Summer Camps Preview: A Royal Summer Camp and Inclusive Cycling

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It isn’t quite summertime, but we’re all looking forward to a little rest after the tumultuous year and a half that’s past. Some families treat summer like a lazy time, others as the fourth semester of school, but we all know that come July, some kind of break from the norm is in order. That’s where here we at Jingkids come in, ready to rock your scheduling world with these summer camp highlights. Each week we’ll go behind the scenes of a camp so you can make the right choice for your family.

A Royal Summer Camp by The Courtyard Institute & Black Sesame Kitchen

One of the benefits of living in Beijing is the ability to immerse your family in the culture and learn about history through the arts. The Courtyard Institute and Black Sesame Kitchen (BSK) have been doing just that with their bilingual cooking and cultural classes for children and adults, Last winter was all about different holiday traditions around the world. For the summertime, BSK and The Courtyard Institute turn their sights towards royalty!

Their bilingual staff and teachers are dedicated to creating a stimulating environment for every child. Matthew Hu of The Courtyard Institute explains how “Through crafts, cooking, and field trips to imperial sites in Beijing, children will compare and contrast how emperors and empresses in China and kings and queens in countries around the world governed and influenced the way people lived, ate, and played. Drawing from The Courtyard Institute’s predominantly Chinese audience and Black Sesame Kitchen’s foreign audience, we hope to create a truly international and bilingual environment.” Hu came up with the theme to showcase their proximity to The Forbidden City and so many other imperial sites in Beijing, along with different cultures around the world.

Summer Camp Facts

Who: The Courtyard Institute and Black Sesame Kitchen
What: A Royal Summer Camp: Learning about Emperors & Empresses in China and Kings & Queens around the World
Where: 28 Zhong Lao Hutong, near the east gate of Jingshan Park and steps away from the Forbidden City
When: June 28-August 27; Exact dates of camp subject to change. The camp will be organized into three 5-day Monday-to-Friday sessions; children may join for a minimum of 5 days (starting any Monday) with flexible morning drop-off time after 9am and pick up by 5pm.
How: WeChat ID: BlackSesameKitchen
Ages: 4-12
Teacher to Child Ratio: 1:5
Prices: TBD, contact for more information
Curriculum: The Courtyard Institute and Black Sesame Kitchen have designed this curriculum drawing on both Chinese and Western educational models.

Conclusion: There’s a half-day cultural heritage volunteer program in each camp and will give each child a volunteer certificate from Beijing Cultural Heritage Protection Center

About: Black Sesame Kitchen is a cooking school, restaurant, and events company in the heart of Old Beijing. Chinese-American author Jen Lin-Liu opened Black Sesame Kitchen in 2008 to promote the understanding of Chinese cuisine and to create a convivial setting for socializing and exchange between China and the rest of the world.

The Courtyard Institute is an educational company founded in 2014, and we aim to promote a better understanding of traditional Chinese culture, for both children and adults, through lectures & salons, art & craft workshops, heritage field trips, winter & summer camps. We believe in the magic power of culture, and strive to bring the abstract concepts into a series of fun and creative programs.

Tayrona Beijing presents Green Pastures Camps: “Cycle, Feel Good, Be Safe & Have Fun”

Camp coordinator Elisabeth Schoenfeld is passionate about the benefits of cycling, as it “promotes balance, endurance, and helps children to be aware of their surroundings. and teaches them geography in a practical way. They learn to read signs and traffic rules early which gives them confidence for life. Cycling not only trains the body but also the mind. Last, but not least it is a sustainable way to travel.”

Green Pastures Camp’s philosophy is that “Everyone matters”. They are inclusive, welcoming children and teens who need special accommodations or have special needs so they can participate in the camps. Camps are customized when needed and also include English Study Skills Camps, Fun English Camp, and a Gardening Camp.

Schoenfeld elaborates on the benefits of their camp beyond cycling: “Our camps are conducted mostly in English which can provide a great learning opportunity for English learners to USE the English language to communicate in real situations.” Children also learn “personal healthcare and healthy habits, First Aids, navigation skills, and problem-solving. Moreover, they can cultivate skills to stay safe when cycling and on the road. All these different skills have a positive impact on our daily lives and can promote better individual performance in society.”

For older teens (17 years and older) and young adults, they offer a Counselor in Training (CIT) Program, where young adults develop their leadership skills.

Summer Camp Facts

Who: Tayrona (Beijing)
What: “Cycle, Feel Good, Be Safe & Have Fun”
Where: Beijing (Huairou and Miyun) and Qinghai Lake
When: July and August 2021
How: www.tayronabeijing.org, [e-mail] or Wechat

Ages: 8 to 17
Teacher to Child Ratio: 1:5
Prices:

Groups / Family Discounts & Scholarships: Discounts available for schools, for groups of 5 to 10 campers, and for siblings (If a family signs up two or more children)
Curriculum: Our cycling camps teach and reinforce the following topics in theory and with lots of practical opportunities to develop the skills needed for a better cycling experience:

• Warm-up routines before cycling

• Know the parts of your bicycle,

• Change or repair an inner tube

• Gear shifting

• Road safety

• Street signs and hand signals for cyclists

• Nutrition and cycling

• First-aid know-how for cyclists

• Bikepacking: planning your next cycling tour

• Cycling in a group & leading a group

Conclusion: Certification for participation and a medal for achievement
About: Tayrona Beijing Ltd

Camp coordinator Elisabeth Schoenfeld: Elisabeth came to China for the first time in 2000, but moved here in 2003. She is a pediatric Nurse and an Educator. She has a passion for traveling, exploring places and is curious about what’s “there”. Together with her husband, Fabian, she started Tayrona (Beijing) in 2019. Together they run different camps and organize cycling tours in Beijing, Hainan, and Qinghai.

Camp Director Fabian I Beltran: Fabian is from Colombia and has been in China since 2008. He is an educator and loves sports. He has a passion for traveling, history, languages, and nature. In 2019 he founded Tayrona (Beijing) with his wife. He is planning and organizing camps and developing the curriculum for them.

Images: Black Sesame Courtyard and Taryona Beijing Ltd.

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