STARTALK Drexel:
Experiential Chinese High School Summer Program
Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages
Drexel University, located in the heart of University City in Philadelphia, offers high school students a free, two-week experiential Chinese language program for up to 25 participants from July 14–25, 2025. This immersive STARTALK-funded program is open to high school students with no prior Chinese language experience and those with some background in Chinese. Managed and funded by the National Security Agency, STARTALK is a federal grant program that supports innovative courses with strong language learning outcomes for K-16 students.
Drexel’s STARTALK program will feature collaboration with a Chinese teacher with over 30 years of experience in top high schools and Chinese language professors from prestigious universities. We will also partner with the local Chinese community and one of China's top universities —East China Normal University in Shanghai.
Questions? Email Ni Ou, Drexel Associate Teaching Professor, no86@drexel.edu.
Download Program Flyer (PDF)
Program Details
- Dates: July 14–25, 2025
- Eligibility: High school students, grades 9–12.
- Capacity: 25 participants.
- Format: On-campus, commuter.
- Location: Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Tuition and Costs: Tuition, textbooks, meals on field trips, and transportation to visit sites are FREE for all participants.
- Deadline: Rolling applications.
Experiential Learning
Students will thrive in small classes as they engage in classroom language and cultural instruction. They will delve into Chinese culture through diverse activities, including dance, martial arts, cuisine and more, all guided by professional teachers.
Beyond the classroom, students will leverage local resources by engaging with the Philadelphia Chinese community and intergenerational Asian-American groups. They will have unique opportunities for one-on-one communication with elderly members of the Philadelphia Chinese Senior Center. They will visit the city's only Montessori Chinese preschool to interact with young children and practice their Chinese language skills. Additionally, students will connect with peers from East China Normal University in Shanghai through video calls that facilitate language practice and cultural exchange.
Our program seeks to equip students with solid language skills and cultural understanding within and beyond the classroom. Students will explore personally resonant topics and present their findings in a concluding project. They will immerse themselves in Philadelphia's Chinatown, experiencing Chinese art, customs, cuisine, and language use in real-world settings.
Through this program, students will deepen their understanding of China and actively contribute to the local Asian-American community. The aim is to foster practical language application, independent thinking, and cultural appreciation, inspiring them to bridge the gap between textbook knowledge and authentic, lived experiences.
Meet Your Instructors
With over 10 years of teaching experience, Ni Ou is an Associate Teaching Professor of Chinese Language in Drexel's Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages, where she serves as the Chinese Language program lead. Professor Ou has also served as a Chinese language lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, and at summer programs of Princeton University and Columbia University.
Hung-chun Liu – K-12 Pedagogical Expert
Hung-Chun Liu is an experienced Chinese language teacher who has taught students of different ages over the past 30 years in Chinese heritage schools, community centers, and K-12 schools across Pennsylvania. Ms. Liu was the head teacher of Chinese language at Westtown School and Shipley School. She won the Shipley Colleagues Acknowledgement Award in 2018.
He-chun Ping – Lead Instructor
He-chun serves as a Chinese language instructor in the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages at Drexel University. Ms. Ping previously taught Chinese to US diplomats in the Foreign Service Institute, where she was the head teacher of the Chinese Reading program. He-chun also taught advanced Chinese language in the Middlebury College Summer Language Program.
Learn Chinese – 'How Do You Say'
On her TikTok channel @drexelchinese, Professor Ni Ou teaches us how to use and say native Chinese phrases.
德雷塞尔大学星谈高中暑期中文项目
Drexel University STARTALK High School Chinese Program