Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society President and Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished diplomat who served as South Korea’s 38th Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017 to 2021)—the first woman appointed to this post in the nation’s history, endeavoring to garner global support for South Korea’s initiative to engage with North Korea towards lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. She previously held key leadership roles at the United Nations, including as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Senior Advisor on Policy to Secretary-General António Guterres.

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization that offers free lessons in math, science and humanities, as well as tools for parents, teachers and districts to track student progress. Khan Academy is piloting an AI guide called Khanmigo that is a tutor and teaching assistant. The organization partners with more than 500 public school districts and schools across the United States. Worldwide, Khan Academy has more than 150 million registered users in 190 countries, with free lessons available in more than 50 languages.

Jonathan McKay (米凯) has spent his career driving growth and building teams at organizations changing the world. At OpenAI, he is the Head of Product Growth to expand the user base and revenue of ChatGPT. Formerly a Sr. Product Director at Instagram and Facebook, he founded over 18 teams, including the information operations team responsible for combatting information operations for Facebook. He is fluent in Chinese, rusty in Arabic and Java, and has founded a real estate company now managing over $50m in assets.

Emily Reid is a dynamic leader in AI education and responsible AI, dedicated to promoting diversity and responsible AI frameworks in the tech industry. As the CEO of AI4ALL, she is democratizing pathways to AI careers and creating opportunities for historically excluded AI Changemakers. Emily is passionate about making AI work for humans, and believes that AI should be created by an ethics-informed, representative workforce. With a fresh perspective and a focus on impact and responsible AI, she is leading the charge to cultivate a new generation of AI Changemakers who will steer AI in the right direction.

Yvette Renteria is the Chief Program Officer for Common Sense Media. She leads the education, research, family and community engagement teams that support our kids to thrive in a digital world. Yvette brings 20 years of experience working in schools and non profit organizations. Within her years in education, she was the Deputy Chief of Innovation on the district level, school principal and elementary school teacher for several years. Yvette has also worked in nonprofit spaces as a Program Director for a workforce development organization and and Chief Strategy Officer for an early childhood development organization. The focus of her career has always been about access, opportunity and growth for people. Yvette holds a Masters of Education from Loyola Marymount University and Bachelors of Development Studies from UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys exploring life through the eyes of her 7-year old twins.

Jacob Ward is a prolific technology journalist. He was formerly an on-air correspondent for NBC News, covering the intersection of technology, human behavior, and social change for Nightly News, The TODAY Show, and MSNBC. He is the former editor-in-chief of Popular Science magazine, and was Al Jazeera’s science and technology correspondent from 2013 to 2018. Ward is a lecturer at the Stanford d.school, and was a 2018-2019 Berggruen Fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, where he began writing The Loop: How AI is Creating a World without Choices and How to Fight Back, out now from Hachette Book Group. The book explores how artificial intelligence and other decision-shaping technologies will amplify good and bad human instincts. Ward has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Wired, and many other publications. In addition to hosting documentaries for Nat Geo and Discovery, he’s the host of the landmark four-hour PBS television series, “Hacking Your Mind,” about human decision-making and manipulation.

 Dr. Viorica Marian is a cognitive scientist at Northwestern University, where she is the Sundin Endowed Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and of Psychology and the Director of the Northwestern Bilingualism and Psycholinguistics Research Lab. Her research centers on the relationship between language and mind, with a focus on the psycholinguistics of bilingualism and multilingualism and the cognitive, developmental, linguistic, neural, and social consequences of knowing more than one language. Dr. Marian received her PhD in Psychology from Cornell University and previously served as Chair of the National Institutes of Health Study Section on Language and Communication and as Chair of the Northwestern University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is the recipient of the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2024 John P. McGovern Award, the Clarence Simon Award for Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring, the University of Alaska Alumni of Achievement Award, and the Editor’s Award for best paper from JSLHR. Marian is the author of over 200 articles and her new popular science book “The Power of Language” is being translated into 12 languages and counting.

