NSA grant will fund Chinese and astronomy education

The University of North Georgia (UNG) has received a two-year STARTALK grant of more than $327,000 from the National Security Agency (NSA) to provide instruction on the Chinese language and astronomy for high school students.

Through the grant, UNG will offer tutoring in Chinese and cultural workshops for more than 150 high school students in spring 2022. It will also provide a free two-week Chinese language and astronomy academy for 20 students on UNG's Dahlonega Campus in summer 2022, as well as post-camp activities designed to reinforce that learning throughout 2022-23 for the 20 academy participants.

Dr. Yunjuan He, associate professor of Chinese, is the principal investigator for the grant.

"In addition to improving students' Chinese language proficiency, we hope to help them develop their interest in federal careers such as NASA and other astronomical institutes," she said.

It's rare to have the chance to tackle both science and Chinese language learning at the same time, and yet, Professor He's dedication to this initiative will provide a truly special learning experience.

Dr. Christopher Jespersen

Dean of UNG's College of Arts & Letters

Ying Feng Kline, a lecturer of Chinese from Penn State University, will serve as lead instructor for the summer academy. Dr. Yanfei Zhu, UNG associate professor of visual arts, and faculty members from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, High Point University, Hamilton College and other schools will offer online talks for the pre-camp and post-camp activities.

"It's rare to have the chance to tackle both science and Chinese language learning at the same time, and yet, Professor He's dedication to this initiative will provide a truly special learning experience," Dr. Christopher Jespersen, dean of the College of Arts & Letters, said. "We look forward to hosting the STARTALK camp at UNG."

UNG has hired four professional tutors and two UNG Chinese Language Flagship students who are on the advanced track to work with students in spring 2022.

The mission of STARTALK is to support "student education and teacher development programs of less commonly taught and critical-need languages that meet the national security and defense priorities."

Dr. D. Brian Mann, department head of Modern and Classical Languages, said research shows teaching Chinese earlier helps the knowledge become more ingrained for students, and it will set them up well for advanced studies at UNG.

"This makes it possible for them to go further in their Chinese proficiency," Mann said.

Applications for the spring 2022 tutoring are open through Nov. 1. Accepted students will meet individually with their tutor online for half an hour weekly for 17 weeks during the spring semester.

There will be a separate application process for the June 5-18 residential camp, but students who receive tutoring will be encouraged to apply. Students who participate in the camp will have access to post-camp learning activities.