University Center for International Studies |  Asian Studies Center | NCTA National

University of Pennsylvania

  1. Seminar Sites
  2. Pennsylvania
  3. University of Pennsylvania

 

 

A free Hybrid seminar at the University of Pennsylvania and Online for K-12 Educators  

Presented by the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, under the auspices of the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia at the University of Pittsburgh

 

Offered to all K-12 Educators in our 11 State Region of Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia

 
 

Seminar Dates: 

  • Saturday, October 17 (in person)
  • Tuesday, October 27 (zoom)
  • Tuesday, November 10 (zoom)
  • Saturday, November 14 (in person)
  • Tuesday, December 1 (zoom)
  • Saturday, December 5 (in person)
  • Saturday, January 9 (in person follow up session)

 

Seminar Class Time:

  • Saturdays in person, 9:00am - 4:00pm (Eastern Time)
  • Tuesdays online, 5:30pm-8:30pm (Eastern Time)

 

Seminar Leader: Dr. David Dettmann and Margaret Lonzetta

Seminar Location: Online via Zoom and Williams Hall (255 S 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104) on the University of Pennsylvania Campus

This free foundational seminar for K-12 educators explores the historical, cultural, religious, political, and economic forces that have shaped East Asian foodways, from antiquity to the present. Participants will examine the origins of agriculture and ancient cuisines, the influence of empires and religious traditions on food production and consumption, and the ways food has reflected social values and political power  in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The course also investigates the roles of trade, markets, famine, revolution, and war in transforming food systems before concluding with East Asia's emergence on the global culinary stage, where its cuisines have become influential expressions of cultural identity, economic exchange, and international diplomacy.
 

A free in-person seminar (with some online components) for K-12 Educators.  No previous background in Asia is assumed. Our presenters are excited to share their passions for East Asia, whether you are history and social studies educators, art teachers, librarians, world language educators, STEM fields, or school administrators! Free Parking and Dinner is provided.

 

Benefits for Participants 

 

Each participant who completes the course and course requirements will receive: 

 

  • $180 worth of teaching materials for your classroom, including the course textbook, additional materials such as a set of tangrams and a calligraphy set, and a $150 mini-grant for purchase of approved materials for your classroom. (The purpose of the mini-grant is to get teaching materials into “brick and mortar” schools. Due to the increasing variety of our seminar participants, not all participants may be able to receive a mini-grant. Please consult with us about this early in the course.) 
  • $300 stipend at the completion of all requirements including attendance at the follow up classes.
  • Certificate of Completion: Participants who complete all requirements and attend all sessions will receive Act 48 hours and a Certificate of Completion.

  • NCTA alumni are eligible to apply for NCTA Summer Institutes to East Asia and are also eligible for small grants such as the Marie Wanek Fund, travel subsidies for conferences, and other benefits that we offer from time to time; NCTA alumni are also often given priority preference in competitive applications for summer institutes, Fulbright-Hayes study tours to East Asia and other programs. Our office also writes letters of recommendations for alumni who apply to competitive study tours and summer institutes. All alumni will receive a weekly NCTA email newsletter with information about free professional development programs and teaching resources. 

     

 

Seminar Requirements  

  • Expressed commitment to integrating East Asia into your curriculum. 

  • In addition, to complete the seminar and receive the benefits, you must fulfill the following requirements: ​Attend and participate in all sessions (36 contact hours, with 30 hours in the fall/winter and 6 hours in the spring)  Complete all assignments and requirements, including designing a lesson plan that incorporates East Asian material into your curriculum, writing a “reflection paper” and completing a mini-grant form for your teaching materials. (A full list of assignments will be posted on our website.)

  •  

  • Each participant is expected to come to class prepared to participate in class discussions. Each week there will be a short writing assignment, or some other short assignment based on the readings for that class.  

 

Application Deadline is October 2, 2026 or Until Course Fills.

 

 

 

Seminar state: 
Pennsylvania