About Us

Mission Statement

The Mandarin Teachers Institute supports Mandarin educators around the world through high-quality professional development, practical teaching resources, and a strong global community.

Our mission is to equip every Mandarin teacher with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to succeed—and to inspire the next generation of Mandarin learners.

Empowering Mandarin teachers.

Connecting a global community.

Meet the Team

  • Shaz Lawrence

    USA

  • Di Yin

    USA

  • Marnie Foster

    AUSTRALIA

  • Paola Mattioli

    ITALY

  • Bei Li

    USA

  • Belinda Dello-Iacovo

    AUSTRALIA

Our Founder

Shaz Lawrence

SShaz Lawrence is a Chinese language educator, consultant, and trainer with experience across Australia, the US, and beyond. She holds a B.Ed., a Master’s in Linguistics, and Montessori certification, and has studied Chinese at top institutions in Taiwan and China.

Shaz has taught learners of all ages and consulted on early childhood programs, including Sesame Street’s Fun, Fun Elmo. She has trained teachers worldwide, worked with the Confucius Institute across the UK and Ireland, and presented at international conferences.

She founded the global resource site Creative Chinese (2009), the Mandarin Superstars children’s program (2015), and the Mandarin Teachers Institute (2025) to support and connect teachers of Chinese.

Shaz offers:

  • International teacher training

  • Customized PD for schools

  • Curriculum and assessment design

  • Leadership coaching

  • Marketing support for Chinese programs

  • Online Mandarin learning consulting

International schools/school districts Shaz has partnered with for professional learning training:

  • Presidio Knolls School, San Francisco, California

  • St. George’s College, Edinburgh, Scotland

  • Dulwich College PuDong, Shanghai, China

  • Catholic Education Office, South Australia

  • Cardiff Confucius Institute, Wales, UK

  • Edinburgh Confucius Institute, Scotland, UK

  • San Mateo/Foster City School District, California

  • Mandarin Seeds, New York City, NY

  • San Francisco Archdiocese, California

  • University Settlement Teaching Training, New York City, NY

  • IOE Teacher Education College, London, UK

  • Goldsmiths University of London, UK