chinese Teacher Training Program: Sponsored by Hanban, the Chinese Language Teachers Association of Greater New York is offering its popular teacher training summer program at Nanjing University for the 12th year in a row. Courses include Modern Chinese, Classical Chinese Literature, Chinese Characters and Calligraphy, and Seminar on Advanced Chinese. Upon the successful completion of the program, participants will receive graduate-level credits from Nanjing University which can be used to fulfill the subject credit requirement for teacher certification by US education authorities. Program dates: July 15–August 9. Learn more.

100,000 Strong Foundation Resource Guide: The 100K Foundation has compiled a list of government scholarships and fellowships for high school and post-secondary students, as well as informational links on studying abroad in China. Learn more.
We welcome your feedback and encourage you to share information that is of interest to the wider community. Please feel free to contact us at chinese@asiasociety.org and forward this newsletter on to others who are interested in Chinese language and culture programs in the schools.

With best wishes for 2015,
China Learning Initiatives Team
Asia Society

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