A four-week intensive exposure to China with half the time spent learning and using Mandarin. The program is designed with a mixture of classroom sessions and experiential learning, including field studies, oral histories, museum visits, work with local high school students, and homestays. Experienced schoolteachers and administrators from the West serve as program administrators and supervise all teaching. Local experts are brought in to teach classes such as Chinese painting, martial arts, tea ceremony, calligraphy, cuisines, religions, social issues, and economic development. Mandarin instructors are native-speakers trained in teaching Mandarin to non-native speakers.
A wide selection of speakers from business, government, academia, and representatives from various social and ethnic groups in each country make presentations to the students and engage in active question and answer sessions.
Students are drawn from leading schools around the world. This international group of participants represents an important learning experience in itself. In past years students have come from Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, and the US. A complete list of sending schools is available on our website.

Program date: Sunday, July 11 - Saturday, August 7, 2010

Applications are accepted from students currently
studying in Grades 9 through 12. Prior knowledge of Mandarin is not required. Admission to the program is competitive and on a rolling basis. Early applications are recommended.

Application deadline is March 31. Need-based financial aid is available.