Immersive Mandarin Summer Program for Children
July 10 – August 18, for children ages 2-15
This summer, we invite your child(ren) to China Institute’s in-person immersive Mandarin summer program in downtown Manhattan to explore Chinese language and culture! With flexible scheduling, our 6-week summer program offers students a simulating “journey” through three most popular Chinese festivals: Dragon Boat festival, originally regarded as a traditional medical and health festival; Mid-autumn festival, a celebration of autumn harvests; and the most important and festive of all – Lunar New Year!
Our accredited educators will create an engaging and interactive learning experience for young students with a wide range of content-based activities, including Chinese literature for Children, musical instrument workshops, Beijing opera and shadow puppet workshops, arts and science projects, and more! Whether your child is a beginner or advanced student of Chinese language, our summer program will help them gain confidence and make significant progress in their conversational and literacy skills.
Upon registration, students will be carefully placed in an age-appropriate group with similar language levels. Options for half-day, full-day, or weekly enrollment are available.
Students will also participate in various cultural activities, such as Chinese water painting, calligraphy, sports, culinary practices, as well as weekly music and theatre workshops on Wednesdays that will broaden students’ horizons of Chinese culture and arts!
Read our summer program blog here, an example of a typical day schedule here and watch testimonials by parents here.
Sessions
Session 1: July 10, 2023 – July 21, 2023
Dragon Boat Festival – A Legend Behind the Sticky Rice Dumplings – “Zongzi”
(端午节 – 粽子背后的传说)
Dragon Boat Festival (端午节), is known by many as the commemoration of Qu Yuan (屈原), a historical poet known for his patriotism. The story goes that after he drowned himself in the Miluo river (汨罗江), villagers threw rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, which later became Zongzi (粽子), as offerings to the Dragon God. Villagers also raced in boats to search for the poet’s body, which later became the cultural tradition of dragon boat racing. Students will be invited to learn about the stories behind the Dragon Boat Festival and explore the various activities that people do to celebrate the festival. We will make Zongzi, learn about dragon boat race and perfume pouch traditions. This festival also has a lot to do with maintaining health and wellness. Do you want to know why? Sign up for the session and join us!
Session 2: July 24 – August 4
Mid-Autumn Festival – The Happiest and Most Beautiful Full Moon of the Year!（中秋节 – 一年中最美最幸福的圆月）
Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) falls on the day of a full moon between September and October in the lunar calendar. This full moon is believed to be the brightest, fullest, and biggest of the year. Families are reunited on this day and give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Students will learn the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the most famous legends in Chinese mythology. This session will culminate in a music tea party. Musicians of traditional Chinese instruments will perform songs and poems related to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Students will learn to make and enjoy mooncakes over a cup of tea. And, the celebration will not be complete without the making and hanging of paper lanterns, a symbol of prosperity, hope, and good wishes.
Session 3: August 7 – August 18
Lunar New Year – Blessings for Happiness, Health, and Fortune（农历新年 – 幸福，健康，和吉祥的祝愿）
Lunar New Year (农历新年) is a fifteen-day celebration, marking the beginning of an auspicious and prosperous year for the Chinese. We will delve deeper into this tradition by exploring the history, songs, poems, symbols, blessings, foods, and activities of the Lunar New Year. Through an engaging dumpling workshop, students will learn to make dumplings from scratch, balance multiple ingredients to make tasty and nutritious fillings, and try out different ways to fold dumplings. Students will also learn to usher in good luck with traditions, such as decorating windows with red paper cuts, adorning doors with couplets, hanging upside-down Fu’s, and folding and distributing red envelopes. Join us as we embark on a journey to recreate and discover the richness and joyfulness of the most important holiday in China.
