A group of students from Winton Woods City Schools didn’t need to tune into the Olympics or even travel out of the United States to learn more about China this summer. Instead they were able to meet Chinese students and learn more about the country through a Chinese Summer Leadership Camp that took place at Winton Woods Intermediate School in August. The camp was sponsored by the Winton Woods City School District and CECE Global, a division of Cincinnati English & Cultural Enrichment.

“Twenty-five Chinese students and their chaperones came from Liuzhou Middle School #39 for two weeks of recreational, cultural, computer and language activities,” said Winton Woods Superintendent Dr. Camille Nasbe. “The purpose of the camp was language study and to develop cross-cultural interaction skills,” said Mimi Gingold, president of CECE Global.  

Gingold said one afternoon at the camp was “China Day,” and students were encouraged to “be curious.” The 25 Chinese and 22 American students rotated between five classrooms to learn about Tai chi, calligraphy and Chinese painting, paper cutting, games and chopsticks, and knotting.

While the Chinese students were here, the City of Forest Park honored Principal Liang “Lilly” Bai Li and Assistant Principal Sun Hui Qun for bringing the students to the camp. Other chaperones included English teachers Li Hia An and Cao Yun and Liuzhou Foreign Affairs Office Representative Yin Yi Zhen.      

"Winton Woods Schools, with its richly diverse population and highly friendly staff, was an ideal host for this program,” said Gingold. “Winton Woods should be very proud of itself for the vision and spirit it demonstrated in the development and implementation of this CECE Global Summer Youth Camp.”

Anyone interested in participating in exchange experiences with China should contact Mimi Gingold at mimigingold@ceceglobal.com or visit www.ceceglobal.com.