Shunan Zheng joined our project at Lan International Scouting Camp in Qingdao in summer 2017. Please read to view their feedback:

 

Can you please tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments of the trip?

I really enjoyed most of the trip in China. I enjoyed staying with my host family because they were very nice and welcoming. I enjoyed hanging out with the other recruits and it was nice getting to know everyone and we all got along very well. I also enjoyed the camps. The kids were all great and it was interesting seeing the differences between kids growing up in China vs kids growing up in the USA.

Which were the highlights of the lessons, cultural excursions and outdoor activities?

Some of the highlights were sports mainly because I was in charge of a lot of the sports. The kids in China never played dodgeball before so we taught them that played with them. The kids really enjoyed it. We did lessons in ocean knowledge and chemistry and I was shocked at how much the kids knew. We did a few chemistry experiments because the kids told us they only know the chemistry reactions but have never performed the experiments themselves.

How would you say the overall experience has benefited you?

Overall, as an education major, this experience taught me the differences and the impact that culture has on kids. It has benefitted me because I now know how to deal with students struggling with English. The kids at the camp had very different English levels. Some were very good and some couldn’t distinguish the alphabets.

What was the best thing about your experience in China?

The best thing about my experience in China was the independence. I was in a foreign country, surrounded by strangers and I was able to navigate through the messy streets of China and meet new people along the way.

Would you recommend participating to a friend and if so why?

I would recommend this to a friend because it is a fun experience and in a way, it is like a study abroad program that I never got to experience in college.