Summer School China offers a 6 week camp counsellor placement, teaching English in summer camps around China, giving you a unique insight into this remarkable destination.
What will I do?
The programme is in two parts:
> Orientation and Training (9 days)
In your first week you’ll study Camp Leadership skills including basic TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), educational activities and camp songs that will prepare you for your work placement.
On completion of the training you’ll be issued with a Camp Leadership Certificate. Your first week also provides you with an arrival orientation with cultural tours to help you settle into life in China and some basic Mandarin lessons.
> Summer Camp placement (4 weeks)
You will be working in a Chinese school where they run different types of camps for children of all ages.
The camps are activity based and provide an opportunity for young people to learn, share, explore, develop and have fun together whilst learning from international counsellors. Typical activities include games, arts & crafts, songs and personal development. Extra curricular activities may also be available, as will the opportunity to teach conversational English to small groups of students. As a camp counsellor your main role will be to help provide camp activities, in English, to Chinese students.
During the programme you’ll be paid an allowance of 2000 RMB (approximately £175) to help cover spending money while you’re away.
How long can I go for?
Our Summer School China is a 6 week programme, including a 2 day orientation and 1 week training.
The programme runs once a year during the Chinese school holidays.
Where will I be working?
The training is held in Guangzhou in Southern China.
The summer camps are based all over China and you’ll be placed at two different camps to give you the chance to experience different regions of this truly vast country.
Who will I be working with?
During your training you will be with about 20-30 other international camp counsellors.
At the summer camps you’ll be working in a school alongside Chinese teachers. All participants will be placed with at least one other person on the programme.
Where will I be living?
Accommodation is provided in the school grounds during the training and placement.
Apartments are well equipped and you might be sharing a room with another participant on the programme. Food in the school canteen is included throughout the programme.
How much does it cost?
What’s included?
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- BUNAC membership
- Lonely Planet guidebook
- Lonely Planet Mandarin phrasebook
- BUNAC Summer School China Handbook
- BUNAC t-shirt
- Comprehensive one-to-one orientation interview
- Personal support and travel advice from knowledgeable staff
- Group or individual flight booking service
- Pre & post trip health screening with Interhealth
- Full visa processing service
- 10% discount on travel goods.
Orientation
- Airport pick up and transfer to your accommodation
- Welcome dinner
- Education sessions about Chinese customs and culture
- Sightseeing trips.
- Leadership activities, camp activities, camp songs
- Camp Leadership certificate on completion
- Basic Mandarin learning.
- Guaranteed placement as English camp counsellor
- 24/7 support from BUNAC and our local partner organisation for the duration of your stay
- Transfer to orientation and internal travel to schools
- Allowance
- Ongoing remote healthcare advice from Interhealth.
- Accommodation provided during orientation, training and at camp
- Food included throughout programme in the school canteen.
What else should I budget for?
We feel it’s important to be as upfront as possible about any additional costs so that you can manage your budget and have a hassle free trip.
Fundraising
Raising extra funds for your trip needn’t be difficult as there are loads of things you can do to raise money.
For some ideas to get you started read our fundraising section.
Your arrival orientation, placement and local support services are provided by Teach and Travel China Company - BUNAC's partner in China.
How do I apply?
Am I eligible?
We’re looking for volunteers who are self motivated, adventurous, flexible and good communicators.
To apply to Summer School China you must also be:
- A permanent resident of the UK
- Aged at least 18
- Educated to A Level standard or equivalent
- Able to demonstrate excellent command of spoken and written English
- Interested in Asian culture.
When should I apply?
The latest date we can consider your application is 10 weeks before your UK departure date.
However, places are available on a first come first served basis so we recommend that you apply as soon as you can.
What comes next?
Once you’ve applied for Summer School China we’ll help you prepare for your trip by guiding you through the following stages:
Reveal more information below by clicking on the plus sign. Full terms and conditions are included in the application pack.
We’ll send you a link to log on to the Teach and Travel online system.
In order to assess your English abilities part of the online application will include a short English grammar test.
