In year 2024,  Northstar Learning Collaborative of Massachusetts will offer the STARTALK Cape Cod Chinese Teacher Retreat, a program, both face-to-face during a two-week summer camp located in a retreat center on Cape Cod, and, virtually, as a pre- and post-program online outreach that will be transformative to the 12 teacher participants, whether they are novice or more experienced teachers. Led by experts in the CFL field and seasoned practitioners in the K-12 realm, Jian Gao, Ma Ya and Ping Wu, the participants will be able to create a culturally rich, thematic unit, using backward design and their understanding of proficiency acquired through Modified Oral Proficiency Interview (MOPI) training.  Tentative dates for the two-week camp on Cape Cod are July 8 – July 19, 2024.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of designing learning experiences that are framed by a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum that integrates culture, content and language. They will work with authentic, age-appropriate materials to create a learner-centered environment, engaging students in real-world performance tasks that allow them to use the target language beyond the classroom. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION EMAIL US AT maya@NSLCMA.ORG 

What is STARTALK? Startalk Web Page.

STARTALK Mission:

STARTALK is a federal grant program managed and funded by the National Security Agency. STARTALK grants fund innovative programs with strong language learning outcomes for K-14 students in support of the STARTALK goals. STARTALK grants currently support programs offered in the following critical need languages: Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, and Russian.

STARTALK Goals:

• Increase the number of students enrolled in the study of critical languages

• Increase the number of highly effective critical language teachers in the U.S.

• Increase the number of highly effective materials and curricula available to teachers and students of critical need languages

• Enhance workforce development in the federal government to meet national security needs through the study of critical languages