Program Overview
Program Overview
Picture yourself in China this summer.
Partnering with Chinese high school students to lead English and culture classes for underprivileged children at a local elementary school. Practicing the ancient art of tai chi or helping prepare (and eat) a plate of Chinese dumplings. Picture yourself strolling along the cypress-lined passageway to the mausoleum of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, or surveying the beauty of the mountainous Chinese countryside atop the Great Wall.
In Nanjing, you’ll find an exciting city, home to nearly 2,500 years of history. The former seat of power for ten Chinese dynasties is now a growing industrialized center of economics, education, and culture.
As its cities like Nanjing continue to grow and it becomes a more powerful player on the world stage, China has become the subject of both great discussion and also great misunderstanding. With the CIEE Leadership Academy you’ll immerse yourself in and contribute to a local community gaining insight into the Chinese people, their culture, and history.
By volunteering alongside Chinese peers, teaching Chinese children, and spending time with local families, you’ll discover the differences that make China so unique while finding common ground, and learning to build cultural bridges, with its people.
Service
Service
In Nanjing, you’ll partner with local high school peers to lead English language and American culture classes for children at the Yuhua–tai Elementary School. Half of the students at the school are the children of migrant workers, meaning that—for the most part—they do not have the same rights, opportunities, or support that children from more established families do. In terms of an education, and in particular English language training, this puts them at a distinct disadvantage. In China, a strong foundation in English is critical to a child’s future opportunity and success.
Your work with these children, in and out of the classroom, can contribute positively toward their studies and ultimately their future.
And you’ll have plenty of support in your work! A TEFL training course during orientation helps you organize lesson plans while Chinese peers join you in the classroom each day, teaching alongside you and helping bridge the language barrier between you and the small children. Between classes, you’ll spend time playing games and sports with the children, and at the end of each day you'll share a meal with them.
In addition to experiencing meaningful cultural exchange, you’ll come to understand how continued efforts like these can make a real difference in the lives of these children.
Leadership
Leadership
The goal of the CIEE Leadership Academy is to train the next generation of innovators, leaders, change makers, and social entrepreneurs—the young people who will help solve the greatest challenges of the 21st century.
In China you’ll explore concepts and develop skills that will help you to think independently, effectively manage situations, and more easily navigate interpersonal experiences throughout your life—preparing you for college and beyond. You’ll do this by:
- Developing a personal portfolio that tells the story of your life—an autobiography that explores your passions and strengths, your dreams and aspirations
- Journaling your experiences while on the program to analyze the meaning and purpose of your life
- Analyzing case studies of young leaders who have become change makers by solving critical social problems
- Applying the skills and concepts you learn in class to real-life scenarios you’re facing every day during your service project
Language
Language
Meeting twice a week, the goal of the survival Mandarin course is get you using Chinese in your daily interactions as quickly as possible. Armed with some functional vocabulary and phrases, you’ll head out into the city with your instructors and peers to put them into action—greeting people, asking for directions, and ordering at restaurants.
And the training isn’t limited to class time; from excursions to homestays to service projects, you’ll take part in activities that tie into and allow you to continue building upon your language learning.
Living
Living
In China you’ll live in a dorm with your Program Leader.
Each Friday your Chinese peers will become host “siblings,” welcoming you into their homes for the weekend. You’ll try traditional foods, go on day trips, and take part in local customs, while becoming—if only briefly—part of a Chinese family.
Cultural Activities
Cultural Activities
Learn by doing.
Ever wondered what authentic Chinese food tastes like? Help prepare and sample traditional dishes with an experienced chef. Always wanted to try tai chi? Practice it twice a week under a local instructor. Curious about China’s “One Child” policy? Discuss its impact on family structure with a guest speaker and your Chinese peers.
One week you’ll see the former imperial throne and wander along the paths that wind through the massive gardens at Nanjing’s Presidential Palace. The next you’ll climb the marble steps of the Sr. Sun Yat-sen mausoleum, a monument to the father of The Republic of China.
Combining engaging workshops on significant cultural issues with hands-on activities and excursions, the Leadership Academy offers you greater insight into your host culture. And because you’ll be joined on most activities by your Chinese peers, you’ll have access to amazing resources that offer different perspectives and help contextualize your new experiences.
week-long tour
week-long tour
Spend your final week in China on a whirlwind tour of the country.
Your first stop is the port city of Shanghai, where you’ll see everything from a city planning museum and an acrobatics display to the hip Pudong district and the colonial-era neighborhood, the French Concession. Then it’s on to the capital, Beijing. From the grandeur of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to the breathtaking Great Wall, one of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, you’ll take a step back into China’s living history while celebrating the completion of the program with your new friends.
Program Leader – Annie Ewbank
Program Leader – Annie Ewbank
A Chinese major at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Annie studied in Nanjing with CIEE. It was her first time in Mainland China, though she has also studied abroad in Taiwan and traveled to Hong Kong and Macao. In high school, she studied abroad in Spain. She is currently a HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory) Scholar.
Annie's hobbies are drawing, reading, traveling, watching cat videos, and learning languages. After Spanish and Chinese, she would like to learn French and Hindi.
Annie spent four months living with a host family in Nanjing, a beautiful, cosmopolitan city with a lot to offer. She is looking forward to sharing what she knows about China and Nanjing with the participants of the Nanjing Summer Leadership Academy.
Travel Resources
Top