Bryant’s Confucius Institute applies for funding to develop Confucius Classrooms in local schools

The grant from the Chinese government would create the first-of-their-kind classrooms to offer Chinese language and cultural curricula.

Bryant’s Confucius Institute has applied for a grant from Hanban, the Chinese government entity charged with promoting Mandarin education throughout the world, to create Confucius Classrooms in local schools. (Learn more about Hanban.)

Under the direction of Bryant’s Confucius Institute, the Confucius Classrooms would develop and conduct Chinese language and cultural curricula. The classrooms, which will be the first permanent satellite projects established by a Confucius Institute, are slated for the William Windsor Elementary School in Smithfield, Smithfield High School, and North Attleboro High School in Massachusetts. Bryant hopes the project will serve as a model for other Confucius Institutes around the world.

This week Smithfield Schools Superintendent Robert O’Brien and other school officials are visiting China. The contingent joined Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley and Hong Yang, director of Bryant’s U.S.-China Institute and Confucius Institute, on visits to corporate, educational, and historical sites.

Visiting Bryant Chinese Professor Ying Zhang leads an exercise as part of a past after school program at the William Windsor Elementary School in Smithfield.

“The Confucius Classroom project builds on the ongoing partnership between the Smithfield school system, Bryant University, and its Confucius Institute,” says O’Brien. “It is a model of what can be accomplished when higher education and K-12 schools work together.

“By making instruction in Chinese language and culture available to our students, parents, and the Smithfield community, we’re helping to train the next generation of business leaders and giving back to the community,” he adds.

STARTALK Program

Bryant has been active in creating community programs to teach Chinese language and culture. Last summer, 68 middle and high school students and 22 language and culture teachers took part in the STARTALK program. For two weeks, students practiced the language and studied Chinese culture. The teachers’ program featured an extra week to discuss different lesson plans that could be integrated into the curriculum.

At the conclusion of the cultural program, seven teachers and 11 students took part in the ultimate field trip to continue their education – a two-week excursion to China.

As student presents about the Olympics during last summer's STARTALK program.

The STARTALK program is part of the federal government’s National Security Language Initiative that was funded by a $150,000 grant from the National Foreign Language Center in Maryland. Bryant’s STARTALK program is the only one to conduct separate student and teacher programs.

Cultural Immersion

Holly-Anne Keenan, a first-grade teacher at the Anna M. McCabe Elementary School in Smithfield, and Bethany Marchetti, a fifth-grade teacher at the McCabe School, created a collaborative lesson plan on Chinese culture that includes the Chinese flag, geography, natural and manmade landmarks, language, food, and festivals. Each teacher was recognized last month for integrating the Chinese lessons into their curriculum at Bryant’s STARTALK Teacher Award Ceremony.

“The elementary school years are the perfect time to open students’ minds and hearts and create an ability to see the world through many different lenses,” says Keenan, who was part of the group that traveled to China over the summer.

In order to teach her students about China, it is important to examine the rich history and traditions of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, says Keenan.

“The language and cultural class over the summer and the opportunity to travel to China has provided us with firsthand knowledge and experiences that we can share with our students to help bridge the gap between our culture and China’s,” she says.

As part of the STARTALK program teachers developed lesson plans on China. At the concluding event of the summer program they presented some of their work.

Morgan Hardwick-Witman, a biology teacher at Smithfield High School, was also recognized for the program she created on aquaculture in China. She was part of the group that traveled to China and feels it is important to introduce students to different cultures at a young age.

“Older people can develop prejudices, but younger children are very excited about the big world,” she says.

In addition to the STARTALK program, Ying Zhang and Jijun Yu, visiting Chinese professors at Bryant, have led after school programs to introduce local elementary and middle school students to Chinese language and culture. Ying also taught an introductory Chinese course on campus for K-12 students. Both professors were recognized at the STARTALK award ceremony for their lesson plans.