Earlier this year, LingoAce partnered with China Institute to provide free We All Live in the Forbidden City (WALFC) Workshops to 973 children attending low-income, New York City public schools. With our sponsorship, children can learn about Chinese culture through fun stories, games, and discussions.
Launched in 2014 the WALFC Workshops are an educational program framed through the lens of China’s Forbidden City, one of the world’s most iconic cultural landmarks. It uses standards-based, interactive learning experiences that introduce New York City school children to Chinese history, architecture, and life. The sponsorship is delivering 90 in-person and virtual workshops in public elementary and middle schools across New York City, particularly in communities-at-risk. Over one school year, the workshops will reach an estimated 2,250 school-age children.
“As the world becomes more interconnected, we want to help the next generation build bridges through culture sharing and language learning. We are proud to sponsor China Institute’s WALFC Workshops to provide important opportunities for students in at-risk communities across New York,” says Hugh Yao, Founder and CEO of LingoAce.
The impact of the workshops is two-fold. For schools in communities with a high population of Asian Americans, the workshops provide an important link to their cultural heritage and history. For schools in other communities, the workshops are an interactive way to introduce students to world history, provide engaging learning experiences and increase their cultural awareness. “For almost 100 years, China Institute has been educating Americans to develop a deeper understanding of China and Chinese culture. We are grateful for the LingoAce sponsorship, which enables the Institute to reach new generations of young people through the WALFC program.” says James B. Heimowitz, President of China Institute.
The workshops are theme-based and are taught by China Institute as part of classroom instruction. To date, China Institute has provided 35 free WALFC workshops to students at 12 New York City public schools in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. Of these, 28 were held in person and 7 were delivered online. All but one school served were classified as Title I, which meant that 96% of participating children lived in communities-at-risk.
Shuo Wang, a fifth-grade teacher at P.S. K094 The Henry Longfellow, who has utilized the WALFC program for two years, said:
"China Institute's We All Live in Forbidden City workshop is one of the best workshops I have ever participated in. Last year during the pandemic, I scheduled a virtual workshop... for my students. The presentation was impressive and beautiful. The instructor [from China Institute] was very passionate and knowledgeable. The workshop was so fun that all of my students were engaged and excited. Even parents were curious and elicited positive responses and questions surrounding the workshop. ...I would recommend this series of workshops to anyone wholeheartedly. You will not regret it!"
If you are interested in learning more about China Institute, visit their website at https://www.chinainstitute.org
If you are interested in partnering with LingoAce, contact Stewart Johnson, Director of Business Development at LingoAce, at [email protected]
