What is the TCTA?

The Texas Consortium on Teaching about Asia (TCTA) is a part of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. The National Consortium for Teaching about Asia was established in 1998 with a generous grant from the Freeman Foundation. The National Consortium promotes and encourages teaching about Asia in American schools. Consortium activities include sponsorship of seminars for teachers, stipends for materials, and opportunities for educational travel to East Asia. By 2003, more than 3,500 teachers had participated in nearly 200 NCTA seminars in 42 states.

The purpose of the National Consortium is to foster a permanent place for the teaching and the study of East Asia in middle and secondary school courses devoted to world history, world cultures, or world geography. The goal is to have 80% of American middle and high schools teaching serious content in East Asian history, geography, and literature within twenty years time; additionally, the consortium aims to provide teachers with enriched background on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean classical traditions, modern history, and contemporary issues.

As a part of the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia, the Texas Consortium offers free 30-hour teacher training seminars and other activities at three sites: Rice University in Houston, Trinity University in San Antonio, and the University of North Texas in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.