The CLTA Sustainability and Leadership Award 立竹奖

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The CLTA Sustainability and Leadership Award 立竹奖

Purpose of the Award

Purpose of the Award Many well-established programs are currently facing dire circumstances due to diminishing administrative and financial support. Thus, developing leadership skills among Chinese language educators in this critical era becomes urgent. This initiative is designed to actively safeguard the future of Chinese language education by building a pool of leaders with vision and dedication. The CLTA Sustainability and Leadership Award or referred to in Chinese as Lizhu Award (立竹奖), honors exemplary Chinese language programs and leadership teams that demonstrate sustained excellence, strategic problem-solving, robust program architecture, and measurable impact. Beyond honoring past success, the Award provides target funding to empower programs to strengthen, innovate, and expand. Recipients are expected to leverage this support to build scalable, enduring models that advance the long-term sustainability and vitality of Chinese language education.

Award Identity & Symbolism

The CLTA Sustainability and Leadership Award (CLTA 立竹奖) is created as a signature award of the CLTA- SIG Leadership and Sustainability. The Chinese name “立竹” (Lìzhú) draws inspiration from bamboo as a symbol of resilience, integrity, growth, adaptability, and enduring strength, which reflects the Award’s commitment to recognizing Chinese language programs that have established strong foundations, demonstrated meaningful leadership and achievement, successfully navigated challenges, and are prepared to advance toward the next stage of excellence, innovation, impact, and sustainable growth.

One or more awards of up to $5,000 each may be made, subject to the availability of funds and the merit of the proposals.

Eligibility

  • The eligibility requirements could perhaps distinguish among the following:
    • Lead Applicant: Must be a CLTA member and a member of CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability.
    • Co-applicants: Must be a CLTA member and a member of CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability.
    • Other Team Members: Do not need to be CLTA members. For example, instructors, graduate teaching assistants, or other individuals involved in the program could participate as team members without being required to hold CLTA membership.
  • Institutional & Employment Status: The Lead Applicant must hold a full-time faculty or administrative appointment and play a leading role in the program. Other key members must hold a minimum 0.6 FTE instructional or leadership appointment at an accredited K–16 educational institution.
  • Program Eligibility: Applications must represent an established Chinese language program, department, track, dual-language immersion (DLI) program, or institutional initiative. The program must have been in active operation for at least three consecutive academic years prior to application and demonstrate a track record of growth, organizational structure, and measurable impact.
  • Team Collaboration: Program-level or leadership-team applications are highly encouraged. The application must explicitly designate one Lead Applicant and identify all key team members, outlining their specific roles in the proposed project.

Required Application Materials

1. Applicant and Program Information – 1 page

  • Program name
  • Institution
  • Program leader / primary applicant
  • Names and titles of all key team members included in the application
  • Email and phone number of the primary contact
  • CLTA membership confirmation
  • CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability membership confirmation
  • Administrative contact (department chair, dean, principal, superintendent, program director, or other appropriate administrator)

2. Program Overview and Demonstrated Excellence — 1 page

Provide a concise executive summary of the program addressing the following areas:

  • History and Development
  • Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment Outcomes
  • Strategic Planning and Implementation
  • Navigating Challenges and Problem-Solving
  • Community Engagement and Outreach
  • Website and Media Presence

3. Goals and Vision for Future Excellence and Sustainability – 1 page

Articulate the program’s future goals and explain how the CLTA Lizhu Award will help advance the program and their own leadership toward a higher level of excellence, innovation, impact, and long-term sustainability. Applicants should clearly explain what this Award would make possible that would otherwise be difficult to achieve.

4. Expected Outcomes, Impact, and Implementation Plan – 2-3 pages

Describe the critical need or opportunity that makes the proposed funding important at this stage of program development. Explain the initiative to be supported by the Award and identify the anticipated short-term deliverables and long-term impact.

The implementation plan should include:

  • Major activities and action steps
  • Responsible team members or partners
  • A clear timeline with key milestones
  • Anticipated deliverables and indicators of success
  • Plans for evaluation, reflection, and continuous improvement
  • Strategies for sustaining, expanding, institutionalizing, or scaling the work beyond the Award period
  • Post-Award Sustainability, Future Funding Sources, and Strategies for Sustaining the Program with Limited Financial Resources

5. Budget Allocation and Justification – 1 page

Provide a detailed financial breakdown of the proposed budget, including subtotals and the total requested amount. For each item, identify the expense category, amount requested, and a concise justification explaining how the expense supports the proposed initiative and the program’s long-term development. Please add rows if needed.

#  Expense Category  Budget Allocation  Justification
1  $
2  $
3  $
4  $
Total Requested Budget  $

In addition to the budget table, applicants must provide a brief narrative describing:

  • Any secured funding currently supporting the same or related initiative
  • Any pending grant applications for the same or related initiative
  • Any anticipated matching funds, in-kind contributions, or institutional support
  • Any strategic plans to sustain excellence and ensure ongoing impact beyond the grant period, especially under conditions of limited or the absence of any other external funding.

6. Professional Biographies (CV)

Submit a combined professional biography of no more than two pages introducing the program leader and all key team members included in the application. The biographies should highlight current positions, professional backgrounds, leadership roles, relevant accomplishments, and each member’s contribution to the program.

