Summer Camp in China: the new 2019 trend for children between 13 and 17
How many American films do you think of when you hear the words "summer camp"?
Many, I guess, from the Disney movie "The Parent Trap" of 1961, of which were also made numerous remakes, to the 2015 TV series "Summer Camp". Not to mention the comic strips of Charles M. Shulz, who, among the various leitmotives, illustrate the departure of Charlie Brown and his gag at the end of each school year for the summer camp with the classic bus.
We could make hundreds of examples like these and it’s not because is a typically American narrative topos, but because America has the paternity of the summer camps. Born at the end of the nineteenth century for boys only and then expanded in the early twentieth century also to girls, they formed, in particular for the United States and Canada, the cornerstones of training in terms of soft skills. I am talking about all those transversal skills that are acquired away from school desks and especially away from home, from the "comfort zone", for which kids are led to necessarily resort to their abilities to face any situation.
This is how we build self-esteem, problem solving skills and autonomy. Moreover, being in a group and sharing everything with others, from the meal to the room to the experiences, we lay the foundations for team building and for building leadership, a fundamental life skill for today's world. All this takes place outdoor, in contact with nature, even better if in new places to be discovered or in other countries where you can also deepen the knowledge of another language and culture. The formula of the summer camp is therefore more than established in America, since, compared to elsewhere, workers can enjoy a lower number of holidays while the number of working mothers is always increasing.
In addition to what is an essential logistics solution for parents at the end of school activities, it has become above all an important training opportunity for young people. So much so that this practice has become increasingly common even beyond the ocean and today you can find summer camps throughout the globalized world, so even in Europe, China and Australia. There are also summer camps for the various age groups and for all needs, for example there are also the monothematic summer camps, from linguistic and musical to scientific and artistic ones.
Also the duration can vary, from a minimum of one week to a maximum of 6 weeks, but common to all summer camp is the centrality of the boy, followed at all times by qualified tutors, present 24 hours on 24, from reception to departure. In addition, all the camps are equipped with a medical facility and vehicles suitable for any eventuality and necessity. The structures are made with maximum safety and include all the comforts, guarantee a healthy diet and clearly pay special attention to hygiene and cleanliness. There are also recreational activities, sports and leisure of all kinds to enhance the stay of children, a holiday full of fun, socializing, self-discovery and new experiences.
After all, what is this if not the practical application of "learning by doing" by John Dewey, avant-garde pedagogist, founder of the active school. But if the pioneers of the summer camp are American, the new proponents of the formative vacation now belong to the East.
In fact, China, with its unstoppable development, as well as having transformed its cities into ultra-technological and avant-garde metropolis, is able to offer a wide range of summer camps, in the name of safety, comfort and progress.
The youngsters will be able to visit the main cities and attractions of China, they will be able to live on their skin the various nuances of a new culture and a different civilization and will also deepen English, which is an international language, spoken very well by the Chinese.
Choosing a summer camp in China means spending an unforgettable summer, living a unique opportunity and having a taste, at only 17, of a part of the world, apparently so far and so different from ours, but in reality very rich culture, traditions and charm. It is certainly an opportunity for growth, maturity, awareness and unrepeatable enrichment, a leap into the future, from which we will surely return with a suitcase full of new values, new experiences, new dreams.
