Camp Gung Ho! China Summer Camp

With the Helen Foster Snow foundation, Language in the Wild is beyond thrilled to provide a summer camp like nothing before!

Imagine a Language in the Wild outdoor adventure Chinese camp...in China!!!

PROGRAM AT-A-GLANCE

Language in the Wild has been operating outdoor adventure language immersion camps for 4 years.
This year we are collaborating with the Helen Foster Snow Foundation to run Camp Gung Ho.
The Camp Gung Ho program will run from July 20 - August 10 (about 3 weeks.)
For students learning Chinese ages 14-18. You must have a basic proficiency of Chinese to attend.
(2) weeks of the program will be a cross-cultural Language in the Wild Two-Way Immersion summer camp with 150 American students and 150 Chinese students together.
Campers will be divided into groups together with Chinese students based on age, language proficiency and interests. US based Chinese teachers will lead groups of 30 students with support from US and Chinese camp counselors.
Campers will rotate through different activities each day, many of these sessions will be taught by Chinese expert artisans and practitioners.
Some activities include: Chinese traditional arts, Shaolin Kung Fu, rock climbing, ropes courses, team building and night games, Chinese and Western folktale skits, Chinese/American board games, knot tying/lashing, wood carving, hiking, cross cultural talent shows, music, sports, Chinese traditional pottery, etc.
There will also be a Beijing and Shanghai tour (1) week. We will be exploring the sites of Beijing, and doing a program with the US embassy. In Shanghai we will be visiting with international business leaders through the US Chamber of Commerce.
This is a non-profit program. Cost will be a maximum of $3000 to participate (not including airfare. costs). Sign up for an early bird discount below. We'll also offer group discounts for classes registering together. The price may decrease as sponsorships come together.

HELEN FOSTER SNOW FOUNDATION

This is a Helen Foster Snow Foundation program with the support of Language in the Wild. Check out their website and learn more about the incredible and inspiring life of Helen Foster Snow—who coined the English use of the word Gung Ho. Though we now use that term for someone who is enthusiastic and energetically engaged in an endeavor, it originally comes from the Chinese "工合" or "working together." Either way, it's a perfect namesake for this camp!

THE BASICS

We will be taking 150 American students (ages 14-18) to join 150 Chinese students for a diverse cultural and modern tour across China culminating in an unprecedented Language in the Wild style summer camp steeped in Chinese and American cross cultural exchange, language learning, team problem solving, skill building, and outdoor adventure.

Our 300 camp attendees will be divided in to five camp "houses" with 60 campers in each house. These will be split equally with Chinese and American participants. Additionally, within each house you will be organized into two groups of 30—each group will be led by an experienced Chinese teacher and two camp counselors. The majority of your time at camp will be experienced with this group. We will organize groups and houses based on a variety of factors including language proficiency, application information, and preferences so we can have a healthy and productive mix of people and personalities. And, yes, you can request to be with a friend!

Our camp will consist of two sections: the two-week summer camp and a one-week cultural excursion.

The Camp

The two-week summer camp is an American style summer camp with Chinese characteristics. Each day will be structured in a series of rotations; the different rotations will focus on language learning, cross-cultural explorations, outdoor adventure/nature skills, with traditional arts and crafts. Each rotation will either be led by your personal teacher team or a Chinese master artisan/practitioner (e.g. Chinese traditional archery experts, Chinese pottery masters, and Kung Fu teachers from the Shaolin Kung Fu Vocational College). This is not summer school and these are not "classes." With Language in the Wild we seek to learn through active projects, and group problem solving.

Each day attendees will also be given time for supervised exploration of independent interests. There will be three independent areas: 1) outdoor Chinese and American sports, with outdoor activities; 2) Indoor Chinese and American board games, library, project workstations, music instruments, and arts & crafts; 3) A place to rest, and relax with friends.

We will finish our evenings with "Coyote" night games, skit presentations, and campfires with custom Language in the Wild campfire songs,

In addition to the daily rotations there will be epic day-trip excursions. We're currently planning for mountain hikes, outdoor rock climbing, bike riding, ropes courses, an overnighter away from camp, and nearby cultural site(s) explorations.

A few special events will take place throughout the camp. One will be a special collaborative talent show. Campers will be given the opportunity to work with a Chinese counterpart in their house to come up with a creative cross-cultural display of their talents together. They can perform in front of their house and the whole of Camp Gung Ho if they so choose.

Additionally, our different groups will be working together to develop a Chinese and English presentation with practical strategies addressing a selected UN Goal of Sustainability.

Culture Tours and Excursions

In addition to the camp, American students will get to experience the traditional sites of Beijing and the financial hub of Shanghai. The Helen Foster Snow Foundation has incredible contacts and access to the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. Students will get to interact with multinational corporation business leaders and experience both the amazing technology of modern manufacturing and the opportunities awaiting them in field of international business. In Beijing we'll get to test our language skills in the heart of Chinese language and culture. Not only will we visit all the biggest hits like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, but we'll also throw in some memorable hidden gems along the way. There is a strong possibility we'll have special programing with the US Embassy in Beijing and Consulate in Shanghai.

CURRENT ITINERARY AND DATES

July 20, 2024	Arrive in Shanghai
July 20 - August 2nd	Camp Gung Ho and Shanghai Excursions
August 3rd - 9th	Shanghai and Beijing Excursions
August 10th	Depart from Beijing

LANGUAGE LEARNING

This program is a two-way immersion program: a dream type of program for Language in the Wild! We will designate certain days for 100% Chinese or English communication to give Chinese and American attendees an equal chance to utilize their 2nd language. There will also be flex language days where camp attendees can chose or switch between languages.

STAFF

This trip will be led by Eric Chipman, director of Language in the Wild, with a team of seasoned US Chinese teachers, camp managers, nurses, and camp counselors that will be with our students every step of the way. Additionally, we will work with local Chinese teachers (who previously taught in American schools!) as well as genuine Chinese artisans and practitioners. Our amazing team will result in a 6:1 student-to-leader ratio!

Check out our staff page for more info

LOCATION

The trip will tour through Beijing and Shanghai and we are currently negotiating with several provinces competing to host the summer camp and outdoor adventure portion of the program. Stay tuned! Each site we've check out has been very cool!

COSTS

This is a non-profit program for our American students but there will be a maximum tuition $3000. It is important for us to run this program privately and independently. Fortunately, many non-profits and institutions are willing to support our program. As we gain clarity on the amount of sponsored support for the program coming through, we'll finalize our program tuition. Our goal is to provide this opportunity for as many students as possible: get on our early-bird list and you will automatically be qualified for a 20% discount on the final tuition fee.

EARLY BIRD SIGN UP HERE