Chinese Plus supports educational institutions, organizations, and enterprises to take part in online Chinese classes and set up localized platforms to conduct remote Chinese education. It offers an all-in-one service package including online "teaching, learning, testing, and training" as well as Chinese language-centered online preparatory courses and "Chinese + vocational education" courses, and more. We sincerely invite you to visit our Expo booth for a chance to receive a free learning experience card to explore rich and independent online learning resources. Follow us on Twitter at Chineseplus1 and email us via [email protected].

Mina Fedor is a 10th-grade high school student at College Preparatory School in Oakland, CA. She is the Founder and Executive Director of AAPI Youth Rising, the nation’s only AAPI-led national student group founded by middle schoolers that now has 150 chapters spanning 35+ states. AAPI Youth Rising volunteers to teach the ONE DAY OF AAPI HISTORY lesson about Asians in America to classrooms nationwide. The lesson has reached 54,000+ school districts and 300,000 domestic and international teachers through national partnerships. For her work, President Biden honored Mina as one of 16 civilian “Uniters” at the “United We Stand Summit” held in Washington D.C.. Mina is the recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Equity Award: Society for Science Broadcom MASTERS, Time Kid of the Year: Top 5, and the youngest winner of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. She has provided testimony to The President’s Advisory Commission on AANHPI, The White House Forum on AANHPI, the California Commission on Hate, and more. AAPI Youth Rising is Asia Society Northern California’s Game Changer West Honoree (2023) and was the partner organization to launch American Girl’s first Chinese-American Girl of the Year doll. Mina enjoys following current events, extemporaneous speech, drawing, and exploring the sea.

Giannela "Gi" Gonzales serves as the Project Coordinator and Curriculum Developer for The Asian American Education Project (AAEdu) where she leads a Mellon-funded initiative entitled, "A Fresh Look at APIDA History." In addition, Gi is a CA credentialed K-6 teacher and an alumna of San Diego State University, having received recognition as the top graduate in her program. She is a founding staff member of SDSU's Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Center and is committed to amplifying the voice and visibility of APIDA communities. As a 1.5 generation Filipina American who immigrated from Manila, Philippines to San Diego, CA, Gi is driven by her experiences as an immigrant and champions the teaching of APIDA histories and narratives. 

Jennifer Kapral has served Asia Society Texas for five years as the Director of Education, co-leading an 11-million-dollar capital campaign to create Explore Asia, an interactive educational exhibit, and Asia in the Classroom, a digital hub for teaching and learning about Asia and the Asian American experience. Prior to her role at Asia Society, she served for 15 years as a professional educator, school leader, and project manager. She has held leadership roles with Teach for America, Raise Your Hand Texas, and the Houston Independent School District. More recently, she served as Dean of Instruction at the Houston Academy for International Studies, where she built and managed a nationally recognized study abroad program. Highlights from her travels include leading a student service-learning trip to Pune, India and receiving a Fulbright-Hays award to study curriculum development in Egypt. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Education from The University of St. Thomas.

Ying Jin is a passionate and enthusiastic educator of Chinese language and culture with over 20 years of teaching experience in diverse educational settings, including middle schools, high schools, and colleges.  She enjoys teaching her adorable Mandarin Chinese students at Cupertino High School in California.  She is also a contributing member of Stanford World Language Project’s Leadership Team, where she collaborates with her peers to continuously strengthen their practice in the classroom. 

Ann Jordan began her teaching career in the Salinas Valley in the early 1980's and retired from full-time teaching at Los Gatos High School in 2018. She currently serves as chair of the CLTA Advocacy Committee and is a trainer and coach of teachers across the U.S. in the Japanese Language Education Assistant Program (J-LEAP). She is a past president and vice-president of the American Association of Teachers of Japanese and has received the California Language Teachers Association Outstanding Teacher Award as well as recognition as a Santa Clara County Teacher of the Year and the California League of Middle Schools Teacher of the Year. She also served as College Board Advisor on the AP Japanese Language Development Committee and founded the Wasshoi Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports travel/study for financially needy high school students of Japanese.

