ESS Summer Camps

Last Update: 2014-01-14

 

In 2009 ESS initiated a new program, Summer Camps, for children in poor rural areas in China. The main purpose of these camps is to expose the children to a lively and caring learning environment, and inspire them to pursue areas of interest, to search for and discover knowledge and understanding of their environment and community as they move on through life.

Please click on the following links to learn more about ESS summer camps. 

Science Outreach to Children in Rural China - report from Zhida Song-James, ESS volunteer responsible for planning and organizing the Science Summer Camp programs since 2009.

Number of Summer Camps and Participants

Partner Institutions and Volunteers

Themes for Camp Programs

Preparing Camp Programs 

To view photos, reports, and additional information on summer camps in the past few years, please click on the menu links on the left side of this page.

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Number of Summer Camps and Participants

ESS has sponsored altogether 125 summer camps between 2009 and 2016. Science is the main theme for most of the camps, with a program of activities that seek to promote general knowledge about science and the environment. Several other camps focus on music or a blend of various activities.  One of the camps piloted in 2012 was designed to promote reading and writing for students and their teachers from rural schools.

Each camp runs for 5-7 days during the summer holidays in July and August. Altogether 9,708 rural students have participated in these camp programs between 2009 and 2022, as shown in the table below.

 

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Financing, Partner Institutions and Volunteers

Financing of the  ESS Summer Camp programs has been made possible by generous donations from many individuals and organizations, including the K. P. Tin foundation in Hong Kong, the Overseas Chinese Association of Educated Youth in Washington D.C., the Michael Baker Foundation, the China Democratic League, the Beijing Baidai Cultural Development Company, and numerous individuals concerned about education in rural China.

The strength of the program comes from the initiative and support of our partner institutions, and by a growing number of volunteers from local universities and organizations. More than a dozen universities, academic, research and medical institutions have taken an active role in organizing individual summer camp programs in the past few years. They took up the responsibiities for training camp leaders, planning camp programs, preparing camp materials, and forming a team of volunteers to conduct the camp activities.

The large number of volunteers who help run the camps have been a formidable source of support and inspiration. Many volunteers have been motivated by their desire to contribute to society, and to the rural communities in particular. Many of them have bonded very well with the participants in the camp. Their experience has in turn encouraged other students to become volunteers in the summer camps.

Finding the initial experience rewarding, many institutions have continued their involvement in subsequent years. This was the case for the National Chengchi University in Taiwan, which started to help conduct one summer camp in 2011, and decided to support three more camps in 2012. This was also the case for many other local universities.

Click here to read a camp report on Gansu, about the experience of one of the university volunteer groups at Northwestern University (Xian, Shaanxi), which has already helped to organize several ESS summer camps in Gansu.

Our staunch supporters have also included many local education offices, schools and other institutions in the rural towns and villages where the camps were held.

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Themes for Camp Programs

Science Camps - To discover science and natural phenomenon. A typical camp program includes the following subjects: Physics Chemistry Biology and Medicine Logic Astrology
Music Camps - To introduce a variety of musical instruments, mostly chinese but also some from the west. The students also study music notes and learn music appreciation. In addition, the camps provide the opportunity for the students to perform, whether singing or dancing to music. Since the program requires special talent for lead instructors, it is offered only if such instructors are available, and upon the request of local officials or interested parties.
General Activity Camps - To introduce a variety of subjects including art, language, geology, physical education, music, and/or science. Many camps made an effort to raise the awareness of students regarding energy conservation, recycling, and the concept of a green planet. Field trips are often included as part of camp activities.
Reading and Writing Camp for Rural Students and Teachers -  This camp was introduced in the summer of 2012 as part of an ESS program to promote reading and writing in the rural areas. The first camp was held in an education center in the suburbs of Beijing. Participants came from rural schools in Gansu, Neimenggu and Sichuan.

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Preparing Camp Programs

The organization and preparation of each camp program is very innovative and efficient. 

• Each camp has a team consisting of 1 to 2 camp leaders and an average of 8 to 10 class instructors. They all work on a voluntary basis.  Each spring, ESS recruits and selects students (from universities/colleges in China, Taiwan or the US), who may be interested in volunteering as part of their extracurricular program in the summer.  The students selected will then undergo intensive training conducted by instructors who are often staff or lecturers from local universities. These instructors will act as camp leaders, and will guide the college student volunteers in preparing the subject material prior to and during the camp. The volunteers are full of energy, and are very creative in preparing the camp programs. A sample of their work may be viewed on the webpage Sample Class Material.
• The key to a successful program is the active participation of local officials.  ESS works closely with the local officials from the very beginning of the planning process to identify the physical camp site and prepare the list of participants. Each camp usually can accommodate about 100 participants from the local area. The local officials coordinate with the local schools and institutions in preparation for and during the course of the camp. They are responsible for all the logistics such as arrangements for room and board, registration for arrivals and departures, etc.
• ESS sponsors the expenses of the camp leaders and the daily meals of all participants.  Expenses for lodging are borne by local institutions.

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