NAPLES — Local educator Brian Cushing, a social studies teacher at Lake Region High School, is preparing for a 14-day seminar in China and Taiwan. 

Cushing successfully completed a rigorous application process, and will be joining nine other educators from across the nation in the study program, which is conducted by the Program for Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado, Boulder. 

From June 27 to July 12, the group will travel to the cities of Taipei, Tainan, Jinmen, Xiamen and Hong Kong. During the program, the group will focus on understanding “What Is Modern China? Considering China’s Southern Edge and Beyond.”

As part of the seminar program, teachers will tour historical sites, visit with academic specialists and local resource people and participate in daily class meetings. As a member of the seminar, Cushing will obtain resources and information for updating and enriching classroom instruction on China. 

Cushing was selected for the TEA summer seminar in China based on previous study through TEA and a commitment to enhancing instruction about China in his school building. Cushing will attend a two-day orientation workshop in April in Boulder, Colo.

In the fall, he will also participate in a two-day follow-up workshop and will share the study experience with students, other teachers and the community throughout the coming academic year. This will be Cushing’s fourth study in China, one of which was with Lake Region High School students. Other Asian studies Cushing has participated in include study tours to South Korea and Japan.