Eddie Park is the Director of Global Languages and Innovative Programs in the Poway Unified School District in San Diego. Park is a forward-thinking figure in education who led the revitalization of a struggling San Diego school, elevating it to a prestigious institution through the groundbreaking Mandarin Immersion Program he pioneered in 2007. His exceptional leadership earned him distinguished recognitions, including the California Distinguished School title and the School of the Year award from the Magnet Schools of America. Replicating his success, he introduced another Mandarin Immersion Program at Adobe Bluffs Elementary School in 2015, which went on to secure the Gold Ribbon School Award, the Blue Ribbon School Award, and the Impact Award from the Classroom of the Future Foundation for Innovation. As the Director of Global Languages and Innovative Programs for Poway Unified School District, Eddie draws upon his extensive three-decade educational background, with 15 years of experience as a principal, to advocate for language diversity and progressive education. His pioneering WongAvery Global Languages and Culture Program has positively impacted over 20,000 elementary students by introducing them to a variety of languages. This initiative recently garnered another prestigious accolade for Innovation from the Classroom of the Future Foundation in 2024. Eddie's commitment to language education and cultural exchange is further underscored by his role as the chair of the API Special Interest Group and his position as the Korean Language Ambassador at the National Association of Bilingual Education, highlighting his dedication to fostering global understanding and appreciation. 

Margaret Peterson is the Executive Director of the California World Language Project (CWLP) in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. CWLP is dedicated to developing the linguistic, intercultural, and global competency skills in each and every student in order to create a more inclusive society based on mutual respect, empathy, and a commitment to equity. An educator for 30 years, she has been a teacher of Japanese, Curriculum Developer and Coordinator for a Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program, Administrator in the Multilingual Department of San Francisco Unified School District, Assistant Principal of the largest high school in San Francisco, lecturer at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and Director of the Stanford World Language Program. Her areas of research include social justice and social emotional learning in multilingual settings, global citizenship, seal of biliteracy, and dual language immersion. She has published articles in peer reviewed journals on the social emotional wellbeing of students and teacher leaders, multiliteracy in California, and professional development career pathways for language teachers.

Linda Egnatz is the Executive Director of the Global Seal of Biliteracy, a free international language certification program. She also serves as the 2023-24 President of the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL-NCLIS), Bilingualism Matters Advisory Board Member, Global Teacher’s Club Advisory Board Member, and Past President of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Egnatz taught Spanish at the secondary and university levels, and in 2013, received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2014, she was named the ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. Egnatz has become known internationally as an advocate for language education. Her work has been featured in Univision and Chicago Tribune interviews and she has widely published, including the Foreign Language Annals, Hispania, The Language Educator, Language Magazine, and Education Weekly. Her mission is to provide bilinguals around the world with resources to level-up and leverage their bilingualism and link to future opportunities to use and grow their skills through language certification.

Baocai Jia, MA, is the 2017 recipient of the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA) SWLP Teacher Leader of the Year Award, and the 2019 recipient of CLTA Hal Wingard Lifetime Achievement Award. He has worked at Cupertino High School in California as an AP Chinese teacher and served as the World Language Department Lead. Mr. Jia has served as President and Executive Director of CLASS, Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools. Mr. Jia has participated in various projects in different leadership roles, including as a strand leader in Stanford World Language Project, SWLP. His professional service includes the College Board's World Language Academic Advisory Committee, AP Chinese Language and Culture Exam Development Committee, and the SAT Chinese Subject Test Development Committee. Mr. Jia is on the California World Language Standards Advisory Committee, and has been serving on the California State World Language Project (CWLP) Advisory Board since 2013. 

