10 Academic Advantages for your Child

If you are not already engaged in at least five of these activities on a regular basis you need to get started right now. If you have already mastered five of these tips look to adding three more. I’m going to use the next year to spend more time at museums (monthly excursions), seeking volunteer experiences that will keep the girls connected to the realities of the world so they are not shielded by the security of their school yard, and I love the idea of grouping monthly assignments into a theme to provide opportunities to really explore a subject.

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20 Scholarships for Students Traveling to China

This article is part of a three-part series on finding scholarships in China. For more information, check out Finding the Right Scholarship for China Study and Your Guide to Chinese Government Scholarships.

by Austin Groves and Francis Miller

Scholarships for study in China can be challenging to find on your own. Each has its own eligibility requirements, deadlines and essay topics. So how do you know a scholarship is worth it?

Here are twenty scholarships that we think are worth the extra effort. The first ten are scholarships that just about anyone can apply for while the rest have a more specialized focus.

If you want to study in China, we want you to know that not only is it possible but there’s money out there for you to do it. Good luck!

(Scholarships are listed in alphabetical order.)

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Up to $5000; an additional $8000 for critical need language
Deadline: March 2014

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State support students who enroll in a study or credit-bearing internship abroad. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and the recipient of a Federal Pell Grant.

Blakemore Freeman Fellowship Language Grants
Award Amount: Full program tuition
Deadline: December 31, 2013

The Blakemore Foundation awards fellowships to individuals who spend a year abroad in a full-time intensive language program. Tuition is provided for the Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies at Tsinghua University or the International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University. Applicants must be U.S. citizens with an undergraduate degree and have an advanced command of the target language.

Boren Scholarship for International Study
Award Amount: $8000/summer; $10,000/semester; $20,000/academic year
Deadline: February 5, 2014; check with your university’s Boren campus representative

The National Security Education Program funds students to acquire language skills and academic credit in programs and areas that are of critical importance to national security and sustainable development. All applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled in an undergraduate degree-granting program at a U.S. university and be able and willing to fulfill the NSEP service requirement. A separate competition is available for graduate students.

Chinese Government Scholarships
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room and board, medical expenses, monthly living stipend
Deadline: April 2013

Chinese government scholarships provide an opportunity for students to pursue an undergraduate degree, graduate degree or language acquisition at a Chinese university. These scholarships are merit-based and include tuition, housing and even a monthly living stipend. Programs usually last two or more years, although you do not need to participate in a degree-granting program. The Chinese Scholarship Council oversees many Chinese government scholarships.

Confucius Institute (Hanban) Scholarships
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room and board, basic health insurance, monthly living stipend
Deadline: Varies

The ”Confucius Institute Scholarship” program seeks to promote Chinese language and culture and cultivate qualified Chinese language teachers. This program provides financial aid for students, scholars and Chinese language teachers worldwide to get a master’s degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages in Chinese universities. This program is also geared toward students interested in majors like Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy.

Critical Language Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room and board, overseas health benefits, travel expenses, visa fee, cultural activities
Deadline: November 15, 2013

The U.S. Department of State sponsors summer institutes all over the world to provide intensive language training. Chinese programs in Chengdu, Qingdao, Suzhou, and Xiamen offer full-time intensive language instruction and cultural activities. Applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree granting program at an American university.

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship Program (FLAS)
Award Amount: $7500/summer; $15,000/academic year
Deadline: Varies

The International Education Program Service of the U.S. Department of Education provides grants to universities to support students for either domestic or international language acquisition. Applicants must explain how a FLAS will help them in their future studies or career. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens and apply through a university that has received an allocation of grant money. A separate competition is available for graduate students.

Freeman Awards for Study in Asia
Award Amount: $3000/summer; $5000/semester; $7000/academic year
Deadline: Not available until 2014

The Institute of International Education of the U.S. Department of State oversees students to participate in a credit-awarding study abroad program in Asia. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled in an undergraduate degree-granting program with demonstrated financial need and have little or no experience in the target Asian region. Participants must complete a service project sharing their experiences upon their return.

