Lakes International Language Academy is working in partnership with the Chinese Society of Education, the largest academic organization in China, to host an international language and cultural exchange day camp in Forest Lake July 25 to Aug. 5 for students in grades 6-12 (ages 12 and up). The morning sessions feature Chinese language and cultural lessons and activities taught by about 30 teenage students from China.
“Hearing about China from someone your own age and doing activities that make sense to teens is a lot more interesting, fun, and memorable than just a traditional classroom experience,”camp coordinator and LILA Spanish teacher Erin Voss said in a press release.
Afternoon sessions focus on American English, with the U.S. students paired up with the Chinese students for sightseeing and field trips around the Forest Lake and Twin Cities area. Stops include a tour of the Minnesota Twins stadium, a river cruise, and a trip to the Mall of America.
The first 30 U.S. students who apply are eligible for a discounted inaugural rate of $300 per student for the two-week day camp; by hosting two Chinese guests in their homes, U.S. students can reduce the fee to just $200 each. Host families without U.S. students participating in the program are encouraged to participate and will receive a $100 stipend in appreciation.
“We’re asking our host families to provide transportation to and from LILA’s main campus in Forest Lake each day, so it seemed fair to offer a stipend or discount,” LILA Chinese teacher Yao Hsia said in a press release.
The application and additional details are available at www.MyLILA.org in the “Summer Camps” section under the activities and athletics tab.