Ren Li holds a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree from the esteemed Tufts University Education Department.  She is the first permanent Chinese language teacher at Brockton High School in Massachusetts, and she also serves as a K-12 board member of the New England Chinese Language Teacher Association and is a valuable board member of the American Society of Shufa Calligraphy Education. In her teaching practices, she seamlessly integrates Chinese calligraphy into her regular Chinese language classes, creating a rich and immersive learning experience for her students. She also teaches Pre-AP, MLP Chinese and calligraphy classes at weekend schools in Massachusetts. 

Ting Zhang holds two master’s degrees in teaching Chinese as a Second Language. She has been a Chinese teacher for 12 years. In addition to teaching in private and public K-12 schools, she taught in the Middlebury Summer Chinese Program and STARTALK at Hamilton College. Currently, she serves as a high-school Chinese teacher on the West Coast. In 2015, she launched the first Chinese immersion program in her previous public school district. Moreover, she has presented her work on the learner’s portfolio at ACTFL, remote teaching reflections at NECLTA, and her research on the fourth-tone errors at CLTA-GNY. 

Shenzhan Liao is the Senior Vice President of Education and Head of the School of Chinese Studies at China Institute. She oversees all educational programs and classes in Chinese language and culture at China Institute. Ms. Liao designs, moderates, and produces online and onsite programs on a variety of topics including poetry read-aloud program Lunch and Learn, Music Chat, China Institute Literati Salon for the general public, as well as programs for K-12 educators on a variety of topics including mythology, history, art, and education.

Katharine Carruthers is the Director of the Centre for Chinese Language Education at the Institute of Education (IOE), UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society in London. This role includes leading on IOE’s delivery of the UK Department for Education’s Mandarin Excellence Programme. Katharine’s work focuses on developing and supporting the learning of Mandarin Chinese on the mainstream curriculum in schools in England. She is an experienced teacher, teacher-trainer and examiner of Chinese. She is the series editor of the textbooks for teaching Chinese for 11-16 year olds in England and wrote the specification for the Cambridge Pre-U Mandarin Chinese qualification. Katharine teaches on the IOE’s Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) Languages course (Initial Teacher Training) and on the MA in Intercultural Communication. Her research interests centre around the teaching and learning of Chinese as a foreign language in schools, the notion of intercultural competence in Chinese and UK schools and language policy. Katharine is also UCL’s Global Strategic Academic Advisor (China).

Shenzhan Liao is the Senior Vice President of Education and Head of the School of Chinese Studies at China Institute. She oversees all educational programs and classes in Chinese language and culture at China Institute. Ms. Liao designs, moderates, and produces online and onsite programs on a variety of topics including poetry read-aloud program Lunch and Learn, Music Chat, China Institute Literati Salon for the general public, as well as programs for K-12 educators on a variety of topics including mythology, history, art, and education.

Madelyn Ross has worked in China-related positions in higher education and non-profit organizations for 30 years. She became president of the US-China Education Trust in March 2022. Before coming to USCET she was executive director of SAIS China and associate director of China Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, which included oversight of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center partnership in China and the SAIS dual degree program with Tsinghua University.  She worked at George Mason University from 2003 to 2015, becoming director of China Initiatives across the university. She also spent nine years at The US-China Business Council, as editor of The China Business Review and executive director of The China Business Forum. Ross holds an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Princeton University, magna cum laude. She did graduate work in Chinese at Fudan University in Shanghai in 1979-1980, where she was one of the first American students to study in China following normalization of US-China relations. She has lived and worked in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Taipei.

Wenting Wang is the Director of Academics at Yu Ming Charter School. She has held several positions since joining the Yu Ming team in 2016. At Yu Ming she has served as a classroom teacher, Teacher Leader, and teaching intern program supervisor after teaching in multiple Chinese Immersion programs in Michigan. Wenting earned two Bachelor’s Degrees in English Teaching and Human Resource Management from ChongQing Normal University and a Master’s degree in Teaching and Curriculum from Michigan State University. She holds a California Clear teaching credential and is now currently enrolled in the California Administrative Credentialing program at Reach Institute. Wenting then served the Yu Ming community as Assistant Principal before transitioning to her Director of Academics role.