Luce Scholars Program
Award Amount: Full program tuition
Deadline: November 1, 2013

The Henry Luce Foundation provides stipends, language training and individualized professional placement in Asia to 15-18 Luce Scholars each year. College seniors, graduate students and young professionals who have had limited exposure to Asia are welcome to apply.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Award Amount: Varies
Deadline: October 15, 2013

The U.S. Department of State funds candidates who design projects lasting for 10 months beginning in early September 2014 or early March 2015. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and possess a bachelor’s degree before the beginning of the grant. Candidates should not have spent considerable time in their project region. Applicants can add three to six months of intensive language study to their grant by applying for the Critical Language Enhancement Award.

Americans Promoting Study Abroad
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room and board, travel expenses, visa fee, cultural activities
Deadline: 2014 date not announced yet

High school students with prior Chinese language learning experience are encouraged to apply to this four to six week summer program in Beijing. This trip will include intensive Chinese language study, as well as exposure to Chinese culture and society. The program will also include field trips to cultural sites, participation in a community service project, and exposure to a range of international careers in business, government and other areas.

Foundation for Global Scholars General Scholarships
Award Amount:$1000 – $2500
Deadline: Spring programs: November 22, 2014; summer: April 11, 2014; fall: June 27, 2014

The Foundation for Global Scholars supports the development of future global leaders with over 200 scholarships. Dedicated funding is available for students underrepresented in overseas programs, including students with ethnically diverse backgrounds and disabilities, science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) majors and students from the Rocky Mountain region in the U.S. Applicants must be able to transfer credit from the study abroad program toward their degree.

2013 James Bradley Peace Foundation to China
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room and board, travel expenses, visa fee, cultural activities
Deadline: January 15, 2014

The James Bradley Peace Foundation Scholarship, provides academic year scholarships to China and Vietnam. Open to all U.S. high school students, but students attending specific high schools will have selection priority. Students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA. Only U.S. citizens may apply.

National Security Language Initiative For Youth (NSLI-Y)
Award Amount: Full program tuition, room/board, insurance, travel expenses, cultural activities
Deadline: November 5

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State provides summer and yearlong language learning programs in critical-need regions. Participants will engage in rigorous language training and have the opportunity to participate in cultural immersion activities. Applicants must be U.S. high school students in good academic standing and may not be a dependent of an employee of the U.S. Department of State.

New England—China Scholarship Program
Award Amount: Full program tuition
Deadline: Rolling

The New England—China Scholarship Program provides the opportunity for New England public and private university students and graduates to attend a Chinese institution of higher education. The scholarship covers tuition and fees and is available to undergraduate- and graduate-level students. Individual scholarships will have a duration of up to one year and are renewable upon review. Students must first register on the program website, apply to an eligible university and then apply for the scholarship.

The Academy Scholars Program and The Academy Graduate Fellows Program
Award Amount: Varies significantly
Deadline: October 1

Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs provides stipends to pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows to conduct research in non-Western areas of the world. This program is very competitive, accepting only 1-2% of applicants. Anyone may apply as long as they are within three years of completing a Ph.D. program or have already received their Ph.D.

The Fund for Education Abroad General Scholarships
Award Amount: Up to $10,000/academic year
Deadline: Applications open in November 2013

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) is committed to increasing the opportunities for students to participate in rigorous study abroad programs. Applicants must be U.S. citizens enrolled at undergraduate programs in the U.S. and be committed to supporting education abroad through work with FEA after completion of the program. Special consideration will be given to students who are pursuing a foreign language, studying in a non-traditional study abroad location or are from an underrepresented group.

The Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Award Amount: Up to $45,000/academic year for up to two years
Deadline: November 8, 2013

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or be a college senior in good standing. Applicants must be naturalized citizens, permanent residents or children of naturalized U.S. citizens and accepted to a graduate institution in the United States. This fellowship is to be used for graduate studies in the U.S. but international study is encouraged.

Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship
Award Amount: Up to $40,000/academic year
Deadline: Applications open summer 2014

Funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, this fellowship award supports students who have an interest in joining the Foreign Service. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens in their junior year of undergraduate study or seeking admission to a two-year master’s degree program. Participants must attend a U.S. university degree-granting program but international study is encouraged.

Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program
Award Amount: Up to $35,000
Deadline: Varies

The Whitaker International Program sends emerging leaders in U.S. biomedical engineering overseas to undertake a self-designed project that will enhance their careers within the field. The goal of the program is to assist the development of professional leaders who are not only superb scientists, but who also will advance the profession through an international outlook. Special consideration is given to applicants with language capabilities to carry out projects in non-English speaking countries.

Why Black People Are Learning Chinese

Repost from the Root:

When Zuri Patterson, a second-grader, entered her new classroom the first day of school, butterflies traveled the length of her stomach right before she made formal introductions to her new classmates.

“We say Ni Hao [pronounced “nee-how”], which means “hello” in Chinese,” said the 7-year-old attending the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, a Mandarin-immersion school in the northeast quadrant of the nation’s capital.

The second-grader’s mother, Qwanda Patterson, an international traveler, told The Root, “We plan to take her to China on her 10th birthday. When I travel to Europe or Africa, everyone speaks at least two languages. Why can’t we?”

In today’s economic climate, in which black

unemployment is in the double digits, one way to give the next generation of black graduates a competitive edge is to think outside one’s borders — more globally — and learn Mandarin Chinese. Today’s black graduates aren’t competing only with their white American counterparts anymore. The landscape has changed radically in a relatively short span of time. Black graduates must now compete with their cohorts from places like China.

The past few decades have made Zuri’s first day of school a familiar scene across the nation for many students of color living in urban areas like the District of Columbia, where black students make up about half of the children enrolled in the Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School.
Read more at The Root

Best Ways to Assess Student Performance in Immersion Programs

Parents enroll their children in language immersion programs in order to give them the gift of knowing another language. They also expect that their children will do as well or better in learning the regular curriculum in the immersion language as will children who are learning that content in English. As a result, there are two fundamental strands of student assessment in elementary immersion programs: assessment of student learning in various subjects taught in the language, (e.g., math and reading); and assessment of the student’s proficiency in the immersion language. Both are used to evaluate individual student progress, to report to parents and the general community, and to support continual program improvement.

Click here for more information.

3 Tips for Monolingual Parents Raising Bilingual Children

In my goal to seek informative posts for PAASSC parents I am often frustrated. Most sites that encourage parents to raise bilingual children is built on the foundation that one or both parents are bilingual. Gallup suggests that only one in five Americans are bilingual. Further research doesn’t even attempt to identify the number of bilingual African American families.

My children are being raised bilingual and while I studied French in high school and my husband is mildly conversant in Spanish neither of these language skills are available to help our children excel in their second language. So how do we as monolingual parents support our children in learning Chinese.

These are the best tips that I have identified.

Dive In:

Find the best way to immerse your child in the language. Some sites may encourage you to splash around and get your toes wet while acclimating yourself and your child to the language. As monolingual parents this is a very difficult jump. I don’t encourage taking your time to explore whether or not this would be a good idea. I encourage you to jump in as deep as possible. Depending on where you live and what you have access to in your community to that may be as significant as an Immersion school, a Saturday class, a tutor, learning on line or exploring various apps. Your child will learn the mos the earlier they start and with the most exposure that you can provide. Jump in – blind if you need to. That is the best way to learn. That is the best way to expose your child to increase the chance that they will learn.

