Emad Gerges's "Arabic Camp Day" Project strives to encourage elementary, middle, and high school students in Oxford, Mississippi to enroll in Arabic classes by putting on an outreach event that showcases aspects of the Arabic language and culture. The event recruits local college students who have been studying Arabic to run several different stations that prospective students rotate between.
Bao Qingmei (STEP Academy, 2018-2019) and Marwa Borghol (STEP Academy, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for a Chinese Fair, in which students and faculty demonstrated what a traditional Chinese fair is like. There was food, snacks for sale, and Chinese dumpling tutorials. There was also an arts section where participants learned to write Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, papercutting, and how to paint a Peking Opera mask. In additional, there was a variety of performances such as a Chinese dance call guozhuang, Chinese children’s songs, and martial and Tai Chi performances.
Zhao Xin (Plantation Middle School, 2018-2019) and Roxana Rivero-Taube (Plantation Middle School, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant to hold a Chinese New Year Celebration for the students, teachers, parents, faculty, community members, and guests. From a series of activities, like lectures, assemblies, cross-culture fair, and Chinese Club, the people in the community will get a basic understanding and full engagement of Chinese Culture.
Bridget Veitch (2016-2018), a TCLP mentor teacher at LaSalle Language Academy in Chicago, Illinois, used the CLP grant she received to organize the first Spring Festival held at her school. The event significantly raised awareness of Chinese Language education at the school and showcased student dedication, involvement, and learning, promoting community building around Chinese language and culture. Over 300 attendees joined the festivities, a very strong showing in comparison with other types of the “language events” sponsored by the school.
With funding from a CLP grant, Cui Yi (2017-2018) hosted the Chinese Culture Festival at Suder Montessori School in Chicago, Illinois. This was an opportunity for students to showcase their work and for parents and community members to see the positive impact the Mandarin program has on their school. The festival activities focused on the traditions of the Chinese Spring Festival and utilized musical and art performances by students, as well as classroom activities, to highlight the progress students have made throughout the year.
This CLP, awarded to Li Jing (2017-2018) supported Nasalle Grays River Valley School's Chinese Exhibition Show on February 24, 2018. The show was open to parents and community members and featured three parts. Students learning Mandarin at the school performed traditional Chinese dances, including a fan dance, ribbon dance, and lantern dance, all set to Chinese songs. The second part of the show had an exhibition of students’ work from the 4th and 5th grades, including students’ calligraphy, drawing, crafts and research about China.
TCLP alumna Tan Lihua received a Critical Language Project grant to hold Chinese Culture Stations at three high schools in Rock Hill, South Carolina. These Chinese Culture Stations were a Mid-autumn Festival Celebration, a calligraphy demonstration, a traditional clothes show, and an International Festival.
Mr. El-Dwiny, along with the faculty and staff at John W. Lavelle Preparatory Charter School, will host an international festival with an emphasis on the Arabic world. Mr. El-Dwiny plans for the festival to provide cross-cultural outreach to students, parents, the community, principals from other schools and local media. He and his students will organize exhibitions on Arabic culture and history, a fashion show of Arabic clothes, music, and videos showing Arabic and Middle East culture.
TCLP mentor teacher Deborah Page and exchange teacher Gu Wenming will organize a celebration of the Spring Festival at Captain Nathan Hale Middle School. The event will involve students in Mr. Gu’s Mandarin classes, students who participate in the Chinese Enrichment Club, and other students in related arts classes and culinary clases. Students from the nearby High School and pre-school will all be invited to attend. The event will focus on Chinese culture and language and students will take part in Chinese songs, dances, and performances.
Gu Zhen, Current TCLP Teacher, will hold a Chinese language and learning festival at her host school Wright Elementary. The purpose of this project is to engage every student in Chinese culture. Every class will perform on stage and further participate in several cultural activities. There will be Chinese culture display at the school that will include posters on topics such as cuisine, festivals, costumes, movies, traditions, and places of interest. The introduction of culture through posters will be followed by a school and community wide celebration.
