Improving critical language skills of U.S. and international students

Shen Yan (Tonopah Valley High School, 2018-2019) and Michael Valdez (Tonopah Valley High School, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for a Chinese New Year Week. The event was held during Spring Festival. Chinese teacher organized the celebration of this festival with students, teachers, and parents from the U.S. host school. The Chinese New Year Week lasted for four days. Each day had a different topic for celebration. The first day there was papercutting demonstration. The seconds day was dedicated to a calligraphy workshop to create couplets.

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.

Adbelrahman Dawoud (Baltimore International Academy, 2018-2019) and Henriette Sindjui (Baltimore International Academy, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for an Arabic Week Celebration which will include activities for students in the Arabic immersion program and students and parents in the Arabic Language Club. Activities included a guest speaker, exhibits of students’ work, music, and performances. Before the celebration, students and teachers worked in the language club to learn songs, dances, and other performances.

Chen Ken (Moos Elementary School, 2018-2019) and Rafael Jimenez (Moos Elementary School, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant to attend a Chinese New Year’s Parade on Sunday February 10, 2019. As part of the school's cultural learning, families visited Chinatown for the event. After the parade, students and families explored Chinatown and ate at a restaurant with food from the Sichuan Province. This learning impacted even more students with photographs and story sharing by the students who attened the trip during class.

Zou Feili (Bodine High School for International Affairs, 2018-2019) and Kasey Trapp (Bodine High School for International Affairs, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant to hold a "Lunar New Year Celebration." Through the project funds they organized an after-school event open to all students and faculty members at Bodine High School for International Affairs. The event was primarily organized and implemented by current Chinese 2 students.

Bridget Veitch (LaSalle Language Academy, 2018-2019), Kong Yanli (LaSalle Language Academy, 2018-2019), and Wang Xia (LaSalle Language Academy, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for LaSalle Language Academy to hold a Spring Festival Celebration to teach the students and parent community about the Chinese New Year. The Spring festival at LaSalle will include student performances, authentic Chinese performers, a raffle, and silent auction items. It served the dual purpose of starting a fundraising campaign to help finance a potential TCLP teacher for LaSalle for the 2019/20 school year.

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.

Roxana Rivero-Taube (Plantation Middle School, 2018-2019) and Zhao Xin (Plantation Middle School, 2018-2019) received a CLP grant for a Chinese Reading Club for students, teachers, and faculty. From a series of reading activities (such as cross-cultural fair, language art classes, Chinese Club, and Chinese classes) the learners in the community received a basic understanding and engagement with Chinese culture. It was intended to increase people’s interest in Chinese culture and language learning. Some of the activities will continue yearly for the Chinese program.

Ahmed Mohamed (2014-2015) received a CLP grant to take the CELTA certification course offered at the British Council in Cairo. In Egypt, Ahmed teaches English at the Assuit STEM School. Through the CELTA course, Ahmed will have the opportunity to develop as a teacher so as to be better equipped to prepare his students for higher education (many of his students apply to universities abroad) and future careers. He also plans to share the knowledge he will gain through the course with other teachers at his home school.

Ezzat Hassan (2015-2016) will be leading a field trip for students at his home school, Gesfa Secondary School for Girls, to Cairo to visit sites of cultural and historical interest. During this field trip, students will have the opportunity to practice English in a particular context. Prior to the field trip, students will have the opportunity to learn about American culture through webinars held by teachers at Ezzat's host school, Mentor High School. Following the field trip, Egyptian students will share their experiences on the trip with students in Arabic classes at Mentor.