Jie Zhang is Associate Professor of Chinese Pedagogy and Applied Linguistics in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma, USA. She received her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from the Pennsylvania State University. Her research interests are second language acquisition, foreign language pedagogy, and Chinese as a second language. She has published on the Modern Language Journal, Language Testing, Language Teaching Research, Chinese as a Second Language, Teaching Chinese in the World, among others. She is co-editor of the volume Chinese Language Education in the United States (Spring, 2016). Dr. Zhang serves as the Executive Director of The Chinese Language Teachers Association, USA (CLTA-USA). She had served as President of Oklahoma Chinese Language Teachers Association, Board Member of the CLTA-USA, as well as Board Member of the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers Association. She is on the editorial board of the journal Language and Sociocultural Theory. She is an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview Tester of Chinese with Full Certification.

Christopher M. Livaccari is the Head of Presidio Knolls School, and an educator, author, and former US diplomat who served in Tokyo and Shanghai as a Vice Consul, Deputy Press Attaché, and as Deputy Director of the Tokyo American Center. He was previously the Senior Advisor for China Learning Initiatives in Asia Society’s Center for Global Education in New York, the Chinese Program Director at Silicon Valley International School in Palo Alto, and a member of the board of trustees of Chinese American International School in San Francisco.

Linda Jingfang Cai is a business transformation expert and strategic People Executive with over 20 years of experience in organizational transformation. She currently serves as LinkedIn’s VP of Talent Development. Her main focuses are manager and leadership capabilities in hybrid environment, equitable talent management practices, and an efficient internal talent marketplace that emphasizes career transformation. Prior to LinkedIn, she’s held senior roles in change management, organizational development, and L&D for FSTE 10 and Fortune 300 companies ranging from 30,000 to 280,000 employees. A bilingual global citizen, Linda has worked and lived on three different continents (China, Southeast Asia, the UK and the US). And she is co-author of the book, “Share: How Organizations Can Thrive in an Age of Networked Knowledge, Power and Relationships.” Most importantly, she is a passionate champion of a forward-looking, skills-based approach in talent acquisition, talent pipeline and mobility, and leveraging technology for social good. Linda currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her family and enjoys daily reminders from her school-age daughter on how to embrace learning with joy, creativity, and imagination.

Linda Egnatz is the Executive Director of the Global Seal of Biliteracy, a free international language certification program. She also serves as the 2023-24 President of the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL-NCLIS), Bilingualism Matters Advisory Board Member, Global Teacher’s Club Advisory Board Member, and Past President of the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Egnatz taught Spanish at the secondary and university levels, and in 2013, received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2014, she was named the ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. Egnatz has become known internationally as an advocate for language education. Her work has been featured in Univision and Chicago Tribune interviews and she has widely published, including the Foreign Language Annals, Hispania, The Language Educator, Language Magazine, and Education Weekly. Her mission is to provide bilinguals around the world with resources to level-up and leverage their bilingualism and link to future opportunities to use and grow their skills through language certification.

 Zhongqi Shi is currently serving as the President of the Chinese Language Teachers Association-USA (CLTA). Dr. Shi offers visionary leadership and guidance, shaping the trajectory of Chinese language education nationwide. Holding a Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, Dr. Shi has dedicated his distinguished career to advancing second language acquisition, harnessing instructional technology, and fostering proficiency in business Chinese to facilitate career advancement. With two decades of teaching at Columbia University, Dr. Shi has authored acclaimed textbooks widely adopted across the United States and China. Notably, he spearheaded Columbia's pioneering Business Chinese and Internship program in Shanghai from 2008 to 2016, providing students with invaluable immersive experiences in Chinese business culture while honing advanced language proficiency.

Shuhan C. Wang, Ph.D. (王周淑涵) is the President of ELE Consulting International, LLC, in which she provides technical assistance, teacher professional development, curriculum, material, and assessment development, and program evaluation to parties interested in language education. She is also the Director of the Chinese Early Language and Immersion Network (CELIN) at the Asia Society.

