News
Convergence of Eastern and Western Cultures: “Axis of Becoming”
Professor Ann Cai from Northeastern University serves as an advisor to the Brookline Asian Parents Committee (BAPC), supporting cross-cultural education and community engagement.
Currently, Prof. Cai is leading the development of “Axis of Becoming”, an AI-enhanced educational serious game that explores how Eastern and Western cultural frameworks can be meaningfully connected through innovative educational design.
At the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and cultural philosophy, “Axis of Becoming” addresses a critical global challenge: the persistent gap in cross-cultural understanding, particularly between Eastern and Western knowledge systems. Through immersive storytelling and interactive experiences, the project transforms abstract cultural concepts into accessible and experiential learning processes.
AI浪潮下的“东学西渐”：蔡安教授推进“成就之轴”，探索以东方智慧定义下一代教育游戏。东北大学教授、亚委会学术顾问 Ann Cai 正在主导开发AI赋能严肃游戏项目“成就之轴（Axis of Becoming）”，探索在人工智能时代，如何以东方智慧重塑下一代教育游戏与学习方式。该项目位于人工智能、教育与文化哲学的交汇点，直面当前全球教育中的关键挑战——跨文化理解的鸿沟，尤其是东西方认知体系之间的差异。通过沉浸式叙事与互动体验设计，“成就之轴”将抽象的文化理念转化为可体验、可参与的学习过程。
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News
Li Hou Receives OEI Engagement Fund Grant for Multilingual Voices Project
Li Hou (Vicky) is a Brookline-based parent and serves as Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Brookline Asian Parents Committee (BAPC).
Li Hou, a Ph.D. candidate in the Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC) program and an instructor of ENGLWRIT 112 in the Writing Program at UMass Amherst, has received a grant from the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) Engagement Fund for her project, "Multilingual Voices Project: Digital Storytelling for Belonging and Inclusive Teaching." The project aims to foster belonging and community dialogue at UMass Amherst by creating spaces for multilingual students, instructors, and staff to share their lived experiences through digital storytelling. Through a series of interactive workshops and collaborative storytelling activities, participants will reflect on identity, language, and teaching and learning experiences across cultural and linguistic differences, culminating in a shared collection of multilingual narratives that highlight diverse voices within the UMass community. By centering the often underrepresented perspectives of multilingual learners, the project seeks to promote empathy, cross-cultural understanding, and a more inclusive campus climate.
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Congratulation to Vicky
Vicky is a Brookline-based parent and serves as Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Brookline Asian Parents Committee (BAPC).
Vicky Li Hou has recently published her sixth book, The Courage to Be Uneasy: Ordinary Women, Invisible Labor, and Quiet Resistance, 《不顺从的勇气》published by China Overseas Publishing House in March 2026.
The book continues her signature style of “quiet writing,” beginning with subtle yet deeply real emotional experiences in everyday life and focusing on the invisible labor women carry within family life, work, and social relationships. Through concrete and restrained storytelling, she brings attention to emotions and choices that are often overlooked, yet profoundly shape a person’s inner life.
In this book, Vicky does not define courage as grand resistance. Instead, she places it closer to ordinary life: it may appear as an awareness that no longer suppresses the self, an acknowledgment of discomfort, or a slow process of self-reconstruction that unfolds quietly in everyday living.
As a scholar and educator long engaged in multilingual writing and cross-cultural research, Vicky brings together academic insight and personal experience in her work. Her writing builds connections between individual narratives and broader social structures, offering readers a new way to rethink the self and everyday life.
Our Programs
01
Parent Connections
Connecting parents to share experiences and resources.
02
Cultural Liaison
Promote a strong school-family connection
03
School-family Volunteers
Support school activities
04
School-family communication
05
Professional Resource
Support for families navigating school systems.
Referral-based access to legal/mental health support to de-escalate and reduce burden.
Meet the Steering Committee
Vicky Hou
Co-chair of the steering committee
Vicky Hou is a Language, Literacy & Culture (LLC) educator and College Writing instructor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her research and teaching focus on multilingual writing, writing pedagogy, digital literacy, and cross-cultural communication. She also serves as a co-researcher for a cross-cultural educational initiative at Northeastern University. As a multilingual writer and published author, she explores women’s narratives, identity formation, and migration across transnational and cultural contexts.
Dr. Shijie He
Co-chair of the steering committee
Dr. Shijie He is an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a research investigator at Mass General Hospital. He earned his Ph.D. at Beijing Institute of Technology. Dr. He's research is focused on developing novel treatments for intestinal diseases, like IBD and colorectal cancer. With 10 years of experience in Boston as a parent, Dr. He noticed the common challenges faced by our Asian families. Therefore, Dr. He dedicates his efforts to help our Asian families and their kids achieve their goals via sharing experience and integrating resources in our BAPC.
William Wu
Co-chair of the steering committee
William Wu is the Founder and CEO of Beijing Zhuoce Tourism Planning & Design Institute, bringing over 15 years of experience in entrepreneurship, landscape design, and cultural tourism planning. He also serves as a Visiting Professor at Beijing International Studies University and previously established the “Wuyiyong Zhuoce” Scholarship to support emerging talents. Currently residing in Boston, he is actively engaged in community development and cross-cultural collaboration, serving as a co-founder of Maple Culture and the founding initiator of the Brookline Asian Family Committee.