7. One Letter of Support

Include one institutional letter of support from a department chair, dean, principal, superintendent, or other appropriate administrator. The letter should address the leadership team’s qualifications, the program’s record of achievement, institutional support, and the potential value of the proposed next-stage development.

8. Disclosure of funding sources, matching support, and post-grant sustainability plans – 1 page

Disclose whether they have applied for or received funding from other sources for this project, including any matching support. They should also briefly explain how the project will be sustained after the grant funding ends.

Allowable and Non-Allowable Expenses

Final allowable and non-allowable expense categories will be determined by CLTA policy. In general, proposed expenses should directly support the approved program development goals and demonstrate a clear connection to individual leadership development and sustainable impact. Funding cannot be used to pay anyone’s summer salary or meals under any circumstances.

Evaluation Criteria

The award will be evaluated by the CLTA Awards Committee in consultation with the CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability, using the following 100-point rubric:

Criterion  Weight  Description
Excellence / Achievement  30%  Strength of the program’s demonstrated  accomplishments, academic quality,  leadership, curriculum/pedagogy,  assessment outcomes, and evidence of  sustained excellence.
Challenges / Resolution  15%  Significance and complexity of the  challenges faced and the extent to which  leadership responded with strategic,  effective, creative, and evidence 

informed solutions.
Implementation Feasibility 20% Clarity, practicality, and coherence of the  proposed next-stage plan, including  timeline, staffing, institutional support,  evaluation, and appropriate use of funds.
Impact & Sustainability 25% Potential for the Award-supported work  to generate meaningful short- and long term impact, strengthen the program,  sustain gains, expand reach, or serve as a  model for the field.
Mission Alignment 10% Alignment with the mission and priorities  of the CLTA Leadership and

Sustainability SIG, including leadership  development, sustainability,

collaboration, advocacy, innovation,  equity, and professional growth.
Total  100%

Selection Considerations

The strongest applications will demonstrate a clear relationship among past achievements, leadership in the face of challenges, future vision, feasible implementation, and sustainable impact. Reviewers will consider the quality and coherence of the entire program story rather than rewarding isolated activities or the volume of supporting materials.

Award Recipient Responsibilities

Recipient programs and leadership teams are expected to fulfill the following obligations to ensure institutional compliance, strategic stewardship, and impactful knowledge-sharing within the professional community:

  • Financial Compliance & Budgetary Integrity: Use Award funds strictly for approved project activities and itemized expenses. Any major budget reallocation (exceeding 10% of the proposed itemized expenses) or project timeline extension requires prior written approval from the CLTA Lizhu Award Committee.
  • Project Timeline & Completion: Execute and complete the proposed project within the approved funding period (typically 12 months from the date of award disbursement).
  • Final Project & Financial Reporting: The award period is 12 months from the date of fund disbursement. Recipients must submit a final project and financial report within 60 days after the end of the award period. The report must detail implementation strategies, quantitative and qualitative outcomes, key lessons learned, future sustainability plans, and a complete itemized financial expenditure statement.
  • Knowledge Dissemination & Community Sharing: Share project outcomes and scalable models with the broader Chinese language education community. Recipients must complete at least one approved dissemination activity, such as presenting at the CLTA Annual Conference, leading a CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability event demonstrating leadership, or publishing an open-access instructional toolkit/resource.
  • Public Recognition & Digital Mapping: Provide a leadership statement, a concise program profile featuring an impactful story, high-resolution media/images, and location data to be featured on the CLTA Lizhu Award Recipients Interactive Map and repository on the CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability website.
  • Acknowledgment of Support: Acknowledge the support of the CLTA Lizhu Award, initiated and funded by CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability, in all external presentations, publications, websites, toolkits, and promotional materials resulting from the funded project.
  • Publication & Monograph Opportunities (Invited Contribution): Award recipients may be invited to expand their project outcomes, leadership reflections, or case studies into a book chapter, policy brief, or monograph for future CLTA professional publications on sustainable program architecture.

Recognition and Dissemination

The CLTA Lizhu Award celebrates high-impact programs while building a dynamic and visible network of leadership and sustainable program models across Chinese language education. Award recipients will be highlighted on the CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability website, in the newsletter, and through official media channels. Recipients may also be recognized through regional or local professional events, providing additional opportunities to celebrate their achievements, engage educational leaders and community stakeholders, and increase the visibility and impact of their programs.

To showcase the Award’s reach and foster meaningful cross-institutional collaboration, the CLTA-SIG Leadership and Sustainability website maintains an Interactive CLTA Lizhu Award Recipients Map that connects visionary leaders and exemplary programs nationwide.

Application Format and Submission Checklist

The application must follow these formatting requirements:

  • Font: Times New Roman, 12-point
  • Spacing: 1.5 spaced
  • Maximum Length: 8 pages, excluding the applicant’s CV and one letter of support
  • All required sections must be presented in the specified order and comply with section-specific page or word limits in PDF format.
    • Applicant and Program Information (1 page)
    • Program Overview and Demonstrated Excellence (1 page)
    • Goals and Vision for Future Excellence and Sustainability (1 page)
    • Expected Outcomes, Impact, and Implementation Plan (2-3 pages)
    • Budget Allocation and Justification (1 page)
    • Disclosure of funding sources, matching support, and post-grant sustainability plans (1 page)