Educators interested in China -- its history, language and customs -- were invited to attend the summer institute "China and the Cultures of the Silk Road" on July 7-11, 2003 at Columbia University. The Summer Institute offered by China Institute's Teach China program, a professional development program introduced in 1996 through the generous funding of the Freeman Foundation, offers K-12 educators in New York State a wealth of opportunities to enhance their knowledge of China, past and present
Program components include courses, China study tours, curriculum materials, and a resource center containing books, videos, slides and artifacts available for short-term loan. Through these activities, educators have access to information ranging from basic facts on specific China-related topics, to thematic explorations of China vis a vis other nations of the Pacific and of Central Asia.