Eleven students from Penn State campuses, including seven students from Penn State Greater Allegheny, will leave for a monthlong trip to China on May 8, 2011. Students, along with five chaperons, will travel to the Guangdong Province and then on to Beijing and Shanghai. They will return to Guangdong before departing for home.
The journey will emphasize the development of student leadership, career prospects and an understanding of educational models in China. Students will accomplish this exploration through a series of class discussions and assignments, a tour of several cultural sites, educational institutions and businesses throughout China. Students have been attending weekly meetings since early December to discuss events for the trip, learn Mandarin, and better prepare for this extraordinary experience.
The trip is being coordinated by Penn State's Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) Program in partnership with Experilearn Inc. “We chose China as a destination because it is the most populous country in the world and because it is a center of commerce,” said Tahirah Duncan, director of EOC for southwestern Pennsylvania.
Arrangements for donations for trip expenses can be made by contacting Tahirah Duncan at 412-675-9077 or tda3@psu.edu.