Experience the excitement of contemporary China and the richness of its cultural heritage through in-depth, field-based learning. Build your Mandarin language skills, and explore economics, religion, current events, or photography in a small seminar. From your base in Beijing, visit the Great Wall, Hangzhou, and Shanghai.
- Dates:
- July 8, 2012 - August 5, 2012
- Eligibility:
- Students completing grades 9-12
- Focus:
- Excel
- Typical Group:
- 25-35 Students, 5-7 Staff
- Duration:
- 4 week(s)
Overview
China is a world superpower. Extraordinary growth in its production of industrial and commercial goods has affected markets, tilted trade balances, and increased competitive pressures across the globe. Foreign companies seek access to China’s one billion+ potential customers. Military strategists argue about the country’s effect on international relations in Asia and beyond. Chinese films draw wide audiences and attract attention to the nation’s rich contemporary and traditional arts. Though China demands the world’s attention, few Americans understand it beyond the most superficial level. Excel China provides an opportunity for motivated students who want to take a first step in their study, and an in-depth experience for those who have already begun to focus their interest. The program challenges students to learn and live outside their comfort zones, to explore a new culture with an adventurous and curious spirit, and to constantly try new things.
Beijing: Excel China is based at a university campus in central Beijing, easily accessible to important cultural sites. The campus offers a comfortable, quiet space within the bustling capital.
On Excel China, the streets, historic sites, shops, parks, and restaurants are your classroom, and interactions with local people are a key feature of your learning.
Beijing provides students an amazing array of fascinating sights and activities that form the basis of the program’s seminars and excursions. Walk below the enormous portrait of Mao into the vast courtyards and lavishly decorated temples, gardens, and passageways of the Forbidden City – home to China’s emperors. Improve your Mandarin as you converse with local people in parks, shops, and sidewalk food stalls. Explore the narrow streets of a traditional hutong neighborhood, or the avant garde galleries at Dashanzi 798, a former electronics factory that has been transformed into the city’s most vibrant art district. Enjoy an evening stage performance combining acrobatics with kung fu and traditional dance. Learn just how spicy real Szechwan food is!
Heeding Mao’s admonition that “He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man,” we take two days for a trip to one of the less-visited portions of the Great Wall. After a challenging hike on the ruined battlements, we spend the night at a rural guesthouse.
“The program went beyond my expectations. I was able to learn things in class and then go and actually apply them when speaking with local people or taking pictures (I took Mandarin and Photography). Improving my Chinese and being able to hold conversations with Chinese people gave me a great sense of accomplishment. It was an overall amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving their Chinese and exploring China and its culture.”
- Sabrina Tompkins, The Chapin School, New York, NY
Hangzhou and Shanghai: After two weeks in Beijing, we embark on a week-long excursion to gain perspective on China from outside its capital. Seminars continue during this trip. Our first stop is Hangzhou, the beautiful former capital, with its serene Buddhist temples on the scenic shores of West Lake. From there it is a short train ride to Shanghai, where we soak up the high-octane ambiance of this metropolis of 19 million that seeks to rival New York as the center of world trade. During the excursion we stay in hotels in the city centers.
Return to Beijing: We return to our campus in Beijing for the final week of the program, where we continue our in-depth exploration of the city and work together to prepare culminating presentations in each course.
Encounter Mao.
Highlights
- Interview Chinese families in Tiananmen Square about life in the U.S.
- Meet Chinese high school students for a scavenger hunt at the Temple of Heaven park.
- Visit a U.S. company’s offices to discuss the challenges of doing business in China.
- Climb the stairways and battlements of an undeveloped section of the Great Wall.
- Explore the avant-garde galleries of the 798 Space in the Dashanzi Art District.
- Take a cooking class at the Black Sesame Kitchen in the Heizhima hutong.
What to Expect
You should come to the program with an open mind, excited about new experiences, and prepared to think critically and creatively while engaging in thoughtful discussion during your seminars. You should be enthusiastic about participating fully in a schedule packed with intellectual and physical activity, and be willing to challenge yourself to make the most of your time in China. Most of the day is filled with structured activities, but there are some opportunities to explore your surroundings and make your own discoveries. We expect you to behave in a mature and productive way at all times. Rules prohibiting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, setting curfew times, and providing a safe and structured environment are in place, and are enforced.
At Putney we take pride in our reputation for careful, thorough planning and attention to detail. The descriptions of our programs are based on our experiences in previous summers and our plans for this summer. It is inevitable that some things described here will not happen exactly as presented. To get the most out of the Putney experience, participants need to be flexible in responding to unforeseen situations, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. We expect Putney participants to share responsibility for the success of their experience.
Fees
Tuition: $6,390
Itinerary
Click here to read last year’s trip blog.
This program begins and ends at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
Departure • July 8. Join your group and begin your journey to China. The group flight departs from JFK Airport and is accompanied by an Excel flight escort.
