StarTalk Summer Camp

STARTALK: Chinese Pathways in Arizona

A Chinese Immersion in the Sonoran Desert

The Center for East Asian Studies hosted its first STARTALK camp in 2024. The program, Environmental Sustainability: A STARTALK Chinese Immersion in the Sonoran Desert, invited 45 high school students to the University of Arizona campus for two weeks to learn Chinese language and cultural practices about desert, water and the environment, through stories, leadership training and hands-on STEM activities. The students participated in Chinese cultural activities and field trips to the Coronado National Forest, Biosphere 2 and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. CESA will continue the grant-funded STARTALK program in 2025.

Details

  • Location: The University of Arizona main campus in Tucson
  • Dates: Next year's camp will take place June 1 – 8, 2025. Stay tuned for more information.
  • Cost: Completely FREE to qualified participants

Eligibility

  • Must be a 9th - 14th Grade student in Fall 2025 (i.e., all grades in high school, and college freshmen and sophomores).
  • Have Intermediate-level of Mandarin (based on ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines)
  • Complete the application form by the deadline.
Professor mixing food with her hands at a table of students

Student Testimonials

Meet some of our students from the 2024 StarTalk Camp and find out what they enjoyed the most.

Meet our students

Faculty & Staff

Program Director
Dr. Wenhao Diao

K-12 Pedagogical Expert
Mrs. Panna Leatherby

K-12 curriculum consultant
Mrs. Ariana Koers

Program co-Director & Lead Instructor
Mrs. Grace Wenjing Xie

Core Language Instructors
Dr. Yanlin Wang
Mr. Chad Longoni

illustration of Chinese dragon face and StarTalk logo

StarTalk Summer Camp group shot on steps of Old Main
Professor working with group of kids in the kitchen at summer camp
Closeup of a bowl on the table with student hands
Kids on stage speaking to an audience