WHO WE ARE

Sirui is a seasoned educator with over a decade of experience. She holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Minnesota with a focus on dual immersion education.  With a passion for multilingual education, Sirui brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to our team.  Sirui currently teaches at the Chinese immersion program in Minnetonka Public Schools and previously worked as a Middle School teacher at Yinghua Academy then a kindergarten homeroom teacher at XinXing Academy.   She strongly believes that integrating various linguistic and cultural perspectives into the curriculum not only broadens students' understanding of the world but also cultivates empathy, respect, and interconnectedness across cultural boundaries. 

Dr. Katras received her PhD in Family Social Science from the University of Minnesota and a Masters Degree in Sociology from Loyola University, Chicago.  She currently serves as the Program Leader for the University of Minnesota Extension Department of Family, Health, and Wellbeing.  With two decades of experience, she specializes in working with limited resource families across diverse communities, both locally and nationally.  Dr. Katras employs a blend of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, leveraging her expertise to lead various state and national projects aimed at enhancing the well-being of rural low-income families and communities.   Over the past 12 years, she has provided pivotal leadership to the statewide Family Resiliency team, focusing on family relationships and resource management.   Additionally, she spearheads the USDA Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network grant for Minnesota, while also leading the Youth and Family group for the North Central Region, concentrating on mental well-being and resilience.  

Born and raised in Minnesota, Mai Kia Lee embodies the rich cultural diversity of her upbringing, being fluent in both Hmong and English languages.  Professionally, Mai Kia Lee serves as a secretary for one of Minnesota's largest school districts, Saint Paul Public Schools, where she has amassed over 17 years of experience in public education.  Her passion lies in nurturing young minds and ensuring equitable access to resources within her community.  Residing on the vibrant Eastside of Saint Paul and being a St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) alumni herself, Mai Kia is deeply rooted in her community, contributing her time and efforts to foster unity and progress.  Her commitment to bilingual education extends beyond herself as she proudly supports her two children enrolled in the Jie Ming Mandarin Academy, the Chinese immersion program of SPPS.  In her leisure time, Mai Kia  loves traveling and discovering new foods.  

Ping is a passionate educator dedicated to promoting dual immersion language and culture education.  After obtaining her Master's degree in English Language from Shanghai International Studies University, Ping first taught in Shanghai for 16 years.  After she moved to the United States and got her K-6 elementary teaching license from Hamline University, Ping has been an integral part of the Chinese immersion education community in Minnesota for over a decade.  She first taught at Yinghua Academy in Minneapolis for four years, then transitioned to Jie Ming Mandarin Academy in St. Paul, where she has dedicated the past 11 years to empowering her students and advocating for educational equity.  Ping's commitment extends beyond the classroom as she actively being a mentor to other language teachers, as well as being a leader in her school and community.    

Ami is an Environmental Educator and Consultant and has been working with diverse community groups in the Twin Cities metro area, supporting collaborative partnerships between non-profit organizations, government and community members for 20+ years.  She founded her own 501(c)3 non-profit called Do It Green! Minnesota in 2001.  Ami is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in her work, in her community and to support her multi-racial family and children.  She has traveled around the world and truly believes diversity strengthens our community and that celebrating our differences creates cultural connections and global leaders.  Ami wishes for our youth today a safe and inclusive environment, to develop their identities and grow into their authentic selves, where they feel a sense of belonging.

Johanna is a qualified educator who has 20 years of K-12 professional experience in both China and the United States, and in both public and private settings. She holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Shanghai International Studies University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Hamline University in Minnesota, and is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Leadership with Johns Hopkins University School of Education.  

Johanna previously worked as the Director of Administrative Office at Soong Ching Ling School, a K-12 independent school in Shanghai.  After moving to the U.S. in 2014, she first worked at St. Paul Public Schools, MN as a Chinese immersion school homeroom teacher for four  years.  Johanna now teaches Chinese as a world language at Visitation School, MN and also is the Curriculum Lead of the World Language Department.  Outside her classroom, Johanna serves as the Secretary of Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC) Executive board.  She is also a board member of the Equity and Justice Committee of Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS).

Dr. Tu is the Associate Director of the Chinese Flagship Program at the University of Minnesota, a federally funded program that trains undergraduate students from different academic disciplines to become global professionals.  Dr. Tu also serves as the faculty coordinator for the College in Schools (CIS) program at UMN and works with many high schools in Minnesota that offer the Chinese world language CIS course.

Dr. Tu received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of Kansas.  Her research interests include curriculum design, blended learning, and language testing.   She is a certified ACTFL and government Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) tester, Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) rater, and ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL) rater.   She has been involved in many language testing projects with ACTFL since 2012.   Dr. Tu is also interested in K–16 curriculum articulation. She has worked as an online curriculum designer for the federally funded StarTalk program and has also served as an AP Reader for the Chinese Language and Culture Exam.

Tingting  is a Ph.D. student in Language and Literacies: World Language Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Department of Curriculum and Instruction.  Her research centers on fostering intercultural competence in world language classrooms and examining the role of language and literacy in young children's identity development.  As a teacher educator, she coaches undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates during their practicum and student teaching experiences.

Before joining UW-Madison, Tingting was a faculty member at Martin Luther College in Minnesota from 2012 to 2023. She established a 26-credit Chinese program aligned with ACTFL proficiency guidelines and the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.  She also taught courses including Teaching World Languages and Culture, Introduction to Minority Cultures, History of Modern China, and Intercultural Learning for Christian Ministry.

As an Intercultural Development Inventory® Qualified Administrator, Tingting has facilitated cultural competency training programs for faculty, staff, and international students in various educational settings.  She is actively engaged in community service, having served on the boards of three non-profit organizations. Since 2018, she has led Chinese Storytime and Process Art Play sessions at public libraries, starting in Minnesota and continuing in Wisconsin.