Make Friends:

Prior to pursuing Chinese as a second language for my children I felt that I had a very diverse group of friends – which I do. But I also realized that none of my good friends were Asian and no one that I was in regular contact with spoke Mandarin. In our journey I have established great relationships with parents that are fluent in Mandarin. My children have enjoyed play dates with families in households where Mandarin is the primary language spoken. This has been such a great experience for my children. Whereas they do not speak in Mandarin with me they love the opportunity to engage with their friends parents and converse with them in Chinese. Developing friendships with bilingual parents is a win win.

Speak Mandarin at Home:

I have made several failed attempts to learn Mandarin. But I can say “dui” (yes) and “bu shu” (no) to my children. They laugh as bu shu is often not the right version of no but they enjoy correcting me and they love that we are speaking Chinese. I also have purchased a variety of videos that the girls watch in Chinese. Visit your local Chinatown and buy an assortment of videos. They will not all be the right fit for your child but over time you will have a wide assortment of Chinese language videos in your home. Hire a babysitter that speaks Chinese. Allow them to take your child to the local Farmer’s Market or for a walk in the neighborhood pointing out colors and counting rocks. These are all great and fun ways to bring your child’s second language into your home.

A Message from a Black Mother to Her Son

Dear Caleb,

When you were almost 2, we would drop off your cousin, Sydney, at her K-8 elementary school. The ritual went something like this:

“OK, Syd, have a good day.”

“OK,” she’d groan as she grabbed her backpack. “Bye, Caleb.”

“Bye,” you’d wave and grin with your entire body.

“Bye,” Sydney would say one last time as she shut the door. I’d roll down the car window.

“Byeeeee,” you’d sing.

“Bye,” Sydney would laugh as she caught up with friends.

I’d roll up the window as you said “bye” a few more times, then start to whimper. “It’s OK, sweetie, she’ll be back before you know it. And you’ll be off joining her before I know it.”

And it’s true. Before I know it, Caleb, you will be throwing your backpack on and waving goodbye as you run off across the playground. I think about that moment often and wonder about the condition of schools you’ll enter. I worry about sending you, my black son, to schools that over-enroll black boys into special ed, criminalize them at younger and younger ages, and view them as negative statistics on the dark side of the achievement gap.

Son, my hope for you is that your schooling experiences will be better than this, that they’ll be better than most of mine.

For three years of my K-8 schooling, from 7:40 a.m. until 3:05 p.m., I was black and invisible. I was bused across town to integrate a white school in Southeast Portland, Ore. We arrived at school promptly at 7:30 and had 10 full minutes before the white children arrived. We spent that time roaming the halls—happy, free, normal. Once the white children arrived, we became black and invisible. We were separated, so that no more than two of us were in a class at a time. I never saw black people in our textbooks unless they were in shackles or standing with Martin Luther King Jr. Most of us rarely interacted with a black adult outside of the aide who rode the bus with us. I liked school and I loved learning. But I never quite felt right or good. I felt very black and obvious because I knew that my experience was different from that of my peers. But I also felt invisible because this was never acknowledged in any meaningful way. I became visible again at 3:05 when I got back on the bus with the other brown faces to make our journey home.

Caleb, I want your teachers to help you love being in your skin. I want them to make space for you in their curricula, so that you see yourself as integral to this country’s history, to your classroom’s community, to your peers’ learning. I want your teachers to select materials where blacks are portrayed in ordinary and extraordinary ways that actively challenge stereotypes and biases. Most of all, Caleb, I want your teachers to know you so they can help you grow.

One day a teacher was trying to figure out why I was so angry since I was generally a calm, fun-loving kid. She said to me: “I know you, Dyan. You come from a good family.” But did she know me? She knew that I lived on the other side of town and was bused in as part of the distorted way that Portland school authorities decided to “integrate” the schools. But did she know what that meant? My mom—your grandma—got us up at 6 a.m. in order for me to wash up, boil an egg just right, fix my toast the way I liked it, and watch the pan of milk so that it didn’t boil over, so I could have something hot in my stomach before going to school. You know Grandma, she doesn’t play. We had to eat a healthy breakfast before going to school, and we had to fix it ourselves. Maybe that’s what that teacher meant by “good family.” My teacher didn’t know that we had to walk, by ourselves, four blocks to the bus stop and wait for the yellow bus to come pick us up and take us to school. It took us a half hour to get to school. Once there, I had to constantly code switch, learn how not to be overly black, and be better than my white counterparts.

