Ever want to see how big that wall in China really is?

Well, now is the time to find out for yourself, as the University of Northern Iowa study abroad program is offering students the opportunity to travel to Dongguan City, China to teach English to school-aged children.

“This opportunity came up last year, and the three that went last year signed up again,” said Olga Somina, peer adviser for the Study Abroad program. “Everyone is very excited about it.”

The program runs from July 17 to Aug. 15. Students can earn up to five credits for participatin.

Class sizes in the summer camp range from ten to 25 students. Students will be teaching for a maximum of 25 hours per week.

A maximum of 20 students will be selected through an application process.

The program includes additional travel opportunities, $1,000 towards airfare, a free room, 3 meals per day, health insurance and a stipend of $250.

Leisure activities will be arranged for both UNI students and their Chinese pupils. Additional travel opportunities include a trip to Guilin free of cost or to Beijing at low cost.

Students also have the option of taking a Capstone or World of Technology course for UNI credit while in China.

Any student interested in applying is responsible for registering for UNI credit and paying for at least three credits. ($225 per credit) Students are also responsible for their VISA. There is also a preparatory class in the spring for those accepted.

Inspiration for trips offered by the study abroad program comes from a variety of sources.

“We work closely with the faculty who have traveled abroad,” said Aurelia Klink, Executive Assistant for the UNI Study Abroad program. “There are people who have good ideas for an international experience for students.”

The Study Abroad program also keeps in contact with Educational institutions all over the world. Some opportunities offered by the program have come directly from foreign universities.

Anyone who is interested is encouraged to apply, even if they do not know Chinese.

“There’s no need to worry about a language barrier,” said Klink. “Students will be there to teach English.”

Peer advisers are available to students who are interested in learning more.

UNI Study Abroad knows that the experience will be worthwhile.

“This is a great way to be able to see and understand a new culture and to broaden your horizons,” said Somina.

Applications are due on Nov. 17. Any questions can be sent to study-abroad@uni.edu or to coordinator Yana Cornish at yana.cornish@uni.edu.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 at 1:48 am and is filed under Education, Study Abroad. Tags: Education, Student, Study, Study Abroad. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.