Beijing • Settle in to your university accommodations in the center of Beijing, get to know your fellow students and your instructors, begin your seminars, and start taking advantage of the extraordinary range of fascinating opportunities for learning and fun that the city offers. Take a two-day excursion to the Great Wall, and get a feel for the countryside by staying for a night in a rural guesthouse.
The sights and sounds of Shanghai are like nothing you can experience in the U.S.
On the Road: Hangzhou, and Shanghai • After ten days in Beijing, take the overnight train with sleeper berths to scenic lake-side Hangzhou to spend two days enjoying its quiet parks, Buddhist temples, and wooded hills. A short train ride takes you to Shanghai, where you spend three days exploring this remarkable boom town of 19 million inhabitants.
Back to Beijing • Return to Beijing from Shanghai by train. During the final week of the program, continue with your seminars and activities, and work together to prepare for your seminars’ culminating presentations.
“Ruby said that the excursions were amazing — all of them. The bike rides and hikes were challenging and fun. The train ride was super. Shanghai was very exciting, mind-blowing in its modernity and old traditions and full of the unexpected. Hangzhou was the most beautiful. Visits to an artists studio, a rap concert, and so much else gave them many slices of China that they will remember for life.”
- Mark Simon and Thea Lee, Washington, DC
Head for Home • August 5. Accompanied by an Excel flight escort, fly with the group from Beijing to New York, and continue to your final destination on a connecting flight.
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Destination
Background • After decades of stagnation, China has emerged as a world superpower. Extraordinary growth in its production of industrial and commercial goods has affected markets, tilted trade balances, and increased competitive pressures across the globe. Foreign companies are seeking access to China’s one billion potential customers. Military strategists argue about the country’s effect on international relations in Asia and beyond. Chinese films draw wide audiences and attract attention to the nation’s rich contemporary and traditional arts. Though China demands the world’s attention, few Americans understand it beyond the most superficial level.
A giant portrait of Mao dominates the entrance to the Forbidden City.
Population • China is the world’s most populous nation, with 1.4 billion inhabitants. The scale of its cities is difficult to grasp. Beijing is home to 16 million, while 19 million live in Shanghai. Hangzhou, with just four million, is a “small” Chinese city!
Language • Mandarin is the official language of China, and is the prevailing spoken language of Beijing and northern China. There are countless regional Chinese dialects, as well as distinct languages spoken by ethnic minorities.
Climate • China is hot during the summer months. High temperatures in the major cities our group visits are typically in the 80s and 90s. Our accommodations are air-conditioned, but you should expect to spend the majority of each day outside and on the move.
Learning to prepare an excellent dumpling.
Cuisine • Arguably the best and most diverse cuisine in the world, Chinese food has something for everyone, though strictly kosher options are limited. There are many dishes recognizable to anyone who has eaten in a Chinese restaurant at home, and an extraordinary array of delicious options for expanding your culinary horizons.
Currency • The Chinese currency is the yuan, aka the RMB. An ATM card is the most convenient way to access cash.
Voltage • China uses 220V/50Hz, so you will need a voltage converter (though not a plug adapter) if you want to plug in electronic equipment that isn’t designed to handle variable voltages.
Visa • You are required to have a Tourist Visa to visit China. This must be obtained in advance. The process is straight-forward and typically takes less than two weeks. A valid passport is required to obtain a visa.
- Ann Mari and Randy Weber, Roslyn, NY
The Excel China program is directed by Jim Olivier. If you have questions, are interested in receiving more detailed information, or would like to talk further about the program, please get in touch!
Jim Olivier
Jim Olivier: Middlebury College, B.A., History; Harvard University, Ed. M., J.D. As a boy, Jim lived for extended periods in Brazil and Switzerland, and he has traveled extensively in Europe, Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, and North America. His children are Putney alumni and have worked in leadership roles at Putney as well. A lawyer, educator, and former college president, Jim’s interests include European and Asian history, soccer, sea kayaking, and baking bread in his wood-fired oven. He coordinates programs in Asia.
How To Apply
Step 1: Log On.
If you are new to Putney Student Travel, visit our Online Application.
If you are a Putney Student Travel alumni family, use your existing account information to Log In.
Step 2: Hold A Space In The Program.
You can hold a space in a program by completing the Online Application Form and providing the $700 Application Deposit by Mastercard, Visa, or Discover Card through our secure online system or by sending a check to our office. Our admissions staff is also available to take credit card information over the phone. We will hold a space in a program for a reasonable time, pending completion of the full application process. See Step 3.
After March 15, to hold a space in a program an application must be accompanied by full payment made by check or wire transfer and the signed Agreement Form.
Step 3: Complete the Application Process.
Before we can make a final admissions decision, an application must be complete. In addition to the Application Form and Application Deposit described above, a complete application includes:
- Applicant Statement
- Two Teacher References
- Signed Agreement Form
These documents are available as part of our Online Application. We review a completed application within a few days, and notify families of our admissions decision by e-mail.
For a full description of eligibility, admissions policies, and terms of payment, please visit our Terms & Conditions.
