Cultural Education

Joyous Chinese Cultural School

Celebrate Culture and Heritage

About

CCAI founded the Joyous Chinese Cultural School (JCCS) in 1996 through to fortify strong birth heritage connections and cultivate a healthy sense of self for adopted Chinese children and their families. JCCS is a distinctive place for the adoption community to spend time with other multicultural families.

The mission of JCCS is three-fold:

Create a supportive and culturally conscious learning environment that is empowering for adoptees, families, and the community
Nurture a positive sense of self and pride in a cultural identity that is not immediately familiar but forever personal
Encourage adoptees and adoptive families to fully embrace and celebrate their multicultural identities

With an approach that is specifically shaped for transnational adoptees and non-native speakers, our cultural classes emphasize exploration and connection. Whether you are looking for a simple cultural experience or hoping to maintain fluency, Joyous Chinese Cultural School is a great place to start!

Joyous Chinese Cultural School really offers an opportunity for families to get to not just learn about, but participate in Chinese culture, which has really been a wonderful thing for [our daughter] and our family.

JCCS is the reason why I have a lot of good, very close friends in the community. Some are adoptees, some are siblings of adoptees, or just people who enjoy interacting with Chinese culture.

My daughter has just graduated after 15 years with JCCS and it is bittersweet. JCCS has become an extension of our family. It's a community and resource that widens not only your child’s horizons but also your own.

This many years later, I still credit JCCS for helping me feel more comfortable talking about my racial identity and feel proud to own it. It helped me understand why my birth culture is important to me and how it plays into my daily life.

Language Classes

JCCS offers beginner and intermediate Chinese language classes for ages 5 years old up through adults. All classes are taught in Mandarin Chinese by native Chinese speakers with a passion for adoption support.

Dance Classes

JCCS offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced Folk and Contemporary Chinese dance classes for ages 10 and up through adults. All classes are taught by professionally-trained Chinese and Taiwanese dance instructors.

In-Person Classes

Join Joyous Chinese Cultural School in person at our headquarters in Centennial, CO

Online Classes

Quarterly opportunities to explore Chinese culture from anywhere in the world

Join From Anywhere In the World

Our adoption community stretches far beyond the walls of our community center, and so do our classes! The ability to access important, adoption-centered cultural resources is a vital part of our mission and our online classes help fill that gap.

With a diverse online offering, students of all ages can jumpstart their Chinese language, cooking, and art skills with new classes offered every quarter.

2024 Tutor Sessions Now Open

In-Person or Virtual

Sign up for language tutoring from our awesome JCCS tutors and step up your language skills! Many of our tutors are adoptees who have a passion for Chinese language and have or are currently studying Chinese in school.

Tutoring available for all levels.

Tutoring

Free and paid tutoring options available for all language levels