You will be invited to attend a one-to-one Orientation Interview where we’ll discuss all aspects of the programme to ensure that you are fully prepared for your trip. Following a satisfactory interview, BUNAC will formally accept you onto the programme.
As part of our 'Responsible Approach', each participant must complete a CRB check before departure.
All participants must complete the on-line health screening to confirm their fitness to travel and to receive detailed and personalised health recommendations for their trip. On completion of the programme you will also be invited to complete a post-trip “clean bill of health” screening.
See FAQs for more information.
BUNAC can arrange your flights for you or you can arrange independent travel.
We will send you full details regarding the levels of cover we provide.
To ensure that your trip preparation is as easy as possible BUNAC will apply for a visa on your behalf.
We will send you the contact details of the other teacher interns on the BUNAC programme so you can get in touch before you travel.
Your training venue will be confirmed a few weeks before departure. Your school placement will be allocated during your Camp Leadership training.
When can I go?
The upcoming arrival dates are listed below.
This programme runs once a year to coincide with the Chinese summer holidays.
Most flights from the UK travel overnight so it’s likely you’ll need to start your trip the day before the listed arrival date.
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| July 7th 2010 | April 28th 2010 |
Flights
BUNAC can arrange your flight to suit your needs. We aim to put participants together on the same flight in order for you to travel as a group.
Our flight tickets are flexible returns, which will allow you to change your return date whilst away (subject to airline availability and an administration fee).
Alternatively, if you’d like to arrange independent travel then you can as long as you arrive on or before the Arrival date above. Our in-house travel agents GS World Travel can give you a quote on 020 7250 0222.
Can I travel during the programme?
The programme operates across three different regions of China – your arrival training will be in one city and the two summer camps are located in different areas.
Summer School China is a structured short-term programme so you’ll have a busy schedule and there won’t be opportunities for any additional travel during the programme. However, you’ll be issued a 60 day visa so will get the chance to explore once your placements have finished. China is a unique and fascinating country and our local partners will be able to give you advice on where to go and what to see.
Application
Reveal the answers to the FAQs below by clicking on the plus sign.
At BUNAC Volunteer we believe that each participant should be treated as an individual. All applicants will attend a one-to-one orientation interview in our London office. It’s not a formal interview, but a chance for us to get to know more about you and your reasons for volunteering.
We’ll discuss the programme in more detail including issues such as health and security to help prepare you for your time in China. It’s also an opportunity for you to ask us any questions you might have. If you’d like to apply but can’t travel to London for an interview, please call us on 020 7251 3386 to discuss your situation.
If BUNAC rejects your application at any stage you’ll receive a full refund of your programme deposit. We have a 7 day cooling off period, so if you feel that you’re not suited to the programme and you contact us within 7 days of attending the Orientation Interview you can cancel and receive a full refund (less £35 administration fee). More information regarding cancellation refunds is included within the Terms and Conditions which are printed with the application form.
As part of our ‘Responsible Approach’, each participant must complete a Criminal Record’s Bureau (CRB) check. You can make a CRB application through BUNAC and we will provide the appropriate forms following your registration. This service is included as part of the programme. The current fee is £36. If you already hold a CRB from an existing or recent employer issued within 3 months we can accept this instead.
BUNAC is pleased to have teamed up with Interhealth, a charity which specialises in providing health advice for overseas workers. Your programme cost includes membership to Interhealth and as part of your application process you will complete an on-line medical screening to ensure that you are suitable for the challenge of volunteering in a developing country.
Following the screening you will receive comprehensive medical advice regarding inoculations specific to your destination along with some general travel health advice. Your programme cost also includes post-trip clean bill of health screening and on going remote health care advice through Interhealth.
The inoculations you may require will vary depending on your destination and also your personal medical history so it is very difficult to provide a guide to the typical cost. However, please be aware that whilst some injections are relatively cheap others (specifically anti malarials) can be very expensive. Interhealth will provide you with further information following your screening.
Flights Visa & Insurance
You can arrange your own flight if you wish but you must arrive in China for the start of the orientation. Our in-house travel agents, GS World Travel can give you a quote on 020 7250 0222. In this case, please provide BUNAC with proof of your return trip so that we can arrange your pick up.
