Faculty: Carissa Welton
Mandarin Teacher
Carissa Welton grew up between Ann Arbor and Detroit, later graduating from San Francisco State University (SFSU) in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. Having the opportunity to visit China while still a SFSU student, she moved to Shandong Province to teach English (K-8) immediately after receiving her BA degree. She moved to Beijing in March 2005 and quickly went from teaching English classes to writing for English media and event planning in the capital. In 2007, Carissa began working with the Jane Goodall Institute and other non-profits focused on environmental protection in China, which eventually led to her establishing a volunteer platform featuring many members of the city's international creative community, called Greening the Beige (GtB, 2007 - 2017). Carissa continued working with the Jane Goodall Institute and supporting young people, Grades 3 - 12, in southern China (Shenzhen, 2014 - 2020). She established several new Roots & Shoots groups at 5 different schools in the area. In 2022 Carissa launched The Blue Marble Series, a collection of ocean exploration stories, starting with Beneath the Surface, a story for middle readers (ages 10+) that takes place off Nan'ao Island, Guangdong Province, China. She is delighted to share her experience of Chinese language and culture with so many young people at Detroit Waldorf School.