Photo by Jeff Kuang
On Sunday, Camelot Academy welcomed 27 Chinese teenagers for a two-week stay in Durham. The students from the coastal city of Qingdao will participate in a bilingual immersion program, a joint effort between Camelot, the K-12 private school in Morehead Hills, and RTP International Cultural Exchange.
It's a unique - and fun - opportunity for both the Chinese guests and the Camelot students participating. "The program will feature numerous educational and recreational field trips as well as classroom instruction," according to a press release from director of admissions Scott Mitchell. "While the American students are learning Mandarin, Origami and Brush Painting from Chinese instructors, the Chinese students will be taking classes in English, American Culture and American History from Camelot teachers. Then, the whole group will embark on a morning field trip (Lenovo, IBM, Bennett Place, Duke Homestead, UNC, Duke, the N.C. Museum of Life & Science, and Old Salem are among the trips scheduled) followed by recreational field trips in the afternoon (swimming, bowling and roller skating).
Shuyun Mu, the founder and president of RTP ICE, said in the press release, "Most Chinese visitors go to the coasts – L.A. or New York, Boston or San Francisco. We think The Triangle is a unique area with lots to offer, so that’s why we’re here.”
Thelma De Carlo-Glynn, Camelot Academy’s Founding Director, notes that it is a privilege and a huge responsibility to serve as ambassador to these visiting students. “As we have planned for these two weeks we’ve been struck by the importance of our choices in representing our country, our state and the City of Durham.”
While here, the students will be staying with volunteer host families, who were there to greet their new guests on Sunday. Check out the slideshow to get a peek at the joyous east-meets-west.