LingoAce is a global leader delivering the best online education for young learners ages 3-15. Founded in 2017, our effective play-based programs for world languages (Mandarin Chinese, English), math, and music follow our research-based proprietary curriculum and are taught by our world-class teachers. All of our teachers were rigorously selected globally based on their credentials, expertise and experience with young learners. More than 200 hours of curriculum development goes into each lesson. Our international team is committed to delivering the best learning experience to cultivate a life-long love for learning in children across multiple disciplines. To date, more than 10 million classes have been taught to children from more than 100 countries.  

Tables 1 & 2
Topic: International Exchanges
Facilitators:
Ya-Ching Chang, Academic Dean, Silicon Valley International School\
Wenting Wang, Director of Academics, Yu Ming Charter School

Tables 3 & 4
Topic: International Exchanges with Young Learners
Facilitators:
Elsa Wenshiun Hsu, Teacher, Montera Elementary School
Meggie Chou, Founder/Head, Little Tiger Immersion School

Tables 5 & 6
Topic: Pathways to Leadership for Mandarin Teachers
Facilitators:
Jeff Bissell, Head of School, Chinese American International School
Winnie Wong, Principal, Orion Alternative & Mandarin Immersion School

Tables 8 & 9
Topic: Teacher Pipeline & PD Resources
Facilitators:
Celia Zamora, Director, Professional Learning & Certification, ACTFL (American Councils on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
Wendy Cheong, Consultant, CA World Language Project

Tables 10 & 11
Topic: Incorporating Social-Emotional Learning Principles in Mandarin language curricula
Facilitators:
Na Li, Vice President, CLASS (Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools)
Ying Jin, Executive Director, CLASS

Tables 15 & 16
Topic: Operations & Program Planning
Facilitators:
Xiaoyan Wang, Director of Chinese, International Leadership of Texas;
Stacy Lyon, Chinese Dual Language Immersion Director, Utah
Eddie Park, Director of Global Languages & Innovative Programs, Poway USD

Tables 17 & 18
Topic: SEAL Strategies in Immersion
Facilitators: 
Tina Choy, Principal, Cherrywood Elementary School
Xin Zhang, Teacher, Cherrywood Elementary School

Tables 19 & 20
Topic: Online Chinese Language Courses, Tools, Cooperative Projects and Study Tours to China
Facilitators:
Jinhong Wang, President, Chinese Plus
Rita Wang, Marketing Manager, Chinese Plus

Tables 22 & 23
Topic: Using Online Learning Tools and Platforms as Supplements to Formal Mandarin Learning in the Classroom
Facilitators:
Xiaoqiu Xu, Sr. Director, Curriculum & Assessment, LingoAce
Xiaozhen Li, Chinese subject chair, Stratford Preparatory;
Rui Fan, Mandarin teacher, Stratford Preparatory

Table 24
Topic: How to Save Time with Data-driven Student Independent Learning?
Facilitator: 
Pauline Shen, CEO, Level Learning

Cherrywood Elementary School

(K-5, Public, Immersion)

Cherrywood Elementary’s award winning K-5 Mandarin Dual Immersion program was founded in August 2018. We have been recognized by the Bay Area Parent Magazine as Best of the Best Gold and Silver award winners annually since 2020, Santa Clara County Office of Education as a 2021 Glenn Hoffman Award winner, and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for being the first Mandarin Immersion program in a San Jose public school. Our program is an inclusive model which uses SEAL (Sobrato Early Academic Learning) strategies in all of our classrooms; we are only one of two schools in the state to take this language learning approach with Mandarin language learners. Our students continue to grow as joyful language learners academically, socially and emotionally because of our instructional model and the strong partnership that we have with our Home and School Club which facilitates staff, caregivers and students regularly learning side by side.

