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As the leading organization in the United States working to promote K–12 students’ understanding of world regions, cultures, and languages, Asia Society has embarked on an exciting new project. Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms will be a national network of 100 exemplary Chinese language programs over the next three years. Starting with 20 pioneer schools in the first year, our Confucius Classrooms Network will serve as model sites for developing the field of Chinese language teaching in American schools.
Asia Society’s Confucius Classrooms provides the infrastructure for the development of effective and sustainable Chinese language programs for American students. The Initiative will feature online communities, targeted professional development for Chinese language teachers in the network, and annual Confucius Classrooms Network conference. The Initiative asks each school to implement an innovative project aimed at enhancing or expanding its Chinese language program, and to develop an ongoing partnership with a school in China. This project has been established with the support of an Expert Advisory Committee and in partnership with Hanban, the Chinese government agency spearheading the establishment of Chinese language programs overseas.
Over the next three years, Asia Society will identify, through a competitive process, schools that have the potential to grow into exemplary Chinese language programs and to become model sites for the teaching and learning of Chinese in the United States. These schools will not only have effective Chinese language instruction, but also strong local leadership and support, a demonstrated commitment to international exchange and collaboration, and will be ready to act as resource centers for other schools in the region. Each Confucius Classroom will be linked with a partner school in China to enhance opportunities for language learning and to provide students, teachers, and administrators with opportunities to conduct exchanges and joint projects. Asia Society will design the selection process for the 100 U.S. schools, assist them in creating linkages with schools in China, convene an annual meeting in conjunction with the National Chinese Language Conference, provide support through e-newsletters and professional development seminars, and collect data to assess progress.
The first schools given this honor in 2009 will be by invitation only, but in subsequent years, there will be an open application and nomination process. The official announcement of the first twenty schools in the Network will be made in February 2010. Applications for the second round of Confucius Classrooms will open in March 2010. Review the selection criteria and sign up for our newsletter to be notified when the application process opens.
This initiative is more than just an attempt to recognize excellence in Chinese language teaching; it is the beginning of an ongoing field-building process with the goal of establishing high-quality, sustainable Chinese language programs in all regions of the United States. The project will be one important step in strengthening Americans’ understanding of China and in building bridges between young Chinese and American students.