RICH Chinese Summer Camp

I had heard about RICH Chinese Summer Camp for many years and had been following it with great interest. To me, it has long been one of the leaders in Chinese summer camps. We had always wanted to let our daughter join, but when she was younger, and then later because of the pandemic, we never had the chance. So when I learned that the camp was running again, I signed her up right away. As a parent, one of my biggest concerns is always the environment. What gave me the most peace of mind was that RICH is held on a university campus. The sense of safety, order, and calm that comes with a university setting made us feel very reassured. When I visited during the camp, it also brought back fond memories of my own university days, which was an unexpected and lovely bonus. Everything was smooth and well organized. Communication was always clear and efficient, and feedback was handled thoughtfully and promptly. Summer was especially impressive professional, attentive, detail-oriented, and incredibly patient. As parents, we know how many small but important details are involved in caring for and arranging everything for a child, yet she made the whole process feel effortless and reassuring. From my conversations with her, I could truly feel that she is the heart of the camp, and someone who is naturally suited to this work. Knowing that my child was in her care gave me complete confidence. What I appreciated most was the combination of one-on-one classes and group collaboration. This allowed my daughter to receive focused and comprehensive guidance, while also learning how to work with others in a team. Just as importantly, she was able to interact with children from different countries and cultural backgrounds, which helped her learn to respect differences and cooperate with others in a meaningful way. My daughter especially loved the street interview activities and the various hands-on cultural workshops. These experiences made Chinese language and culture come alive for her in a way that textbooks never could. They sparked a genuine interest in Chinese and in Chinese culture, and even now she continues to look up materials to study Chinese on her own. I never expected the experience to have such a lasting impact, and it was far beyond what I had imagined. I would like to sincerely thank Summer and all the hardworking staff for making this such a meaningful and memorable experience. We truly feel that we will see you again very soon, and we are already looking forward to it.

My mother-in-law has been trying to speak Mandarin with my son since he could talk. For twelve years, his response has been a polite but firm redirection to English. He understood more than he let on — that much was obvious — but getting him to actually engage with the language felt like pushing water uphill. We'd tried Saturday school, apps, tutors. Nothing stuck. A colleague whose daughter had done the programme two years earlier mentioned RICH. I was sceptical. My son is the kind of kid who can coast through a group class without really trying, and I worried that even a summer in China wouldn't change much if he could just wait out the uncomfortable moments. What I didn't count on was how hard it is to coast when your class has three people in it. We chose the Shanghai session, which combines time at East China Normal University with a segment in Beijing. I liked the idea of two cities — Shanghai felt accessible for a first-timer, while Beijing added historical depth. In practice, the combination worked beautifully. By the time they reached Beijing in the second week, the students had already bonded enough to push each other, and my son said the energy in Beijing felt different, more intense, which he seemed to enjoy more than he expected. The class structure dismantled every avoidance strategy he'd developed over the years. Two to five students per group, placed by level — not age — means there are no passengers. His teacher, apparently, had a talent for finding the exact edge of his comfort zone and setting up camp there. He complained about this to me exactly once over the phone, and then the next call he was excitedly describing a conversation he'd had at a local restaurant. The one-on-one tutoring in the evenings was where I think the real progress happened. He'd never had sustained individual attention in Chinese before, and it turned out that's what he'd been missing. Not group instruction, not an app rewarding him with points — someone sitting across from him, responding to exactly what he said, in real time. By the third week he was using tones correctly in ways that made his grandmother cry during their first post-camp video call. I'm not exaggerating. What I hadn't anticipated was the social dimension. He came back with friends from Singapore, the US, and France — all of them tied together by this shared strange experience of working hard in a language none of them were fully comfortable in yet. There's something about that particular kind of challenge that bonds teenagers quickly. He's still in contact with several of them. On the practical side: the camp is small and well-run. Communication with Summer throughout was clear and reassuring. I never felt like my son was lost in a system. When I had questions, they were answered directly and promptly. That matters enormously when your child is on the other side of the world. He has already asked to go back. My mother-in-law is beside herself.

Finding the right summer program for a 16-year-old boy is not an easy task. My son had been taking Mandarin in high school for a few years, but he had never been to China. We wanted a program that was engaging and culturally immersive, but we definitely wanted to avoid a high-stress, rigid academic boot camp. After speaking with the team at RICH Chinese Summer Camp, we felt their philosophy matched our goals perfectly. Now that he is back from their Beijing and Chengdu session, I can truly say they delivered an exceptional experience. What impressed me most was their educational approach. RICH makes it very clear that they are a non-disciplinary, non-academic cultural camp. Instead of having teenagers sit in a classroom doing tedious grammar drills all day, the focus is entirely on practical, real-world application. The language classes were small and interactive, but the real learning happened outside. The counselors encouraged them to use their Mandarin to order meals, ask for directions, and navigate local markets. It beautifully bridged the gap between textbook vocabulary and actual conversation. Another major plus was the living arrangement. It is important to note that RICH is a fully independent organization, but they secure accommodations right at the university's Global Village (Zhongguanyuan) in Beijing. This gave the teens a highly authentic taste of college residential life. The campus environment was incredibly secure, yet it gave my son the feeling of independence he was craving. He felt like a young adult navigating a campus community rather than a camper being constantly micromanaged. The cultural excursion to Chengdu was the absolute highlight for him. It wasn't just a generic sightseeing tour; it was seamlessly integrated into their camp life. From seeing the pandas to exploring ancient cultural sites and trying the local spicy food, the trip was extremely well-coordinated. The logistics—trains, hotels, daily meals—were handled flawlessly by the RICH team, which gave us immense peace of mind back home. Overall, my son returned more mature, much more confident in his speaking abilities, and with a deep appreciation for Chinese culture. If you have an older teen who wants to step out of their comfort zone and experience the real China in a safe, well-structured environment, this independent camp is absolutely worth the investment.