History & Mission
The mission of the Program for Teaching East Asia (TEA) is to enhance and expand teaching and learning about East Asia in U.S. K-12 education. TEA was established in 1985 as the Rocky Mountain Japan Project. It became the Program for Teaching East Asia in 1998, with generous funding from the Freeman Foundation to undertake programs focusing on China as well as Japan. In 2001, TEA moved to the University of Colorado Boulder. TEA is affiliated with the University’s Center for Asian Studies ().
TEA conducts national, regional, and state projects for teachers and students, funded by federal and private foundation grants. TEA’s projects and programs focus on curriculum development, professional development for teachers, and curriculum consultation and reform related to East Asia in K-12 education. Specific project activities include an annual offering of online seminars and workshops; annual summer institutes, and occasional co-sponsored study tours in East Asia for teachers.
In addition to its projects, TEA also disseminates a monthly Newsletter during the regular academic year and offers educators in the western United States a large curriculum resource center that includes teaching units for elementary and secondary levels; documentaries and feature films; a collection of Japanese woodblock prints; a collection of kamishibai (Japanese children’s story boards); books of scholarship, literature, and children’s literature; and artifact trunks. TEA staff are available for consultation on curriculum and materials selection.
The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA)
In 1998, TEA joined with the , , , and the to undertake this national, multi-year initiative to encourage and facilitate curriculum improvement in Asian studies at the secondary level. In 2008, these institutions were joined by the and the .
Each year, supports online and in-person courses and programs ranging in length from one to 40 hours. Formats include seminars, book groups, workshops, webinars, and summer institutes. Most of our online courses are open to teachers nationally. NCTA’s interactive online format, integrating live discussions with asynchronous discussion boards in many cases, encourages a community of inquiry among educators who have a responsibility to teach about Asia. Participants in NCTA courses offered through TEA receive stipends, materials, and the opportunity to apply for continuing study through NCTA-sponsored study tours to China, Japan, or Korea, contingent upon annual funding. Over 70,000 teachers have participated in NCTA seminars around the country since the start of the program.
See TEA-NCTA 25th Anniversary Alumni Curriculum Project
See all opportunities and resources for educators nationwide on the NCTA national .
