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Dear Anyone Interested In China Summer,

Last year [2003] I was a participant in this program because I did not want my summer to be as boring and empty as the one before, and it certainly wasn't!

I have so much to say about China Summer, I could talk about it for hours, and I have. But right now I'll just touch upon some of the basics highlights. I will start with how things have changed in my life since my trip to Hunan, China.

Since China Summer I have much greater knowledge about the conditions and life in the East than I had before. I bond much more easily and comfortably with the people I meet from China and Korea. I constantly crave really spicy Chinese food. My world view has widened it's scope so that I feel more like a member of the world community than just the American/European community. I have become much more active with environmental issues and involved in farming. I do not create as much waste as I used to. I appreciate many common things like a comfortable mattress and pillow. I have a greater sense of what is actually essential to living a good life rather than what our society tells us we need to be happy. I am going to study to become a teacher. I want to work with American Friends Service Committee in the future. I have made great friends. I feel less confined by race. I have a greater understanding and appreciation of the English Language and how difficult it is for people to learn it. China Summer has influenced all parts of my life, these are just some of the things that I could think of on the spot. Oh yes, one more thing, it has just further ignited my wanderlust.
And I am sure to be traveling again soon. Ok, now some insight into the actual experience. Don't let anyone tell you the work isn't scary or that it's easy, because quite frankly, it isn't. But, we don't sign up for work camps in rural Hunan for things to be easy right? I expected and wanted a challenge and that is exactly what I got. Here are some of the things that were a challenge; forging relationships with non-English speakers, living with new cultural expectations, teaching large amounts of students at varying levels (who knew it was so difficult to keep things interesting?!), being less physically comfortable than Americans are used to, working closely with a Chinese teacher from a COMPLETELY different background than yours with COMPLETELY different ideas of how to run a classroom, not knowing what is going on every time English is not being spoken, dealing with frustration (with administrative decisions, language barriers, new people, etc), and other things that came up along the way. But keep in mind that "challenge" doesn't mean that these were all bad things, they were just things that needed to be worked at. In the end, having to deal with all of the challenges is what made the trip rewarding and taught me the most.

And then, there were really, really wonderful parts of the trip. The sightseeing was amazing. The area where we lived was absolutely beautiful. I loved the new foods and flavors (not everyone did). It was fascinating to learn all about an entirely different culture first-hand. It was really fun to make friends with all the people from China and Korea. The teachers became really close (on the last night we all hung out on these steps outside the school and had a talent show type deal where we all sang and laughed for hours). Everyone was always very kind. Your students grow to love you and that alone made the entire month worthwhile. The teaching was often a lot of fun and very, very rewarding. By the end, all of the teacher pairs had really bonded, and oh my god do I miss my partner Vicky! It was really cool to spend all that time with a bunch of environmental students because we all learned a lot about each country's environmental problems and history and also their educational situation. It was also really cool to know that you were making a difference in a lot of peoples lives. Even if it was just in little ways, like James, the Chinese intern, and I had a long conversation about dating etc. and he said I was the first girl that he had ever talked to as a friend about such things, but I hope that now he is more comfortable talking to girls after our friendship. Once again, there are many more wonderful parts about China Summer, and I think that each person that went has different memories that mean the most to them. It's really strange to think about now, but right after I had gotten back to America, if someone asked me how the trip was I responded with a groan, a grimace, and a "horrible". I now cannot even remember why I felt this way, but as time passed, more and more I found myself day-dreaming about China Summer, and really appreciating the experiences I had there. As I have said before, China Summer changed my life. I am trying to give an honest perspective about this work camp. I did not want to gloss thing over, because things just aren't glossy in Hunan. I found it hard, but really worth it. I hope that hearing about my personal experience has encouraged you to go, because I think anyone interested in doing something really extraordinary should go. Don't think you want to challenge yourself? Go anyway, you'll find resources within yourself that you didn't know were there. And for the rest of your life you will know that you made a difference in the lives of a few students in Hunan. All in all, it was amazing.

A Grateful Participant in the 2003 China Summer Program,
Maggie Harrison

Maggie Harrison

Rebecca (second from left in the green shirt) is visiting her student’s family with other volunteer teachers

I was fortunate to spend a month of this past August in China. I was part of a group of 18 Americans, ranging in age from 16-60. We traveled to Hunan Province, China, to run a summer camp for kids living in a small village called Xiaoshitun.

For three weeks, we practiced English language skills with the kids--including speaking, reading, and writing comprehension. All the kids, ranging in ages from 8-18, learn English in school, but for many of them, this was a first time exposure to communicating with native English speakers.

The camp, China Summer, was established in 2001 by Wu Na and Jamie Reilly, who are currently the East Asia Representatives of the AFSC. It was begun out of a concern about the tendency of rural girls to leave school after middle school, and of an interest in promoting environmentally sustainable development in China.

In addition to the American volunteers, several Chinese, Korean, and Japanese people joined us in the running of the program. Subjects varied and included, in addition to English; environmental sustainability, dance, and Korean and Japanese language.

Every morning we woke up in time for breakfast at 7:30 am--steamed rolls filled with sugar and flower buds, bean porridge, and fried peanuts. Our students would begin to arrive by the time we finished breakfast, and at 8:30 the bell would be banged to announce the start of first period.

