From left: Chloe Liu ’26, Sofia Chi ’26 and Charles Ye ’26, founders of the Chinese Education Program (CEP), an initiative that teaches elementary students about Chinese language and traditions. Ye also founded the Global Education Program, which promotes cross-cultural understanding in Hawai‘i and rural China, where he launched an English teaching project for middle and high school students. He was featured in the Fall 2024 Punahou Bulletin.
Juniors Sofia Chi ’26, Chloe Liu ’26 and Charles Ye ’26 are stirring cross-cultural excitement with the expansion of their Chinese Education Program (CEP), an initiative they founded to teach elementary students about Chinese language and traditions.
What began as a small after-school trial program at Punahou has grown into a multi-school effort, with additional chapters at Kaiser High School and ‘Iolani School. Punahou students have brought the program to Mānoa Elementary, where they have reached over 250 students since fall 2023.
CEP offers six-week sessions tailored for students in grades 2 through 5, with weekly Friday classes. The curriculum integrates Chinese language lessons with cultural activities, such as making traditional foods and celebrating key holidays, to help younger students gain a deeper understanding of Chinese history and traditions.
During the fall semester, students focus on learning phrases, writing and vocabulary. Meanwhile, the spring sessions highlight cultural events including Chinese Lunar New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival. In preparation for the festivities in January 2025, students recently learned to make Tang Yuan, a sweet mochi dessert, while practicing relevant Chinese phrases.
CEP also serves as a platform for the program founders and their volunteering high school peers to practice their Chinese, develop leadership skills, and earn volunteer hours. Over 50 high school volunteers now support CEP. Each chapter teaches at its local elementary school.
Kaiser’s CEP chapter recently completed its first session this fall, engaging over 20 high school volunteers and 25 elementary students. “With our Chinese backgrounds, we wanted to educate people more about the Chinese culture,” said Ye. “Sharing Chinese culture helps bridge cultural gaps, fosters mutual understanding, and introduces students to one of the world’s most influential languages and histories,” Chi explained. She added that CEP’s overarching mission is to expose students to new cultures and promote global understanding by offering free, high-quality opportunities to those who lack access to language programs.
“While we started with Chinese culture because it reflects our own backgrounds, we hope to eventually expand into other languages like Spanish and Japanese,” Chi said. “Hopefully, we inspire our students to learn other languages as well, growing their minds and promoting cross-cultural appreciation,” Liu added.
CEP’s growth has been supported by its advisor, Academy Chinese language faculty member Elisa Lo, who has played a key role in curriculum development. Looking ahead, the team’s long-term goals include creating a sustainable program model so that the leadership can transition to other high school students, ensuring CEP’s continued impact.
Through their passion and dedication, Chi, Liu and Ye are inspiring a new generation of students to embrace cultural diversity and global understanding.