About the STARTALK Chinese program
Great news! The Chinese program at the University of Nevada, Reno has received the STARTALK federal grant again.
Eligible applicants
Middle and high school students (grades 7-12) in Nevada who have no prior knowledge of Chinese, as well as for students at various levels of proficiency.
Program cost
Free to all students. (Snacks will be provided during semesters for in-person instruction; a welcoming package will be mailed to online students; Lunch and snacks will be both provided during summer).
Course schedule and locations
Spring and Fall semesters: In-person and online
- In-person: Mondays at 3 p.m., Wooster High School, Reno, NV
All students in Grades 7-12 are welcome (not limited to Wooster High School students). - Online: Thursdays at 3 p.m. via Zoom
Summer 2023
- University of Nevada, Reno Campus only; in-person only (no online course)
- June 19–30, 2023, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Monday–Friday
Course credentials
Students who have completed 60 hours of instruction accumulatively can receive 0.5 elective credits in Washoe County School District (WCSD); other school districts pending approval.
Students will have the opportunity to skip first and second semester Chinese (depending on instructional hours participated) through language evaluation to enroll in a higher-level Chinese language course at the University of Nevada, Reno (or other institutions).
Program timeline
- Fall 2022: Marketing, Recruiting and Student Registration
- Spring 2023: Meet once a week (1.5 hours) after school in person or online for 14 weeks.
- Summer 2023 Camp: Two weeks, June 19– June 30, 2023, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Monday - Friday
- Fall 2023: Meet once a week (1.5 hours) after school in person or online for 14 weeks.
- Spring 2024: Meet once a week (1.5 hours) after school in person or online for 14 weeks.
Registration form
Registration for Summer 2023 is closed; Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 are open.
Participants are accepted on a rolling basis. Our program welcomes new students as well as returning students.
The STARTALK program team will review applications and send email notifications.
Information sessions
Both in-person (Wooster High School, Reno, NV) and online Zoom live info sessions will be available to present program information and have interactive Q&A. Teachers, students and parents are all welcome.
Instructional team
Chinese teachers from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and Washoe County School District (WCSD) who have taught STARTALK Chinese summer programs at the University of Nevada, Reno in the past (2017-2019) and have endorsements to teach Chinese as a world language at the secondary level.
Program theme
The program theme is “This is Me and My Community,” with a special topic for the summer camp, “Let Me be Your Local Guide.” Throughout the entirety of the program, students will engage in learner-centered and hands-on activities in the target language and interact with native speaker language partners to gain the authentic cultural experience and to be motivated to continue studying Chinese to the next level.
Program contact
For inquiries, please contact Lin Li Hall, STARTALK Program Director, Chinese Language Program Chair, Department of World Languages and Literatures, University of Nevada, Reno.