K-12 Seminars

Join us for a free one-day workshop for educators at The Huntington Library on November 9, 2025, hosted by the USC U.S.-China Institute and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia and Japan Society. This enriching program will focus on the history, design, and cultural significance of The Huntington’s Japanese Garden, one of the most beloved and iconic landscapes in Southern California. Led by expert educators and garden specialists, the workshop will include a guided, inquiry-based tour of the Japanese Garden and discussions on how to bring East Asian garden aesthetics, history, and philosophy into the classroom. Participants will gain insight into how Japanese gardens reflect broader cultural values and historical developments—and how to connect these themes to art, literature, and social studies lessons. Attendees will receive classroom-ready teaching resources, a complimentary lunch, and a free pass for a future visit to The Huntington.

China’s rise has already reshaped our world and its influence continues to grow. Many welcome this. Some worry about it. K-12 educators are encouraged to learn more about China and its global reach in this five week online course. It is aimed at equipping teachers to bring more about these vital developments into their own classrooms.

This seminar invites K-12 educators across disciplines to explore Japan's modern literary legacy and cultural transformation. Tailored to educators, the program delves into Japan’s history, societal evolution, and literary milestones, offering strategies to integrate these themes into the classroom. By weaving Japan’s stories and creative voices into subjects like history, literature, art, and social studies, educators can inspire deeper engagement and global understanding among students. A comprehensive resource package and contact hours will equip participants to bring these narratives vividly to life.

Join us for a free one-day workshop for educators at The Huntington Library on September 28, 2024, hosted by the USC U.S.-China Institute and the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. This engaging event, led by Philip Bloom, June and Simon K.C. Li Curator of the Chinese Garden and Director of the Center for East Asian Garden Studies, offers a comprehensive introduction to Chinese gardens, including a lecture on Liu Fang Yuan and an inquiry-based docent tour. Participants will also receive educational resources, a free pass for a future visit, and a complimentary lunch.

Join us for a dynamic 10-week online seminar series exploring the major historical, cultural, and political developments in East Asia from 1800 to the present. Led by expert scholars from USC and UCLA, this program offers a rich, in-depth journey through key topics including early modern transformations, imperial encounters, revolutions, and the reshaping of East Asia in the modern world.

Join us for a fascinating five-week course that explores the key cultural moments, movements, and individuals who have shaped the urban and artistic landscapes of East Asia. Designed especially for middle school educators in history, art, geography, and cultural studies, this course invites participants to expand their global curriculum with compelling stories and case studies from China, Japan, and Korea.

Step into the world of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of our time. World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century brings the awe-inspiring legacy of China’s First Emperor to life with new findings that are reshaping what we know about the famed Terracotta Army. Hosted at the Bowers Museum, this special exhibition features newly unearthed artifacts and groundbreaking research from ongoing excavations in Xi’an, offering a rare opportunity to explore the historical, artistic, and cultural dimensions of this ancient wonder.

Moving across history in time and space, this course will overview the multifaceted architectural and urbanist dimensions of East Asia - from its urban planning concepts and monuments, to construction techniques and aesthetic concepts. It will extract some of the most defining epochs in East-Asian history, such as the spread of Buddhism, Colonialism, and the embrace and assimilation of Western Modernism. Going from Japan to China, and Korea to Hong Kong, this course will offer insights into how East Asian culture offers an intellectual counterpoint to the West, and why it remains deeply relevant to our increasingly globalizing world.

Join us for an online lecture with Dr. Yichien Cooper, hosted by the Southern California Council of Chinese Schools. Discover how English picture books featuring Chinese stories can enhance Mandarin teaching by sparking emotion, deepening cultural understanding, and fostering cultural identity. Learn practical strategies to make language learning more engaging and meaningful through East-West cultural exchange.

Curious about the Korean Peninsula’s past, present, and future? Join us for Two Koreas, a free, five-week virtual seminar that dives into the fascinating history, politics, and culture of North and South Korea. From the rise of the Kim dynasty to modern-day South Korea’s global influence—and how both nations are portrayed in media—this seminar offers essential context and classroom-ready content for educators and lifelong learners alike. Whether you teach history, social studies, or global affairs, this series will deepen your understanding of one of the world’s most complex and compelling regions.