ABOUT THE PIFOCNY CAMPAIGN:
Pay it Forward on Chinese New Year (PIFOCNY) is one of Project Pengyou’s signature campaigns. Since 2015 during the week of Chinese New Year, Project Pengyou Chapters have participated in this national campaign visiting local schools in their communities to inspire curiosity in language learning, Chinese culture, and model cross-cultural bridge building. Reaching kids at a young age builds a foundation for lifelong discovery and the goal of PIFOCNY is that later in life children will approach not just U.S.-China relations, but anyone who is different from them, with empathy and respect.
Our Project Pengyou chapter teams, composed of American, Chinese and other international students, put together fun and engaging lesson plans with that teach both language and culture, including chopsticks races, Chinese paper-cutting, musical and taiqi performances, and more. Furthermore, we require that each Chapter works with a liaison at the host school to ensure the lesson plans are not only impactful, but safe and fun as well.
Check out photos from our 2017 and 2018 PIFOCNY celebrations and be sure to keep an eye on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram during the Chinese New Year to see kids all over the country learning Chinese. ( #projectpengyou #PIFOCNY #Payitforward )
JOIN OUR CAMPAIGN:
If you are interested in joining the fun, you can join this national movement by doing the following:
- Identify a School - Ideally a local middle or elementary school with fewer resources or access to Chinese culture/language.
- Contact the School - Be prepared to pitch your ideas, a potential visit date and more.
- Prepare Your Activity - Tell a story about yourself and your connection to cross-cultural exchange or teach Chinese words and traditions for the lunar new year!
- Post Online - Download our special Year of the Pig sticker and use #projectpengyou #payitforward #PIFOCNY. Make sure to get permission from the school to use photos of the children.
- Keep in Contact - the most impactful relationships with students are ongoing relationships! Plan follow-up visits with the kids to encourage further learning.
CONNECT WITH A CHAPTER IN YOUR COMMUNITY:
Over 90 Project Pengyou Chapters have been initiated across the United States by trained Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows. View our full list of Project Pengyou University and High School Chapters below and reach out to Project Pengyou HQ at nihao@projectpengyou.org to refer a Chapter to a local school in your area.
- American University, Washington, DC
- Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
- Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Baton Rouge, LA
- Belmont University, Belmont, TN
- Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
- Boston College High School, Boston, MA
- Bowie State University, Bowie, MD
- Burlington County College, Pemberton, NJ
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN
- Carver Early College High School, Atlanta, GA
- Centre College, Danville, KY
- Claremont Colleges, Claremont, CA
- Colby College, Waterville, ME
- College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
- Columbia University, New York, NY
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Creighton University, Omaha, NE
- CUNY Hunter College, New York, NY
- Detroit Catholic Central High School, Detroit, MI
- D.C. International School, DC
- Duke University, Durham, NC
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, AZ
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Garfield Academy, Seattle, WA
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
- Georgetown University, DC
- Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Horace Mann School, New York, NY
- Kean University, Union, NJ
- Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
- Loyola University, Chicago, IL
- Luther College, Decorah, IA
- Marshall University, Huntington, WV
- Medgar Evers College Preparatory School, Brooklyn, NY
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
- Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
- Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
- Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ
- Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
- New York University, New York, NY
- Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
- Northern State University, Aberdeen, SD
- Northview High School, Johns Creek, GA
- Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
- Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
- Oxford High School, Oxford, MS
- Palmer High School, Colorado Springs, CO
- Princeton High School, Princeton, NJ
- Saint Ann’s School, Brooklyn, NY
- Saint Augustine, Raleigh, NC
- San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
- Servite High School, Anaheim, CA
- Sharpstown International School, Houston, TX
- St. Andrews, Ridgeland, MS
- St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
- St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
- SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo, NY
- Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
- Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX
- Tufts University, Medford, MA
- The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA
- University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- University of California, Berkeley, CA
- University of California, San Diego, CA
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE
- University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN
- University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
- University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
- University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- University of Pittsburgh, PA
- University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
- University of Rochester, NY
- University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
- University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
- University of Texas, Austin, TX
- University of Tulsa, OK
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN
- Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA
- Wake University, Winston-Salem, NC
- Washington State University, Pullman, WA
- Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
YOU ARE THE CHANGE WE SEEK
The relationship between the United States and China is increasingly important, complex and challenging. It is now more urgent than ever for young people to come together to champion cross-cultural bridge-building and to fight xenophobia. We believe young Americans and Chinese with firsthand experiences in both countries are our most crucial and valuable assets in realizing a peaceful and constructive future for the United States and China. #PIFOCNY is dedicated to encouraging empathy and mutual understanding between Chinese and Americans starting with xiao pengyous. This is your opportunity to join this nationwide movement and be the change in your community.
