Summer Service and Learning Program in Rural China by Tsinghua University
Summer 2012

Congratulations to the following students who will be participating in the Service Program this summer!

Maurine Gitonga '15

Jasmine Park '14

Melissa Sanchez '14

Program Information

In partnership with Tsinghua University, the Harvard China Fund is offering an opportunity to participate in the Summer Service and Learning Program. The Educational Poverty Alleviation Project, initiated by Tsinghua University in 2003, is a public project aimed at benefiting China's poverty-stricken areas. The goal is to provide people in underdeveloped areas with the opportunity to utilize high-quality educational and training resources through the support of modern technology. The program's ultimate goal is to eliminate poverty by spreading knowledge.

Since the summer of 2004, Tsinghua University has successfully organized the Educational Poverty Alleviation and Social Service Activities. In 2006, with the support of the Wang foundation, they created the Summer Service Learning Program in rural China. In the past six summers, 1,472 Tsinghua University students and faculty, and 356 America students and faculty from almost 50 American or international universities went to 214 counties in rural China.

Volunteers teach English and computer skills, conduct social surveys, and provide lectures and intercultural communication exercises to students and teachers in those counties. Volunteers also bring hope, confidence and information to locals, opening a window for learning about the outside world. At the same time, this "cultural immersion" component, which includes a cultural and language learning session before the start of the service program, will allow American volunteers to actually participate in the daily life of a new culture during the entire program.

Costs / Fees:
Registration fee for the Service Program: $490 (includes lodging, meals, roundtrip travel between Beijing and rural site, and accidental insurance)
Cost of Chinese Language and Culture Program: $800
Total: $1,290
Participants are responsible for their own airfare to and from Beijing
Tsinghua will provide a subsidy of 30RMB per person per day during the service program

Program Schedule for 2012:
March 1: Applications due
March - April: Interiews and confirmation for selected students
July 3 - 12: Chinese Language and Culture Program in Beijing
July 13 - 31: Service Program in China