Chinese American International School

(Preschool, K-8, Private, Immersion, Mandarin as World Language Pathway)

As the nation’s first Mandarin Immersion Preschool through 8th grade school, Chinese American International School embodies our mission by working continuously to maintain our role as a leader in immersion education. We value honest self-assessment, thoughtful self-reflection, intentional planning, and focused implementation. We are known as an ambitious school, and we are making substantial progress on our multi-year vision to reimagine immersion, reimagine our culture of learning, reimagine character and community, and reimagine our learning spaces. Since 2021, we have been using our new campus on 19th Avenue in San Francisco for athletics, arts, and community events. In September 2024, our entire community will begin the school year at our newly renovated Forever Home, which more than doubles our program space from our Hayes Valley locations and allows all divisions to be together on one spectacular campus.

College Park Elementary School

(K-5, Public, Immersion)

College Park Elementary School is a Magnet School that offers a One-Way Mandarin Dual Language Immersion Program. Our school mission is to provide a nurturing and academically challenging environment that promotes students as powerful learners, capable of recognizing their unique talents and gifts. We are committed to fostering a deep love of languages and cultures around the world with an emphasis on Mandarin Chinese and raising a generation of global and civic minded leaders.

French American International School

(6-12, Private, IB, French Baccalaureate)

Since their founding 62 years ago, French American International School has prepared students to navigate the world with confidence and command, empathy and joy. They achieve this through rigorous bilingual, French, and International Baccalaureate education programs, and a vibrant school culture strengthened by multilingual, multinational educators and families. In the French Baccalaureate Track, the Chinese language program is offered as a third language for students in Grades 6-12. In contrast, for the International Baccalaureate Track, Chinese is provided as a second language to students in Grades 9-12.

John Muir Elementary School

(K-5, Public, Immersion)

John Muir is a dedicated campus of 582 students in the Cupertino Language Immersion Program (CLIP). CLIP is a two-way dual language immersion program, with Mandarin being the target language. CLIP is in its 25th year, making us the oldest Mandarin immersion program in a public school setting. CLIP is a K-8 program with the middle school program continuing at Miller Middle School. CLIP is founded on traditional characters in a modified 90:10 (70:30) instructional model.  With a strong supportive parent organization, CLIP has an extensive enrichment program for both during the school day and after school enabling robust cultural learning and experiences.

Orion Alternative and Mandarin Immersion School

(TK-5, Public, Immersion)

The Mandarin Immersion Program at Orion Alternative School in the Redwood City School District caters to students from TK to 5th grade. Beyond traditional language education, our dynamic curriculum seamlessly incorporates STEAM, providing a comprehensive and engaging learning experience. Emphasizing a rich cultural learning environment, we foster both cultural appreciation and language fluency. Our unique Social Studies and Science integrated Mandarin curriculum is designed by our team to align with California Common Core Standards, ensuring academic excellence. We enrich students’ language skills through differentiated Mandarin literacy instruction, tailored to challenge and support all students appropriately. At Orion, we cultivate a diverse and inclusive learning environment, aiming to nurture future global citizens.

Presidio Knolls School

(Preschool, K-8, Private, Immersion)

Presidio Knolls School (PKS) started in 2008 as the world’s first Reggio Emilia inspired Mandarin immersion preschool, and now serves a diverse population of four hundred students in San Francisco from preschool through 8th grade. Our children learn exclusively in Mandarin in their Preschool years, through an emergent, student-centered program inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to education. In Elementary School (grades K-4), students engage primarily in Mandarin (about 80% of the week) through inquiry based units of exploration that build the mind sets and skill sets they need for academic, professional, and personal success. In Middle School (grades 5-8), the program is built around projects that integrate mathematical and scientific concepts, history and social sciences, and engagement with issues of social justice, and require the authentic use of Mandarin – our students complete experiential learning projects both domestically and across the Chinese speaking world through a network of partner organizations.

