Teacher Support

The T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation was formed: to support the annual T’ai Chi Chih Teacher Conference; to provide scholarship funds for T’ai Chi Chih teacher accreditation and continuing education; and to sponsor events and projects that promote the knowledge of and practice of T’ai Chi Chih worldwide as a service to humanity.

Examples of support to teachers in other countries has included:

Free registration fee to attend annual conference in 2021 and 2022 on Zoom
Support hosts of teacher training events abroad

Find out more about the Teacher Conference

The 2024 International Teacher Conference will be held on July 25-28, 2024 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Learn more about registration and schedule.
Past conferences have been held virtually on Zoom in 2021, 2022, & 2023.

Learn more about Scholarships to attend conferences, intensives, teacher accreditation and other events.

Learn more about applying for Grants for projects that promote our practice.

2024 T’ai Chi Chih
International Teacher Conference

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50th Anniversary of the origination of T’ai Chi Chih practice
July 25-28, 2024
Albuquerque, New Mexico

T'ai Chi Chih International Foundation Scholarship Program

Scholarship funds are available for teachers and aspiring teachers who may not be able to afford the full fee to attend Intensives, Teacher Accreditation training, Seijaku Accreditation course, and annual Teacher Conference. The Foundation sets aside funds (donated by teachers and students) for scholarships but does not handle the process of awarding them to individuals. Limited scholarship funds are available for each event.

Contact the host of each event to find out the fees and process to apply for a scholarship. Find events on taichichih.org/events/

Scholarship recipient testimonials:

"Thanks to the assistance of the scholarship fund, I was able to deepen my TCC practice and feel a sense of connection with truly caring people for three days during a virtual Intensive workshop."

“Being granted a scholarship to attend TCC Teachers Accreditation was one of most important things in my life, literally. My passion for T'ai Chi Chih led me to becoming a teacher so I could share this wonderful gift to others. Being disabled, a senior and on a real fixed income, I don't know if I would have been able to do this without the financial help.”

“The scholarship fund helped me attend the Intensive as well as the Teacher Accreditation training. I could not have become a teacher without scholarship assistance. I have now been teaching Tai Chi Chih for 10 years, and I do hope that it has been as fulfilling for my students/fellow practitioners as it has been for me. A deep bow of gratitude for all those generous folks who have donated to the scholarship fund.”

T'ai Chi Chih International Foundation Grant Program

The T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation offers grants annually to support projects that enhance awareness of T’ai Chi Chih through demonstration, participation, and awareness initiatives.

Eligibility:

Projects should not result in direct financial gain for the recipient.
The grant should not exclusively benefit the teacher, such as solely increasing their class enrollments.
Upon project completion, the teacher is required to submit an article to the Vital Force Journal summarizing the project and its outcomes.
To apply for the grant, download the Grant Application form (PDF).

gRANT recipient testimonials:

Four teachers, Anita Vestal, Jessica Lewis, Adam Lacey, and Sokie Lee, benefitted from a T’ai Chi Chih International Foundation grant to participate in the inaugural Science of T’ai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) as Whole Person Health Conference sponsored by the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine of Harvard Medical School in September 2023.

Top medical researchers informed attendees of how TCQ studies have proven efficacy for a long list of physical and psychological conditions. Most of the research has been based on the ancient forms of T’ai Chi. However, T’ai Chi Chih, one of the so-called “simplified forms,” had strong research backing from UCLA researchers who related successful results.

About 40 participants attended an experiential session and T’ai Chi Chih presenters talked with an estimated 20%-25% of the participants afterward. This presentation opened up future research opportunities.

A grant from the TCC Foundation allowed Sr. Christa Thompson of Aston, PA, to make copies of a DVD highlighting students from 1st – 8th grade doing T’ai Chi Chih. Through interviews it demonstrated the impact the practice had on the elementary students in their daily lives.

These DVDs were given to each teacher at an annual teacher conference. Since then, Sister Christa has received numerous requests from other teachers throughout the USA for the DVD to help them in beginning to teach children and to promote the benefits of TCC for children.

“’Funding follows Research’-- As the evidence stacks up in favor of TCC for various conditions, large funders will begin to seek out agencies who have programming using TCC, leading to more paid teaching opportunities and spotlighting the proven benefits of T'ai Chi Chih as a practice for Whole Person Health.”

“Tai Chi Chih has a growing and emerging role in whole person health, nationally and internationally.”

“Without the support of a generous TCC Foundation grant, attending the Sept 2023 Science of T'ai Chi and Qigong as Whole Person Health Conference in Boston would have simply been out of my reach. I will always be grateful to have opportunities to network with several hundred of the greatest minds in mind-body practices and research …, but to have also played a part in representing the T'ai Chi Chih practice and community … was a priceless gift.”