Educators joined us for this six-week seminar course that explored the politics of memory in and about Asia through consideration of museum collections, memorials, and personal ephemera. The politics of memory refers to the ways that societies remember, and sometimes intentionally forget, past events, and how those memories are shaped, controlled, and contested. Through a series of case studies focused on specific museums and artifacts, we explored resources and strategies that participants could apply in their own classrooms. Some of the examples we examined included the looting of the Summer Palace in China, the legacy of Sir Stamford Raffles in Singapore, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and objects removed from their original context.
This course was geared toward middle and high school teachers who taught about East Asia across the curriculum, including social studies, art and art history, history, literature, and more. Each week there were assigned readings and short assignments to be completed in advance of an interactive Zoom session.
Program Leaders
This program was led by NCTA leaders Melanie King, art historian, and Lauren Collins, Program Director of Asian Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Program details
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Wednesday, September 24, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Wednesday, October 1, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Wednesday, October 8, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, 4–6:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Program Expectations
All participants were expected to:
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Attend all 6 live Zoom sessions with cameras on to foster engagement.
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Complete short asynchronous pre-work before each session (approximately 2 hours per session, plus a final project at the end).
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Engage actively in Zoom discussions, including breakout rooms and collaborative exercises. This was a highly interactive program.
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Submit a final project connecting seminar themes to your teaching practice.
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Demonstrate respectful, thoughtful engagement with peers throughout the program.
Program Benefits
- Online Resources.
- Free WA OSPI clock hours.
This program was sponsored by the East Asia Resource Center at the University of Washington and funded by a Freeman Foundation grant in support of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA).