The application period for the 2025 program has closed.

SPICE will not offer the Virtual East Asia Seminar for High School Teachers in California in 2026. We plan to offer it again in 2027. Please check back in 2027 for the next application period. Thank you for your understanding. 

Join our email list and follow SPICE on Facebook, X, and Instagram to receive announcements for the next application period.

2025 Virtual SPICE/NCTA East Asia Seminar for High School Teachers in California

In an effort to infuse Asian studies and perspectives in the social studies and language arts curricula, the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), in cooperation with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), is offering a professional development seminar for high school teachers. Over the course of four sessions, this virtual seminar will present content lectures and curricular resources highlighting the geography, cultures, politics, economics, history, and literature of East Asia, including a special focus on U.S.–Asia relations, the Asian diaspora in the United States, and the diversity of the Asian American experience.

The synchronous (live) sessions will take place on the following Tuesdays, 4:00–6:00pm Pacific Time:

• March 25
• April 8
• April 22
• May 6

Seminar Description:

This seminar is designed to offer a comprehensive overview of the geography, history, and culture of East Asia. The hope is that the participants will incorporate what they learn in the seminar into their own curriculum in an effort to teach more about East Asia in their classrooms. Session topics are designed to address the California State History/Social Studies Standards. The content of lectures is intended to increase participants’ knowledge of East Asia and Asian American studies as well as to provide information that can be taught or modified for classroom use. Teachers will also have an opportunity to share their ideas for integrating Asian studies into their curricula. 

Goals and Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Gain a deeper understanding—both historical and contemporary—of China, Korea, Japan, U.S.–Asia relations, and the Asian American experience.

2. Be provided with instructional materials about China, Japan, Korea, U.S.–Asia relations, and the Asian American experience for classroom use.

3. Design lessons that integrate content knowledge about China, Japan, Korea, U.S.–Asia relations, and/or the Asian American experience with effective, thoughtful, and engaging instructional approaches.

4. Become a community of learners committed to a long-term engagement in the exploration of Asian and Asian American studies.

Eligibility:

The Virtual SPICE/NCTA East Asia Seminar for High School Teachers is open to all grade 9–12 teachers in California but is designed to be most relevant for social studies, world literature, and world language classrooms. Enrollment is limited to 20 teachers.

Requirements:

Teachers are required to attend all synchronous sessions, complete pre-assigned readings, and participate in synchronous and asynchronous group discussions. 

Resource sharing and collaborative discussion time is designed to help participants absorb the new information and to think about how to apply it to their own classrooms while the information is still fresh in their minds. 

Professional Stipend:

Participants will receive a $300 professional stipend upon completion of all seminar requirements.

Stanford Continuing Studies Credit:

Upon completion of all seminar requirements, participants are eligible to receive three quarter credits (3 units) from Stanford University Continuing Studies. There is a fee of $75 ($25/unit of credit) to receive the credits. 

Contact Information:

Naomi Funahashi, Manager, Teacher Professional Development
SPICE, Stanford University
nfunahashi@stanford.edu
P: 650-724-4396

The application period for the 2024 program has closed.

SPICE will not offer the East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers in California in 2025. We plan to offer it again in 2026. Please check back in late 2025 for the next application period. Thank you for your understanding.

Join our email list and follow SPICE on Facebook, X, and Instagram to receive announcements for the next application period.

2024 Virtual SPICE/NCTA East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers
June 24 – June 27, 2024
9:30am–12:30pm PDT

In an effort to infuse Asian studies in the social studies and language arts curricula, the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), in cooperation with the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA), is offering a virtual professional development summer institute for middle school teachers on East Asia. Over the course of four days, this virtual summer institute will highlight the geography, cultures, religions, history, literature, and arts of East Asia, with a focus on ancient Chinese dynasties, feudal Japan, and the Silk Road. The synchronous (live) institute sessions on Zoom will take place over four mornings (9:30am to 12:30pm), from June 24 to June 27, 2024.

Institute Goals and Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of the history and culture of East Asia.
2. Be provided with instructional materials about China, Japan, Korea, and the Asian American experience for classroom use.
3. Design lessons that integrate content knowledge about East Asia and/or Asian American experiences with effective, thoughtful, and engaging instructional approaches.
4. Become a community of learners committed to a long-term engagement in the exploration of East Asian studies.

Eligibility:

The Virtual SPICE/NCTA East Asia Summer Institute for Middle School Teachers is open to all grade 5–8 teachers in California and is designed to be most relevant for social studies and language arts classrooms. Enrollment is limited to 20 teachers.

Requirements:

Teachers are required to attend all synchronous sessions of the summer institute, complete pre-assigned readings, and participate in group discussions and activities. 

Resource sharing and collaborative discussion time is designed to help participants absorb the new information and to think about how to apply it to their own classrooms while the information is still fresh in their minds. 

Professional Stipend:

Participants will receive a $200 professional stipend upon completion of all seminar requirements.