As Summer School China is a cultural exchange program based on the Teacher Intern role, you will enter China with an ‘F’ visa. BUNAC will provide you with the appropriate visa forms and guidelines. The documents are returned to us and we submit them to the China Embassy on your behalf. You will be allocated a 60 day visa for your stay in China. Visas are issued at the discretion of the Chinese Embassy. The cost of the visa at the time of writing is £65.
Yes. BUNAC offers a fully comprehensive insurance policy that has been arranged with Endsleigh, one of the UK’s leading insurance companies. Full details will be sent following acceptance on to the programme.
Volunteer Placement
Numbers vary but we would normally expect up to 15 BUNAC participants on each departure. Our local partners will also receive participants from other countries so you’ll get the chance to meet and work with people from around the world.
You participate on a comprehensive one week training programme delivered by the Camp Leadership Academy, with an award from the Zhongshan University. The training includes leadership activities, basic TEFL instruction (teaching English as a Foreign Language), camp songs, and safety and emergency procedures.
There are different styles of summer schools/summer camps conducted in China depending on the school and local needs. They are either residential or day schools. A residential summer school is where the students stay at the school and therefore there are evening activities included in the programme (it is not the role of programme participant to supervise the students in dormitories — there are Chinese staff for that purpose).
With day camps, the students go home each evening and return in the mornings. The duration of the summer school can vary in length from 5 days to 14 days. All programme participants will spend a combined total of 4 weeks working, even though there are variations in the length of the summer schools.
You will be advised of your specific school placements during your training. It is the schools that determine the placements through selection based on your application and progress during the Teacher training. Placements cannot be changed once approved.
The accommodation will vary between schools as each has a different format. You can expect to share communal facilities in the school in regards to accommodation. By western standards, the accommodation may be considered basic, but by Chinese standards the accommodation provided to foreign teachers is spacious and of a comparatively high standard.
Meals are served in a dining hall (you do not need to prepare your own meals). There is usually a separate staff dining hall. Western meals are not served and you should endeavour to become competent using chopsticks. Chinese food is fresh, but milk, potatoes, bread and coffee are very rare. Rice and tea are staples, but every meal offers a variety of dishes. Unlike the west, Chinese meals are similar throughout the day. Western food can be purchased in the cities, but the quality may vary and it is relatively expensive. Food will vary in quality, but is usually fresh.
Due to the active nature of the programme, shorts, t-shirt and trainers are common uniforms on the summer camps. A packing list will be provided upon acceptance to the programme.
There are minimum standards of dress and behaviour expected. Body piercings should be taken out and visible tattoos covered as best as possible.
You should prepare for the cost for international airfare, visa, insurance and the personal expense in China. The Allowance (of about £175) will cover basic costs, but will not provide for savings’ opportunities. It is expected that all participants will require additional savings to draw on, (£200 per month minimum) with the amount dependent on the amount of additional travel and entertainment expected.
You will have the opportunity to nominate a region of China you would prefer and this will be determined before you depart the UK. North East, North, Central East and South, although these cannot be guaranteed. The North-East includes Inner Mongolia, Jilin and Liaojing. The North includes Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi and Shaanxi. Central East includes Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangzhou and Jiangsu Province.
The South includes the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Sichuan, Yunan and Fujian. Within these there are cities and provinces not listed, but a check of a China map will give an idea of the nature of the locations.
You must commit to the full programme for 6 weeks as you’ll be contracted to the schools.
The programme is set for 6 weeks this no programme extension available. If you would prefer a longer programme we recommend that you look at our 6 month teaching english in china programme - Teach and Travel China.
Summer School China is a structured short-term programme so there won’t be opportunities to travel during the programme. However, you’ll be issued a 60 day visa so will get the chance to explore once your placement has finished. China is a unique and fascinating country and our local partners will be able to give you advice on where to go and what to see.
If you have any further questions on Summer School China please call the BUNAC Volunteer team on 020 7251 3386 or e-mail volunteer@bunac.org.uk