My Summer in China FREE Immersive Language Youth Camp
Central Oregon Community College and STARTALK are proud to offer My Summer in China, a free and immersive Chinese-language day camp for 15 high school students in grades 9-12, and 10 college students. The 2025 program includes an in-person summer camp in Bend and 30 hours of post-camp (August – December) offered via an online (synchronous and asynchronous) learning format. Students may opt for college credit before the start of the program. After successful completion of the program, they will be eligible for up to four college credits at COCC, at no cost to the student.
The free COCC/STARTALK My Summer in China program features an innovative curriculum that recreates the experience of being an exchange student in China for the summer. The program is intended to serve both Chinese-heritage and non-heritage students with little to no previous Chinese language knowledge. By the end of the camp, students will be proficient at the novice-mid or novice-high Mandarin Chinese language level and will have a deeper understanding of Chinese culture.
Summer camp participants will be immersed in Mandarin Chinese language and Chinese culture through interactive experiences in the community. Each week of camp will focus on a different theme, including family, relationships, food, sports, education, and geography. Summer camp Fridays will be reserved as adventure days, during which students will enjoy cultural activities (i.e. visits to local Chinese families, recreating Chinese night markets, hiking, and picnics).
Summer Camp Session One
July 7 – 11, 2025; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; grades 9 – 16; held at COCC's Chandler Lab (1027 NW Trenton Ave) in Bend, OR.Summer Camp Session Two
July 14 – 18, 2025 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; grades 9 – 16; held at COCC's Chandler Lab (1027 NW Trenton Ave) in Bend, OR.
Online Post-Camp
August – December 2025 (exact dates TBD); offered via Zoom and Canvas; grades 9 – 16
The application to the 2025 COCC/STARTALK My Summer in China program closes March 6, 2025, 5 p.m. This program will accept 15 high school students and 10 college students. The program will be open to applicants from across the US, with a focus on Oregon residents.
Applications will be evaluated based on the strength of students’ responses to a 250-word essay question, and priority will be given to students who can attend all sessions as well as to low-income, ethnic minority, and rural students.
Students can earn up to four college credits from COCC (a $529 value covered in full by COCC’s STARTALK grant) by attending both summer camp sessions (4-weeks total) as well as the post-camp sessions. Only those students who declare their intent to receive credits at the start of the camp, and complete the entire program will be eligible to earn college credit.
Program Cost
The My Summer in China Immersive Language Youth Camp is FREE, courtesy of funding from STARTALK.
The free program includes:
- Tuition and learning materials
- Daily lunch and daily snacks
- Program T-shirt
- COCC's College credit (for eligible participants who successfully complete the whole program and meet the requirements of COCC's Chinese 101 course learning outcomes)
COCC does not provide transportation to or from the summer camp. However, financial assistance may be available to those students who need help covering transportation costs. Please contact mysummerinchina@cocc.edu for more information.
Important Dates
| Week of January 6, 2025 | COCC/STARTALK My Summer in China 2025 application opens. |
| Thursday, February 6, 2025, 6-7 p.m. | In-person information session, COCC's Bend Campus, Health Careers Center, Room 190 |
| Thursday, March 6, 2025 | Last day to submit an application to the program. |
| Thursday, March 27, 2025 | Students notified if they have been accepted to the COCC/STARTALK My Summer in China program. |
| Thursday, May 22, 2025 | In-person orientation session for all accepted students. |
| Monday, July 7 - Friday, July 11, 2025 | Summer camp session one. |
| Monday, July 14 – Friday, July 18, 2025 | Summer camp session two |
My Summer in China is made possible by STARTALK, a prestigious federal grant program from the National Security Agency that supports innovative programs for K-16 students and teachers to learn and teach critical-needs languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, and Russian.
Contact Us
For more information, please contact program director Lin Hong at mysummerinchina@cocc.edu or call COCC's Community Education language immersion programs at 541-383-7240.