Stanford Continuing Studies Credit:

Upon completion of all seminar requirements, participants are eligible to receive three quarter credits (3 units) from Stanford University Continuing Studies. There is a fee of $75 ($25/unit of credit) to receive the credits. 

Contact Information:

Sabrina Ishimatsu, Event Coordinator
SPICE, Stanford University
sishi@stanford.edu
P: 650-723-2410

Jonas Edman, Seminar Coordinator
SPICE, Stanford University
jcedman@stanford.edu
P: 650-725-1480

The application for our 2026 program is now open at https://forms.gle/pPgP5GKb19m2QogX8. 

Deadline to apply: February 23, 2026

Join our email list and follow SPICE on Facebook, X, and Instagram to receive announcements for the next application period.

Overall program dates: March – July 2026
Eligibility: High school teachers in the state of Hawaii (any island)
Format: Five online seminars with scholars (March – June 2026) and an in-person summer institute in Honolulu (July 2026)

Apply now to participate in the 2026 Stanford/SPICE East Asia Seminars for Teachers in Hawaii (“Stanford SEAS Hawaii”), a free professional development opportunity for Hawaii teachers. The 2026 program is open to all public, charter, and private high school teachers in the state of Hawaii.

Stanford SEAS Hawaii is a teacher professional development opportunity for educators who wish to enhance their teaching of East Asia. Offered by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) with the generous support of the Freeman Foundation, Stanford SEAS Hawaii will select up to 20 teachers to participate in a fellowship from March to July 2026. Selected teachers—Stanford/Freeman SEAS Hawaii Fellows—will strengthen their content knowledge of East Asia by learning from a combination of experts based at Stanford University, the University of Hawaii, and other institutions. Fellows will also receive extensive curricula and teaching resources to support their teaching of East Asia in the classroom.

Course Format and Expectations:

The 2026 program will consist of two parts:

1. A series of five private virtual seminars with scholars, each exploring a different aspect of East Asia
   • March 31, 2026 (3:30–5:30pm) [focus: Japanese imperialism]
   • April 23, 2026 (3:30–5:00pm) [focus: Korea's colonial era]
   • May 13, 2026 (3:30–5:00pm) [focus: China under Mao Zedong]
   • June 9, 2026 (3:30–5:00pm) [focus: Southeast Asia and U.S.–Southeast Asia relations]
   • June 25, 2026 (3:30–5:00pm) [focus: contemporary U.S.–East Asia relations]
2. A three-day in-person teacher institute in Honolulu in the summer of 2026 (July 22–24; confirmation pending) that will highlight the geography, cultures, politics, and history of East Asia, including a special focus on U.S.–Asia relations and the Asian diaspora in the United States.

Following each virtual seminar, Fellows will spend a week discussing relevant content and teaching strategies on an online discussion board. Fellows are expected to attend and actively participate in all virtual seminars and discussion boards. (Absences can be made up by watching a recording, if available.) Fellows are also expected to attend the summer institute in July and complete an evaluation and short original lesson plan incorporating content from Stanford SEAS Hawaii, which will be due August 15, 2026.

Participant Benefits:

• Content lectures delivered by experts at Stanford University, the University of Hawaii, and other institutions
• A teacher-centered learning environment that values globally minded classrooms
• Curriculum demonstrations and pedagogy-focused discussions with SPICE curriculum experts
• $250 professional stipend (upon completion of all seminar requirements)
• (For non-Oahu participants) $1035 travel stipend to offset the cost of travel-related expenses to Honolulu in July 2026 (Fellows will be responsible for their own travel arrangements.)
• Optional three units of credit from Stanford Continuing Studies
• Extensive complimentary curricula and other teaching materials
• Complimentary breakfasts and lunches during the summer institute

Participant Testimonials:

“The Stanford SEAS Hawaii program was a great opportunity for educators to learn about multiple aspects of history. The presenters were engaging and knowledgeable; the depth in their content area made it a rich experience. The SPICE coordinators did a fantastic job creating meetings that were useful and manageable as working teachers.”
– Shawna Poitra, Kapolei High School, O‘ahu

“My perspectives changed in every area we discussed. I learned so much.”
– Pat Gegen, Island School, Kaua‘i

“I just want to say thank you for a wonderful experience! Everyone involved in this program was incredibly generous and approachable. I really enjoyed learning with you, and I hope to continue the connection in the future! Mahalo nui.”
– Kiera Horgan, Hawaiʻi Preparatory Academy, Hawai‘i Island

“I feel rejuvenated going into this school year, after being able to share and connect with other passionate educators from both public and private school sectors.”
– Jade Pham, Kawānanakoa Middle School, O‘ahu

“A huge thank you to SPICE for making this fellowship such a fulfilling and educational experience. I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to learn more about East Asia and build these wonderful connections.”
– Nina Zhou, ‘Iolani School, O‘ahu 

Contacts:

Rylan Sekiguchi
rybo@stanford.edu

Sabrina Ishimatsu
sishi@stanford.edu