 English Summer Camp in China
Trip code: CHN6
During the summer months, while school is on break, many Chinese students participate in summer camps. The goal of the summer camp program is for the children to learn and have fun while doing so! Your contribution as a volunteer in the summer camps is appreciated because the students don't often have the opportunity to learn and interact with foreigners. Volunteers are needed to help with lessons, organize games, crafts and other activities for the children. Many children are also eager for the opportunity to practice their conversational English with volunteers. Volunteers in the summer camp also have an opportunity on weekends to tour the historic and cultural sights of the city such as Terracotta Army, the Xi'an City wall, Big Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter.
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| Project/
Volunteer's Life: |
| The purpose of the Chinese Summer English Camp is to help students improve their English skills in a fun and creative way. The Summer English Camp is held in indoor classrooms rather than outdoors. This program does not have a set curriculum and textbook to follow and the program is focused primarily on conversational English. For this reason, volunteers are very valuable as resources for students to practice their spoken English. Students in China are eager to learn English and have respect for teachers. You will also have an English-speaking Chinese assistant to help keep order in the classroom and assist with your lessons. Although the school will have books on hand, you can also bring your own materials, books, audio tapes, or other items that may be helpful to teach English. Your free time and weekends can be spent organizing extra-curricular activities for the children or exploring the cultural and historical city of Xi'an. |
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| Skills and Qualifications |
| Volunteers should be fluent English speakers (not necessary a native English speaker) and have knowledge of English to teach Chinese students. Other than that, you do not require any skills and qualifications. You should however be flexible and open minded during the project as working conditions and the mentality of people will be very different from what you're used to back home. |
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| Meals/Accommodations: |
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Rustic Volunteer Travel arranges volunteer meals, accommodations and strong field supervision for the duration of projects and optional travel packages. In China, most volunteers stay in our homebase, a permanent home established for our international volunteers . Our homebase in China is located in a pretty community, in a very safe and clean neighborhood. There are internet cafés, restaurants, local bus stations, a police station and supermarkets near our homebase. The homebase provides is a comfortable place to relax after a long day. There are several bedrooms (which may be shared with a same-gender volunteer) and community areas. There is a shared kitchen, television and shared bathrooms, which have running water and “western-style” toilets. Volunteers joining panda conservation project will stay in economy hotel.
Depending on the influx of volunteers, accommodations could be with a host family. Host family accommodations are simple and clean homes in safe neighborhoods. Volunteers usually have a private bedroom, but occasionally rooms will be shared with a same-gender volunteer. Our host families are well screened and are respected members of their communities who live in affluent neighborhoods. Most of our host families have experience with hosting international volunteers. Host family stays are a great chance for cultural immersion and exchange.
Volunteers receive three local meals per day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We can provide vegetarian meal options, but needs must be detailed in a volunteer's application. Snacks and beverages outside of mealtimes are not provided; however, there are local restaurants and grocery stores near the residences in which we place volunteers.
Rustic offers unparalleled field support to volunteers to ensure a safe and rewarding experience. There are many layers of support for you. The most important support comes from our country coordinator/field staff. The secondary support comes from the host project staff and members of host families and/or a homebase staff. Volunteers will have access to our country coordinator's mobile number and they are available 24/7. Throughout the volunteer project, our local staff stays in contact with volunteers either with face-to-face visits or via email/telephone. Our field staff will visit regularly (every 2-4 weeks) to make sure things are going well and as planned. However, if placement is far from our local offices, staff members will stay in touch via email/ phone. Volunteers are also welcome to stop in the offices at any time.
Specific details regarding accommodations, food and contact details for our local coordinator will be provided in personalized volunteer placement documentation prior to arrival.
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| Project Locations: |
 Volunteer positions in the summer camps are located in and around Xi'an, the capital of the Shaanxi province. Xi'an, a walled city, is one of the oldest cities of China. Xi'an boasts famous cultural attractions such as the Terracotta Army, Bell Tower of Xi'an and numerous pagodas and temples. Xi'an is also home to six Chinese National Parks and Mount Hua, one of the Five Sacred Taoist Mountains.
Volunteers can organize different possible excursions during and after the project to visit places of interest. There is a tourist infrastructure already in place in China the volunteer can use during weekends. For example: caves, ancient and modern royal palaces, markets, Chinese dragon boat racing, Mongolian wrestling, festivals, architecture, temples, art, restaurants, beaches, hotels, and many more. |
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