MLCCC History
Established in 2003, the Main Line Chinese Culture Center, Inc (MLCCC or Ming Lang) is a nonprofit-501c3, nonpartisan, nonpolitical organization that serves as a catalyst to increase understanding between American and Chinese cultures. The MLCCC's mission is to provide compelling insights of China's culture to interested families within the greater Philadelphia area in order to support their educational needs and career aspirations. The vision for the group is to grow its operations such that its diversified sources of funding will enable the organization to secure its own site facility, full-time staff, and financial self-sufficiency that will lead to the most effective Chinese cultural education instruction within the state of Pennsylvania.
The MLCCC provides a window to Chinese culture by offering basic language instruction (Mandarin) as well as classes in traditional Chinese dance and other art forms (Chinese painting, self-defense, etc.). Through weekend and summer classes taught at rented facilities, MLCCC instructors leverage a traditional Asian teaching style that emphasizes strong study skills and discipline. Since its inception in 2003, the MLCCC has grown from an informal group of thirty students to an enrollment of over three hundred students by the end of 2008. Currently, three part-time staff, 16 instructors, and a very considerate group of parent volunteers serve a PreK-12th grade student population of which 87% are of Chinese-American descent. Satisfied parents have confirmed the value of the program model as the MLCCC's growth has been driven primarily by word of mouth alone. Finally, global CEOs like Ethnic Technologies' Zack Wilhoit have commented, "The Main Line Chinese Culture Center reaches out to so many children and their families with valuable insights on Chinese-American culture and the significant implications for our future relationships with China".
MLCCC Board of Directors
Xiong, Qunbin - Interim Chairman
- Sue Cheng
- Terry Cooke
- Li, Weiguo
- Peter Loedel
- Joe Petrucci
- Melanie Quackenbush
- Wang, Yaxin
- Xu, Yongsheng
- Christine Wang
- James Zhang
MLCCC's Board of Directors consists a panel of volunteers whose very important role is to promote our missions and look after the interests of our community. Our directors are professionals who are accomplished in their own rights, and who share the passions of our culture center.
We thank them for their dedication and volunteerism!
MLCCC Administrative Officers
- Julia Chou, Principal
- Sally Chen (陈渝), Vice Principal&Director of Academics
Working closely with our teachers, our Parent Teacher Organization, our Board of Directors, and our parents, our duty is to promote MLCCC's missions to the greater community around us via daily operations of our Weekend School, Summer Camps and Community Service initiatives year round. We appreciate your continued support and welcome your input anytime.
Teacher Team
MLCCC PTO Committee
MLCCC PTO is made up of parent volunteers to serve our students, teachers and parents.
Our mission is to enhance the cultural experience and help build a community for MLCCC families from all different backgrounds. In addition to assisting school administrators with events, PTO will host additional activities to enrich our students’ learning environment. Together with the excellent academic programs by our dedicated teaching staff, these activities provide a holistic approach to learning both the Chinese language and its rich and extensive culture.
As the old saying goes: It takes a village to raise a child! Parent participation is essential to the success of our PTO. We truly appreciate the talents and enthusiasm of any parent volunteer. We welcome you to participate or help in any way you prefer. Please feel free to ask questions and/or contribute ideas during school hours or email to PTO.
Job Opportunities
Thanks you for your interest in joining and teaching at MLCCC. We have many opportunities from CHL and CSL teachers to arts and culture class instructors.
MLCCC is a caring and lively community, we encourage you to visit us during the school year, see right hand pane for directions.
The Main Line Chinese Culture Center offers training and development opportunities to its staff. Given our 500% growth in enrolled students during the past five year, the Center is always looking for qualified people in the following areas:
- Mandarin language instructors for Chinese As Heritage language classes;
- Mandarin language instructors for Chinese As Second Language classes;
- Chinese Culture instructors for our annual Chinese culture summer camp;
- Chinese Folk Dance teachers;
- Art and Drawing teachers;
- Martial Arts instructors;
- Musical instrument instructors (e.g.: Keyboard/Piano);
- English writing teachers;
- Yoga instructors;
- SAT Math and Verbal instructors
MLCCC Weekendschool:Running from September to June on Sunday afternoons (1:00pm to 5:00pm)
School Calendar
Sunday School Location: Great Valley High School (Malvern,PA)
Resources for Learning Mandarin
General Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Course FAQs for Sunday Classes
Transportation
- Where is the closest parking lot?
Complementary parking is available at the school. Although not posted, we request that visitors do not double-park at the lot.
Skills/Class Structure
- How do I know which level my child should take?
The MLCCC does provide an informal interview to test a student's language ability. Please contact Principal Li Xa (xlihuangpu@hotmail.com ) to schedule such an interview. After your child attends the preliminary class, a decision can be made to stay or move to another class.
- If my child misses class due to illness, etc., can they receive homework to catch up?
Yes, parents can request homework updates from the instructors.
- Is the language instructor a native Chinese speaker?
Yes, all instructors are native Chinese speakers. However for certain MLCCC enrichment courses (SAT prep, etc.), not all instructors are native Chinese speakers.
- How often do classes meet?
Classes are held each Sunday at 1:00pm. Class terms are impacted by holidays, etc. which are communicated well in advance
- Can I receive college credit for a class?
Not at this time.
- What are the age spans that are served by the MLCCC?
The weekend program at Malvern supports mostly PreK-12 youth, however adults participate in cultural enrichment courses (traditional dance, choir, etc.). In addition, the MLCCC is fielding inquires regarding cultural programs for adults interested in business and cultural topics. For more information, please email us at info@mlccc.org.
Payment
Can I receive a refund if I decide to quit class in the middle of the term?
If a parent needs to withdraw his/her child, the MLCCC will refund a pro-rated amount for remaining classes based upon the terms of the school policy.
If I already have the text book that the school uses, do I need to purchase it again as part of the fee structure?
No, if the student already has the current version of the class textbook, he/she does not need to purchase it again. Note, the MLCCC provides its books at cost and does not make a profit on such transactions.
How can I pay for my child's class?
Pre-payment is required to be considered fully registered for a class. Payment can be made by check or cash. Please make check payable to the Main Line Chinese Culture Center Inc. and mail it to MLCCC, P. O. Box 745, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 or bring to the weekend school.