Full Day (Ages 2-15)
Full Day Class (9:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
$1,099 for one half session (1 week)
$1,999 for one full session (2 weeks)
Book 2 full-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)
Book 3 full-day sessions enjoy additional 6 hours of private tutoring class ($600 value)
Registration
Half Day (Ages 2-15)
Half Day Class (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
$649 for half session (1 week)
$1,199 for one full session (2 weeks)
Book 2 half-day sessions enjoy additional 2 hours of private tutoring class ($200 value)
Book 3 half-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)
Registration
Age Groups
Mandarin Munchkins & Toddlers
(ages 2-5)
Children
(ages 5-10 years)
Pre-teens and Teens
(ages 10-15 years)
In an immersive language classroom, students will actively participate in the exploration and discussion of fun educational themes that explore China’s past and present. During the 6-week tour to three famous cities in China, students will further their understanding of Chinese geography through visiting the major natural landscapes in China. Moreover, students will explore the local cultures of the cities through foods, traditions and customs, traditional and modern architecture, and historical sites. In addition to becoming familiar with topics related to each session, students will learn to read and retell stories, express their feelings and emotions, and discuss opinions in spoken and written Chinese in words, sentences, and short paragraphs
Read and See More about Our Summer Program:
Read our summer program blog here and watch testimonials by parents here.
FAQ
Not this year. Our 2023 summer program will be held at China Institute, located at 100 Washington Street, New York City. We plan to resume our immersive Mandarin summer program to China in the future.
Our program has many unique features. We want to emphasize three: First, we are the only immersive Mandarin summer program in New York City that offers young students maximum exposure to authentic Chinese language and culture through content-based activities, housed in the School of Chinese Studies at China Institute. Our goal is to strengthen students language skills while advance a deeper understanding of Chinese cultural traditions and values, as well as the new development in China today. Second, our program creates a simulating learning experience to three storied cities in China, which offers students opportunities to explore various dynamic aspects of China. Last but least, cultural specialists and artists join our program’s teaching team to further enrich our curriculum through special workshops (e.g., Chinese music instrument) and field trips (special guided museum tours on Chinese arts and exhibits) for students to take advantage of the rich Chinese cultural resources in New York City.
We offer half-day and full-day options and students have the choice to join our program for one week up to six weeks during the summer. We are flexible with the schedule, and you can sign up for any week according to your availability. We include various interactive classroom activities, such as story-reading, singing, painting, science experiments, art-craft projects and musical workshops. In addition, students will have field trips on Fridays to museums and cultural sites in New York. Please note field trip is half-day only. Our parents will drop off and pick up their children at the museum.
$50 Early bird discount valid thru June 12, 2023!
Each sibling enjoys additional 2 hours of private tutoring class ($200 value)
What’s more! We give additional private tutoring hours!
Book 2 full-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)
Book 3 full-day sessions enjoy additional 6 hours of private tutoring class ($600 value)
Book 2 half-day sessions enjoy additional 2 hours of private tutoring class ($200 value)
Book 3 full-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)
FAQ
Not this year. Our 2023 summer program will be held at China Institute, located at 100 Washington Street, New York City. We plan to resume our immersive Mandarin summer program to China in the future.
Our program has many unique features. We want to emphasize three: First, we are the only immersive Mandarin summer program in New York City that offers young students maximum exposure to authentic Chinese language and culture through content-based activities, housed in the School of Chinese Studies at China Institute. Our goal is to strengthen students language skills while advance a deeper understanding of Chinese cultural traditions and values, as well as the new development in China today. Second, our program creates a simulating learning experience to three storied cities in China, which offers students opportunities to explore various dynamic aspects of China. Last but least, cultural specialists and artists join our program’s teaching team to further enrich our curriculum through special workshops (e.g., Chinese music instrument) and field trips (special guided museum tours on Chinese arts and exhibits) for students to take advantage of the rich Chinese cultural resources in New York City.
Each sibling enjoys additional 2 hours of private tutoring class ($200 value)
What’s more! We give additional private tutoring hours!
Book 2 full-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)
Book 3 full-day sessions enjoy additional 6 hours of private tutoring class ($600 value)
Book 2 half-day sessions enjoy additional 2 hours of private tutoring class ($200 value)
Book 3 full-day sessions enjoy additional 4 hours of private tutoring class ($400 value)