For release: March 1, 2012
For press information, contact Riki Jackson, 901-678-3166

Did you know that Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world and the third most widely spoken language in the United States? Or that more people speak English in China than speak English in the United States? And that one-fifth of the world's population lives in China?

To assist in building bridges between the United States and China and to promote Chinese language and culture, the Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis (CIUM) will partner with area schools to offer its fourth annual Chinese summer immersion camps.

The “Bringing China to Memphis” camps are open to children ages 5-14. Scholarship assistance is available for those who qualify.

Dates and locations for the camps are:
May 28-June 1 at Lausanne Collegiate School;
June 4-8 at Hutchison School;
June 11-15 at St. Agnes Academy/St. Dominic School;
June 18-22 at Grace St. Luke’s Episcopal School; and
June 25-29 at St. Mary’s Episcopal School.

To apply, parents may go to the CIUM website, www.memphis.edu/cium, and there choose a link to the individual school for an online application.

Campers will learn Chinese martial arts, participate in Chinese art classes, and learn more about the Chinese language and culture. Each summer camp will include activities such as Tai Chi, dancing, calligraphy, sculpting, paper cutting, cooking demonstrations, and special performances.

The mission of the Confucius Institute at the University of Memphis is to promote the Chinese language and culture in Memphis, throughout the Mid-South, and across the nation.

For more information about the CIUM or Chinese language and cultural programs, contact Riki Jackson, CIUM assistant director, at 901-678-3166 or visit www.memphis.edu/cium.