Two BCSC Staff Receive Statewide Awards for Mandarin Programming

BCSC launched its Dual Language Mandarin Immersion program in 2016.

Left to right: BCSC staff members Emily Du and Dr. Jackie Huber won statewide awards for their contributions to Mandarin education. Photo provided.

(Batesville, Ind.) - Two Batesville Community School Corporation (BCSC) staff members involved with the district’s dual language immersion (DLI) Mandarin program have been selected for statewide recognition.

Emily Ying Du, who teaches Mandarin at Batesville Middle School and Batesville High School (BHS), has earned multiple statewide honors for her excellence in foreign language instruction. The Chinese Language Teachers Association of Indiana (CLTA-IN) named her its 2026 K-8 Chinese Teacher of the Year. She was also recognized by the Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) as its 2026 K-8 Teacher of the Year. As her top honor, Du was also selected from among the winners in the K-8, secondary, and collegiate categories for all languages as the overall 2026 Indiana Foreign Language Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Jackie Huber, Director of Student Learning and Technology, was selected as a recipient of the 2026 Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association (IFLTA) Distinguished World Language Advocate Award.

Du’s Teacher of the Year award is the highest honor awarded by CLTA-IN and IFLTA and recognizes exemplary teaching, outstanding dedication to students, and meaningful contributions to Chinese language education in Indiana. Huber’s state-level award honors non-world language teachers or Indiana organizations whose outstanding contributions advance world language education across the state. The IFLTA selection committee recognized Dr. Huber for her exemplary leadership and advocacy for BCSC’s DLI Program, particularly her efforts to promote Chinese language learning and culture.

Du, a dedicated Chinese language educator with 22 years of teaching experience (nine of those in the United States), has been an instrumental part of Batesville’s Mandarin program growth into the middle school and high school student populations. Rather than focusing on memorization, her lessons are learning experiences that encourage students to communicate, collaborate, solve problems, and express themselves in Chinese. As the program has expanded to BHS, Du has continued to develop curricula and support her students by providing meaningful ways to persevere and study the language at an advanced level, including planned opportunities to enroll in Advanced Placement Chinese.

“Ultimately, my mission is to help students discover that language learning is far more than an academic subject,” Du explained. “It is an opportunity to understand others, appreciate different perspectives, and build bridges across cultures. I hope every student leaves my classroom not only with greater proficiency in Chinese but also with the confidence, curiosity, and compassion to engage thoughtfully with our diverse world. When students embrace another language and culture, they begin to see that despite our differences, we share far more in common than we often realize.”

Dr. Huber was highlighted for her work in establishing and maintaining a fruitful partnership with the Cincinnati Asianati Youth Group, a nonprofit that features dedicated youth programming to promote Asian culture. This collaboration has enriched learning experiences for DLI students and benefited the broader Batesville community.

“As our students advance in the study of Mandarin throughout the middle and high school years, we are excited to have a teacher of Emily Du’s caliber there to support them,” said Dr. Katy Eastes, BCSC Superintendent. “We are grateful that her commitment to these students is being recognized on a statewide level. Dr. Huber’s passion for helping students and families connect across languages and cultures has made such a meaningful difference in our schools and community. We are incredibly fortunate to have a leader who brings this kind of heart and dedication to her work. The recognition of these two BCSC staff members is a wonderful reflection of the positive impact they make on our students and the Batesville community through the DLI program.”

BCSC launched its Dual Language Mandarin Immersion program in 2016. Currently, approximately 12% of BCSC students participate in the program, which begins in kindergarten. In grades K–5, students experience full immersion in math, science, and Mandarin language arts taught by a dedicated Mandarin teacher, alongside instruction in allied arts and English. From grade six through high school, students engage in Mandarin literacy before progressing to classes which award high school level foreign language credit.

Du and Huber formally accepted their awards during the annual IFLTA Conference held in Indianapolis in early November. For more information about the conference and awards, visit www.iflta.org.