China January Study+Travel Program (4 Weeks, 7 Cities) PROGRAM INTRODUCTION We live in a shrinking global village. Easy, widespread communications have broken down walls of isolation around the world. Now, more than ever, we need to become acquainted with other cultures in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided in this new age of global interdependence. Our Winter Study+Travel Program aims to give students an authentic insight into the modern day China as well as its traditional past. This program involves trips to bustling metropolitan cities like Beijing and Shanghai as well as small rural towns and villages in China's interior heartland. Experiencing the great diversity of land, people and cultures is at the root of the Chinese experience. As a part of our Winter Study+Travel Program, students will have the opportunity to explore Yunnan, China's most diverse province and Lonely Planet's top choice in China. As Lonely Planet contends, “If you have time for but one province in China, Yunnan should be it.” Yunnan, and its cosmopolitan capital Kunming, are perfect destinations for cultural immersion because of their great diversity of land and people. From Tibetan towns in the Himalayan north to Thai villages in the tropical rainforests of the South, Yunnan is the perfect microcosm of China. Unlike most Mandarin-speaking cities located in China' north, Kunming enjoys warm winters and cool summers, making it an ideal place to study Mandarin. The city's average summer temperature ranges between 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degree Celsius) and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius), whereas its average winter temperature fluctuates between 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). Kunming's air quality is the best of all large cities in China according to UN's climate monitors. About Minds Abroad Minds Abroad is a US based organization that conducts study abroad programs in China for both individual students and customized groups from colleges and universities. Our programs are a blend of morning classes, afternoon volunteering or language exchange sessions, evening cultural activities and weekend excursions to sites of educational value. We were recently named as a “Top 10 Program in Citizen Diplomacy” by the Center for Citizen Diplomacy and U.S. State Department. This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general. Two Options for Individual Students: (1)Weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activity Program, and (2) Study+Travel program: Students, who enroll in Minds Abroad directly, rather than with a school group, have two options. First, students participating in our weekly Morning Class andAfternoon Activities Program can enroll on any Monday and stay as many weeks as they like. In the afternoons, they can intern in a local business, volunteer with one of our partner non-profit organizations or take part in our language exchange program. Second, we also conduct Study+Travel Programs which incorporate all the elements in the previously-mentioned program but also include extensive travel to sites of historic and cultural importance on weekends. In total, the Study+Travel program combines morning Mandarin classes, afternoon interning, volunteering or language exchange sessions and weekend academic travel. Earn University Credits Through our Classes: In China, we teach Chinese language and cater to all levels of language students - beginner, intermediate and advanced. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students.Students may be able to earn credits from our partner universities, where our classes are held, depending on the policies of their home institutions. For more information on transfer of credits, visit our “Transfer Credits” page. Small Class Size and ExperiencedUniversity Faculty: Our class size is usually small (normally 2-4 students but with a maximum of 7 students) in order to enhance interaction between students and teachers. All our teachers are university faculty with years of experience in teaching Chinese to international students. About Minds Abroad(contd) This section introduces Minds Abroad as an organization, giving an insight into ALL the programs that it conducts in general. Opportunities Beyond Class- Afternoon Interning, Volunteering, or Language Exchange: In addition to the classes, we identify several afternoon activities for our students. Students are free to choose internships in local companies and non-profits or hands-on volunteer service learning work to help the local community. Volunteer service learning projects for interested participants can be arranged for at our non-profit partner organizations in both China and India.Participants intent on polishing their Chinese skills could also choose to take part in language exchange sessions with students from local schools and universities. Through all these activities we hope to improve the participant's insight into the social, economic and cultural life of the Chinese people. Impact Abroad, the Volunteer Partner of Minds Abroad: Impact Abroad, a volunteer organization that works with Minds Abroad, collaborates with various local non-profit organizations in the fields of education and community development to serve the less fortunate individuals with limited economic and educational opportunities in China. Impact Abroad creates and coordinates volunteer placements for international volunteers and students at these non-profit organizations. Program Components Morning Mandarin Class While in Kunming, students will study basic Mandarin with teachers from Minds Abroad's partner institution in the mornings. The purpose of these classes is to help give students the basic Chinese language skills they need to more fully enjoy and experience their time in China. Knowing basic Chinese will not only enable them to do simple tasks like order food and ask where the bathroom is but will also give them the confidence and skills they need to interact with Chinese people on a daily basis. To ensure maximum student-teacher interaction we have small class sizes, normally 2-4studentsbut with a maximum of 7 students. Afternoon Volunteering in Non Profit Organizations During weekdays, in the afternoon, participants will teach English to students in non-profit organizations that are devoted to helping children from ethnic minority groups. These groups are from extremely economically disadvantaged areas and many people belonging to these groups migrate to Kunming in search of a better livelihood. Participants will primarily give English lessons to these children, changing their lives for the better. Minds Abroad provides teaching curricula and manuals to help participants efficiently offer lessons to the children who are not well conversant in English language. Our materials emphasize the different teaching methods that our participants can employ in order to make this learning experience a stimulating and fun-filled one. We encourage participants to use a lot of audio-visual tools (wall-charts, flash-cards, illustrated pictures, two-dimensional objects) and other out-of-the-box teaching methods (sign languages, real-life settings and role-playing) in order to engage the children's attention. Participants can always use their own teaching aids, while imparting lessons to these children. Teaching English can be a rewarding experience, especially when it succeeds in instilling passion for the language in these children. By teaching basic English to these disadvantaged children, participants will indirectly give them the skills that they need to escape poverty. Through this activity, participants will not only have an excellent opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese culture but will also learn about community and developmental issues in a typical Chinese city. Weekend Academic Tours As a part of this program, over the weekends students will visit fast growing metropolises and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We believe this diversity of excursions not only gives participants a balanced perspective on the rapidly modernizing urban China, but also on rural society where the majority of the people in China still live. Some of the places of interest that students will visit are large metropolises like Beijing, Shanghai and ancient towns like Dali, an ancient walled city, Shaxi, a beautiful mountain village, Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Shangri-La, a Tibetan town in the Himalayas. Evening Cultural Activities During the trip, students are free to participate in cultural activities to get an in- depth understanding of the ways of life of the local people. These activities include attending performances from local ethnic musicians and dancers, visiting local museums, and going to sites of local interest. The Price and Items Covered in the Program The full price of this program is $3985. This is inclusive of the following: - Morning class or facilitated language exchange of normally two to four students (however with a maximum of seven students) - Afternoon activities, either volunteer placement or language exchange - Weekend academic excursions listed in the program including admission tickets to all sites - Accommodations in spacious modern apartments (more details below) - All meals during the days of the program (except on select weekends when students do not have any scheduled activities) - A cell phone, SIM card, and a small initial credit for in-country calling