Join the 2026 Cohort of China Institute’s Project Culture and Language Learning (Project CLL)!
Project CLL is an integral part of China Institute’s Teacher Certificate Program: Understand Chinese Culture and Practice, a program aiming to develop teaching excellence and strong leadership while building a supportive community for K-12 Chinese language teachers in the U.S.. It is an innovative project offering a structured path to effectively integrate culture and language learning in their classrooms through participant-centered workshops, group study sessions, and classroom implementation.
Selected outstanding participants will be supported by China Institute to showcase their work on larger platforms, building leadership competence for future career development.
2026 Program at a Glance
As China Institute of America celebrates its 100th anniversary in May 2026 and commemorates Mr. Mei Lanfang’s 1930 American tour, Project CLL will explore innovative pedagogical strategies for developing students’ cultural competence and language proficiency through the appreciation and experience of Peking Opera 京剧, a unique traditional Chinese performing art.
Project CLL offers:
- A pedagogical workshop on Friday, March 6, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EST). The workshop will be led by Dr. Wei-ling Wu, a master teacher trainer who will talk about the rationale and strategies for integrating cultural and linguistic learning within the context of Peking Opera. Participants will be guided through a step-by-step planning framework they can apply to develop their own K-12 CLL units. Dr, Wu will also share successful CLL units developed by previous cohorts.
- Support for unit design and implementation. From March to May, participants will design and implement CLL units for their own classrooms. Group meetings with Dr. Wu will be scheduled during this period based on needs.
- An opportunity to share in May. Participants will present their final CLL units at China Institute Learn, Share and Lead Workshop (online) in May 2026.
- Resources and materials. Peking Opera–related teaching resources will be shared, and China Institute will provide a limited funding for cultural supplies and materials based on teachers’ needs.
Project CLL features the following benefits:
- Free admission to all workshops and group meetings
- Continuing Education credits for applicable K-12 teachers in states of New York and New England. CTLE credits are offered for New York State teachers attending and sharing at the programs. In partnership with New England Chinese Language Teachers Association (NECLTA) and Chinese Program at Tufts University, PDP certificate is available for NECLTA members.
- Opportunities to be selected to present at regional and national conferences sponsored by China Institute
- Join a community of dedicated like-minded educators supported by China Institute and its partners!
Applications are now open for Project CLL 2026 cohort. It is limited to 25 participants.
Applicants must meet the following requirements for consideration:
- Passionate about teaching Chinese culture in their classrooms.
- Currently teaching Chinese language in an accredited K-12 school in the United States.
- Download the proposal form at: 2026 Project CLL Proposal Form. Submit a completed proposal that shows efforts and enthusiasm in CLL by Sunday 5:00 PM, February 22, 2026, through the link: 2026 Project CLL Proposal Submission
Join us and take a step forward in advancing your teaching.
We look forward to working with the 2026 cohort of Project CLL.
For questions, please contact Yongqiang Lin at [email protected]
Mater Teacher Trainer: Dr: Wei–ling Wu 吴威玲
Dr. Wei–ling Wu (Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania), teacher of Chinese, consultant, and trainer of Chinese language teachers. A master teacher trainer, Dr. Wu taught in K–12 schools in the United States for twenty-five years. Over her long career as a teacher trainer, Dr. Wu has taught courses for teachers of Chinese at New York University, East China Normal University in Shanghai, and other colleges as an adjunct instructor. She has trained hundreds of Chinese language teachers through the Asia Society and the China Institute in the past decade. Dr. Wu has also served on various projects for Chinese language instruction and curriculum development, including those conducted by STARTALK and Chinese Language Schools. Dr. Wu is the designer, coach, and script writer of the Asia Society’s TEQ video lesson series for teaching Chinese, which is accessible across the country and around the world. Her endeavor as chief author since 1994 has resulted in a range of Chinese textbooks for K–12 students.