Caleb, I want your teachers to know your journey to school—metaphorically and physically. I want them to see you and all of your peers as children from good families. I don’t want you to have to earn credit because of whom you’re related to or what your parents do for a living. And I don’t want your teachers to think that you’re special because you’re black and have a family that cares about you and is involved in your life. I want them to know that all children are part of families—traditional or not—that help shape and form who they are.

The summer before beginning 4th grade, I started teaching myself how to play the clarinet. It was the family instrument in that both of my older sisters played it when they were younger. For years I wanted to be a musician. It was in my blood. My grandfather was a musician, all of my uncles can sing very well, and my dad—your grandfather—was a famous DJ in Jamaica once upon a time. At the end of 5th grade, my band director took each member aside to provide feedback on whether or not she or he should continue music in middle school. My teacher told me that I just didn’t have it and should quit. I was devastated. I had dreams of becoming a conductor and I loved playing music. I learned to read music and text at the same time before entering kindergarten, so I couldn’t understand what my teacher saw or heard that made him think that I, at the tender age of 11, didn’t have what it took to pursue playing in a middle school band. He knew nothing about me. Had never asked any questions about me, our family, my aspirations. He didn’t seek to make me a better musician.

Caleb, I hope that you will have teachers who realize they are gatekeepers. I hope they understand the power they hold and work to discover your talents, seek out your dreams and fan them, rather than smother them. I hope they will see you as part of a family, with gifts and rich histories that have been passed down to you. I hope they will strive to know you even when they think they already know you. I hope your teachers will approach you with humility and stay curious about who you are.

When I was in 4th grade, my elementary school held a back-to-school night that featured student work and allowed families to walk the halls and speak with teachers. In each classroom was a student leader, chosen by teachers. I’m not sure what my role was supposed to be. But at one point, a couple came in, desiring to speak with Mrs. S. She was busy, so I thought I’d chat with them while they waited. As I approached them, they recoiled in fear and, with panicked looks, turned away from me and said, “Mrs. S.?” My teacher looked away from the folks she was working with and said, “It’s OK, she’s not like the rest.” I don’t remember what happened next. All I remember is that this seemed to be one of the first in a long line of reassurances that I was special and not like other black boys and girls. For many years afterward, I was told on more than one occasion, “You’re not like other blacks.” This was supposed to be a compliment.

Caleb, I pray that your teachers will not look at you through hurtful racial preconceptions. I pray that they will do the work necessary to eliminate racist practices in themselves and in those around them. I pray that they stand up for you in ways that leave you feeling strong and capable. I pray that they will nurture your spirit, and that you, in turn, will desire to be a better you.

Son, I end this letter by sharing a story that Grandma has told me many times, that I hope will one day resonate with you. On the first day of kindergarten, many of the kids were crying and clinging to their parents. But not me. I was ready! I wanted to be like my three older siblings and go to school. So I gave my mom a hug, let go of her hand, waved goodbye, and found my teacher. And remember how I told you that my oldest sister taught me how to read before I went to school? The teacher found this out and used this skill, along with my desire to be at school, to teach the other kids the alphabet and help them learn how to read. I believe, in part, that is why I became a teacher. She saw something in me and encouraged me to develop my passion—even at this young, sweet age.

That, my son, is my hope for you. I hope your teachers will love you for who you are and the promise of what you’ll be.

Love,

Mama

Dyan Watson (watson@lclark.edu) is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education and Counseling at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore. She is an editorial associate of Rethinking Schools and co-editor of Rethinking Elementary Education.

African American Students