Travel Opportunity to Greater China for Teachers
Background
The Cultural Exploration（CE）of Greater China Foundation is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to promote a better understanding of greater China and Chinese culture through education by offering cultural learning opportunities to schools or other educational institutions. In the past ten years, through generous donations from local communities and businesses, CE has sponsored over 30 teachers to tour China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This year, through successful fund-raising, we are pleased to offer this great travel opportunity again to teachers that are enthusiastic about bringing China and Chinese culture to their classrooms.
Unlike other cultural exchange programs sponsored by various governments or academic organizations, CE is a community-based program. We believe that the most effective way to know modern day China, Chinese Culture and people is through pressure-free interpersonal interactions.
Objective
Today, Chinese people live in different parts of the world and Chinese culture is manifested in a variety of ways. The objective of this program is to assist American teachers to
• Introduce greater China to their students with accurate information, confidence and authority.
• Develop teaching plans to enhance curriculum related to China, Pacific Rim and Asia.
• Inspire students to learn about China and Chinese culture.
• Have a better understanding of Americans with Chinese heritage.
Cultural Exploration Trip Outlines
• Format: To optimize the tour experience and align with the cultural exchange objective, the trip provides two distinct focuses:
o A commercially managed sightseeing tour to historical landmarks such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Terra Cotta Warriors and visits to modern cities such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. It is fast-paced and well structured. The tour guides provide informative narrations on history and geography.
o Host-family sponsored programs provide opportunities to interact with Chinese families, teachers and students on an informal basis. Unlike the sightseeing tour, this emphasizes the understanding of modern day Chinese family living, school systems and cultural exchange. This includes school visits in Shanghai and Taipei. The participating teachers will have an opportunity to exchange teaching philosophies with Chinese educators and conduct teaching demonstration in local schools.
• Time & Place: The trip will take place in the summer of 2012: Tentatively from late July through early August for about two weeks. While every year’s trip is planned independently, the trip generally includes major cities such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. Other cities may be added depending on each year’s focus.
• Expenses covered by CE: Airfare, land transportation, lodging & meals. Expenses not covered by CE: personal expenses including but not limited to visa fee, excess baggage charge, telephone expenses, gifts for the host families and tips for tour guides and drivers.
• Climate: Summer in these parts of Asia is extremely hot and humid. Average temperatures easily reach 100 F° with 50% or greater humidity. A typical day during the trip involves 12 to 14 hours of activities including travel from place to place on a tour bus. Consideration for the physical and mental preparedness, key to a successful trip in a foreign land, is highly encouraged.
Application Process
The application form is available at CE website: click here
Please submit a completed application form with a resume to ce2012selection@culturalexploration.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by February 29th, 2012. Qualified applicants will be interviewed in March and CE will inform candidates of the final decision by April, 2012.