Shu Ren International School

(Preschool, K-5, Private, Immersion, IB)

Shu Ren International School is accredited by WASC and authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 2008. It is unique to the Bay Area. Our dynamic and engaging teachers take pride in our holistic and inquiry-based approach to learning. We strongly believe students immersed in inquiry-based learning are well-prepared and motivated to learn and succeed throughout their lives. This ensures we develop confident and knowledgeable students who demonstrate global awareness and contribute compassionately to the world around them. At Shu Ren International School, learning and mastering simplified characters enables our students to communicate effectively with more individuals and groups, successfully navigate increasingly complex cultural environments, and improve their Mandarin language literacy. While our preschool program is 100% immersion, at the elementary, we utilize a two-way/Montreal model of language immersion to teach Mandarin and English. Our English and Mandarin teachers work together to align their curriculum and use similar vocabulary and concepts to ensure continuity. Unity of Inquiry content focuses on broad subject matter and conceptual understanding. In addition to our dedication to implementing the IB program, Shu Ren remains firmly committed to delivering an exceptional Mandarin Chinese program. We initiated the formation of small groups based on students' proficiency levels for Stand-alone Chinese Lessons. This strategic shift has proven highly beneficial, garnering positive feedback from our educators and tangible improvements in students' Chinese standardized test results. By adopting this approach, we empower our teachers to customize their instruction to meet the unique needs of each group, cultivating a supportive and appropriately challenging learning atmosphere where students can excel alongside peers with similar language abilities.

Silicon Valley International School

(Preschool, K-12, Private, Immersion, IB)

Silicon Valley International School (INTL) has one of the nation’s premier Chinese immersion programs, established in 1979. As an IB accredited international school, INTL offers bilingual programs from preschool to high school in Chinese, French, and German. Located in the Bay Area, INTL employs a highly integrated curriculum that harmonizes inquiry-based learning with the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). By focusing on inquiry and bilingualism, INTL aims to empower young minds to embrace complexity, think critically from multiple perspectives, and demonstrate integrity and sensitivity across cultures.

Yu Ming Charter School

(K-8, Public Charter, Immersion)

Welcome to Yu Ming, the first K-8 Mandarin immersion charter school in California! We are a diverse, joyful and caring community where students are inspired and engaged by learning experiences that are purposeful, rigorous, and personalized. Yu Ming Charter School is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School and a 2020/2023 California Distinguished School. U.S. News and World Report released a ranking of U.S. schools for the first time in 2021, and ranked Yu Ming #7 Best Elementary School in California, and #2 Best Charter Elementary School in California. Finally, school ranking and review website Niche released their 2021 Best Schools in America rankings last summer, ranking Yu Ming as #1 in Best Charter Elementary School in the San Francisco Bay Area and #1 in Best Charter Middle School in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our school is proud of these state and national recognitions, not only for our young global scholars, but for our exemplary staff and teachers, and dedicated supporters. We believe it is our diverse, multi-lingual, compassionate, and connected community that is the key to our success. 

Shashi Hotel Mountain View: 1625 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043 (0.3 miles from the Computer History Museum)

Update on April 5: The Shashi Hotel has sold out for NCLC attendee block.

Hampton Inn & Suites Mountain View: 390 Moffett Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043 (1.5 miles from the Computer History Museum)

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Mountain View Silicon Valley: 5 Fairchild Dr, Mountain View, CA 94043 (1.7 miles from the Computer History Museum)

The Ameswell Hotel: 800 Moffett Blvd, Mountain View, CA 94043 (1.7 miles from the Computer History Museum)

Aloft Cupertino Hotel (a sister hotel of Shashi Hotel) offers an exclusive group discount for NCLC attendees at $254/night before tax, including complimentary Internet and free parking. Book via this link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1711…;

Please note that Aloft Cupertino (10165 North De Anza Boulevard Cupertino, California 95014) is about 8 miles (12 min by taxi) from the Computer History Museum. Contact Madeleine by (650) 210-7331 or <[email protected]> if you have any questions about booking a room at Shashi or Aloft.