Interest Meeting for China Trip October 29, 2014 Laurel International Corp. Meeting Objectives • Laurel International Corp. introduction • A quick look at BJ #50 HS • Milestones of sister school partnership • Why visiting China • Objectives of the trip • Trip basics and itinerary • Timeline for trip participants • Q&A Laurel International Corp. • Founded in 1992 • Mission: To promote educational and culture exchanges between US and China • Offices in Rockville, MD & Beijing, China • Scope of business - Educational exchange programs - Sister school partnership - Summer programs - American public high school diploma program - Executive training programs for Chinese government - Agriculture - Law - Public administration - Finance Sister School Partnership • Laurel’s role • Almost 10 years’ experience • Existing partnership in VA - Freedom HS - BJ #50 HS - Stone Bridge HS - BJ #109 HS - Broad Run HS - BJ #22 HS - Loudoun Valley HS - BJ Da Yu HS - Newton-Lee HS - BJ Heizhima ES • Approved by Risk Management Dept. in LCPS • Member of National Travel Association Beijing #50 HS • A top public school in Dongcheng District, BJ • Founded in 1953 • 2,000 students • Grades 7-12 Milestones of Sister School Partnership 2010/06 Former FHS principal visited China 2010/08 BJ #50 HS Assistant Principal visited U.S. 2010/10 BJ #50 HS students visited U.S. 2011/04 FHS students visited China 2011/12 • • BJ #50 HS principal Mr. Yu visited FHS The sister school partnership agreement was officially signed 2011-2014 Exchange visits by both schools’ students every year Why Visiting China • The world’s most populous country, with 1.3 billion officially • The world’s second-largest economy in Q2 2010 • U.S.-China relationship is increasingly important • China has the longest, continuous civilization in the world - some 5,000 years Objectives for the Trip • To understand the Chinese way of teaching and learning • To make friends in China • To experience the Chinese culture - Chinese culture classes - Most famous tourist sights - Events for students Trip Basics • Nature: Educational trip • Guiding principles: safety is the first priority, students centered • Time: Leave on Sat, Mar 21 and return to U.S. on Mon, Mar 30 • Cities: Beijing 5 days, Xi’an 2 day, Shanghai 1 day • Meals: all included, host family, school cafeteria and restaurants • Lodging: host family condos and hotels (similar to Holiday Inn) • Transportation: Host parents drop off/pick up kids at school, private shuttle bus • Cost: all included, int’l airfare, local flight & train, meals, admission, etc. D.C. Traveling Route Beijing Xi’an Shanghai Tentative Itinerary Day # Date Time City 1 Sat, 3/21 AM D.C. 2 Sun, 3/22 Day time BJ Day time D.C. Beijing Arrive at BJ; welcoming ceremony at school; guest students are picked up by host families, chaperons check into hotel Guest and host students tour Great Wall & Olympic Village 3 Mon, 3/23 4 Tue, 3/24 Whole day BJ Guest students shadow host students at school 5 Wed, 3/25 Whole day BJ Guest students take Chinese culture classes at school 6 Thu, 3/26 Whole day BJ Guest students tour Tiananmen Square & Forbidden City AM Guest students take Chinese culture classes at school 7 Fri, 3/27 Evening Noon PM 8 Sat, 3/28 Day time Evening AM 9 Sun, 3/29 PM Night 10 Mon, 3/30 BJ Activity BJ Travel Xi’an Travel Shanghai See an acrobatics show Farewell Party BJ (high speed) Xi’an Tour Terra-cotta Warriors Museum & City Wall Dumpling Feast & Tang Dynasty’s music and dance show Xi’an Shanghai Visit Silk Factory & Chenghuang Temple Huangpu River cruise AM Shanghai Visit Pudong Business Development District PM Travel Shanghai Evening D.C. Arrive at D.C. D.C. Timeline for Trip Participants • Submit completed information sheet by end of November • Submit $500 deposit by winter break • Checks Payable to Laurel International Corp. • Submit $2,500 fee, get int’l air ticket, submit visa application materials by Jan, 2015 • Attend the pre-trip meeting in Mar, 2015 Contact Information • • Laurel International Corp. • Christina Ge [email protected] • 301-579-3275 Chaperones • Fred LeMaster [email protected] • Jenna Ashworth [email protected] Cultural Exchange is about SHARING & LEARNING