Each day encompassed 6 periods, of which I taught my class for two (my 3 other teaching partners taught the rest). I had a class of 16 boys, who were, to say the least, lively and imaginative. I taught them bingo one day. When one got "bingo," several quickly arranged their dots to fill the boards, to prove to me that they had in fact out bingoed the winner!

In addition to teaching, we also took a couple of day trips around the area. One such trip was to the city of Liling, a jolting 2 hour ride away. There, we got to see an example of an urban highschool. It was set up like a university, with students living on campus and attending classes in several different buildings. Classes averaged about 60 students a piece. It was a far cry from the tiny, bare classrooms that we were teaching in, back in Xiaoshitun.

Teaching at the camp (which takes place at the Phoenix School for Girls in Xaioshitun), because of the scarcity of resources (paper and school supplies, mainly) involved a degree of creativity. One time, when teaching a buying/selling dialogue, my Chinese partner and I figured out how to rig up a set of scales using a straw hat and water bottle.

The thing that I struggled with most in China was language, in more ways than one. I feel that throughout history, the English language and teaching of English has been a method of cultural imperialism. However, in many countries, the knowledge of English influences the ability of a person to get a good paying job, and I think it is somewhat irrelevant to these peoples' interests to argue against the use of English in non-English speaking countries.

But, I felt awkward many times when teaching there, since as an English teacher, it wasn't technically necessary for me to know Chinese. I am definitely not fluent in Chinese, which made it difficult for me to explain some things to my students, and difficult to communicate and get to know them outside of class. It made our exchange very one-sided.

Yet, being there for only one month, how could I be expected to learn very much Chinese? This very thought made me less inclined to try. I feel that if I could change anything about my experience in China, it would have been to have made more of an effort to learn and become fluent in Chinese before I left.

At the same time, I was able to take much away from living there and from my students. What I was given is nothing that I can sum up in a concluding sentence, for sure. Definitely, though, I discerned a sense of appreciation for what I had gone there to do, and absorbed a sense of peace and simplicity from their lifestyle into my own conscience.

Rebecca White, 2005 Participant

One night a year ago I was searching the Internet for some kind of special service opportunity and came upon the China Summer website. I believe that moment may have triggered an experience that will have forever changed my life. Months later I was accepted to join the program. That summer I went to China to travel and to teach and to find a part of myself that I never knew existed. Inspired, I applied and was accepted to lead the American side assembly and preparation of China Summer 2005. I am honored and proud to support this amazing vision.

–Richard Polgar, 2004 and 2005 China Summer participant

Richard Polgar

Arin Ahlum Hanson

As a part of my job as Friends Workcamp Coordinator, I have been overseeing the outreach, advertising and preparation of the United States side of the China Summer Workcamp. This summer I had the opportunity to go on the Workcamp myself. Every year the Workcamp evolves and is smoother than the previous year. After five years, it is quite a production! This year there were seventeen American, eleven Chinese, four Japanese and three South Korean volunteers and 150 eager Chinese middle school students who participated. The volunteers came from very diverse backgrounds and ranged in age from 16 to 60 years old. The volunteers live and work at a rural school in the Hunan province for a month and taught local children for a three week summer school program.

The best part of the trip for me where the challenges and watching the group (and I) find the strength to overcome these obstacles. These challenges ranged from living in an intense group community, the extreme heat and humidity (+100° F), limited showers, students fighting in and out of the classroom, language barriers, different food and more! We all learned to be more patience and mindful as everything had to be translated into four languages (Chinese, English, Japanese and Korean). Overcoming challenges and learning more about oneself and the world is what makes the China Summer Workcamp a truly transformative experience for participants.

For me, every Workcamp whether it is in China or in West Philadelphia is at the core always the same. Workcamps are about building relationships and connections with others and ultimately with the light within us all. I was not surprised when I found this to be true with China Summer.

Although the Chinese students left the China Summer with more knowledge, the real reward was the relationships that were built with teachers, students, and staff. There were many tears shed at graduation. English lessons were learned but more importantly lives were changed as volunteers and students opened their hearts to each other and connected across cultures

It wasn't until the [first] morning that things began to sink in. I was actually in China! This was a big thing for me, never having been in that part of the world before. After some quick sightseeing on the second day, the Americans met up with the Korean group and began the long train trip to Changsha, and from there, by bus and then by foot to the school. I was shown into the beautifully simple building where the teachers were to live and unpacked my stuff, no longer feeling any apprehension.

Then came graduation. The students practiced for hours on their songs and presentations. When the time came for them to perform I could see their fear, and just before climbing the stairs to the stage Mary took my hand and placed it on her heart, where I could feel it beating fast.My two fellow teachers and I stood near the front of the stage to cheer the students on and we hugged each other when it was over. Afterwards I met my student’s families and said my final tearful goodbyes to the kids...All I could think about that night were the kids I had just left. I’ve been home for two weeks now; the pizza tastes better, the toilettes are much more appreciated, and Xiaoshicun doesn’t seem quite as far away as it used to. Now the only thing I’m scared about is not returning.