As part of the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia’s ongoing mission to support K–12 educators in bringing East Asia into their classrooms, NCTA@US-China Insitute was pleased to support the Taiwanese Culture in K–12 Classrooms for K-12 Teacher Exchange held on May 16, 2026, at the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles. Hosted by UCSB-NTNU Mandarin Training Center, the program brought together experienced public school Chinese language educators from across Southern California to share innovative teaching practices and classroom applications for integrating Taiwanese culture into K–12 education. The event was also supported by the Los Angeles Overseas Community Affairs Council Education Division. Through lively discussions and collaborative exchange, the program highlighted the growing network of educators committed to strengthening Taiwan and East Asia-related teaching in local schools.
The program opened with remarks by Chih-Yu Hu, Program Manager for Taiwan Huayu BEST Program, UCSB-NTNU Mandarin Training Center, who introduced the goals of the program. She discussed how the UCSB-NTNU Mandarin Training Center supports K-12 educators through cultural resources, instructional materials, and teacher professional development opportunities, helping teachers bring Taiwanese culture into thier classrooms. Representatives from the Los Angeles Overseas Community Affairs Council also introduced local Taiwanese cultural resources and welcomed future collaborations with public schools through student visits and campus outreach programs to further deepen cultural exchange.
The teacher exchange focused on practical applications of integrating Taiwanese culture into K–12 classrooms. During the first half of the program, participants reflected on UCSB’s four years of promoting Taiwanese cultural outreach and school partnerships. Teachers shared classroom-based teaching experiences and innovative lesson designs centered on Taiwanese cultural learning.
Ms. Luo from Mayfair Middle/High School shared creative instructional approaches using traditional Taiwanese toys and calligraphy activities to engage students in cultural learning. Ms. Chen from Hidden Trails Elementary introduced a “Taiwanese Food Critic” activity along with a hands-on Taipei 101 STEM project, in which students used paper cups and classroom materials to construct Taipei 101 while learning about Taiwanese culture and engineering concepts through experiential learning.
The second half of the event featured additional presentations from high school educators. Ms. Song from Whitney High School shared lessons focused on Chinese chess culture, guiding students from creating chess pieces to understanding the cultural meanings and traditions behind the game. Ms. Hong from Laguna Beach High School used the Taiwanese film Our Times as an example for exploring cultural perspectives, comparative cultural analysis, and intercultural understanding while connecting the lesson to ACTFL, AP, and SEL learning standards. Meanwhile, Ms. Bai from Los Altos High School presented classroom examples of integrating Peking Opera into curriculum design, demonstrating how traditional performing arts can be adapted into contemporary K-12 teaching.
In addition to the teacher presentations, the UCSB-NTNU Mandarin Training Center also introduced Taiwanese cultural teaching materials and activity resources, including paper fan and xiaolongbao-themed activities, providing educators with additional ideas for integrating hands-on cultural learning into their classrooms.
The diverse and creative lesson designs shared throughout the exchange demonstrated the strong potential and flexibility of incorporating Taiwanese culture into the K-12 education. The event also reflected NCTA’s ongoing commitment to helping educators engage students through interdisciplinary learning, cultural inquiry, and meaningful cross-cultural understanding.