On the morning of October 21, 2016, the Second China Camp Education Conference, themed "Hello camp!", opened as scheduled in Shunyi, Beijing. This conference was hosted by CCEA (China Camp Education Alliance) and co-organized by eleven member units within the alliance (including: Beijing Sailing Center, Qixing Camp Education, Century Mingde, UWC World Alliance Schools, Vanke Education, Future Camp, New Oriental International Study Tours, Yitong Camp Education, Youka Creative Academy, Yumei Experience Camp, and Angel and Nutpie).
At the beginning of the keynote plenary session, Ms. Chen Rong, the Secretary-General of CCEA and the host of the conference, first led everyone in reviewing the outstanding achievements of CCEA over the past year and a half. She then said that the “Whampoa Military Academy” of China’s camp education alliance is continuously growing and expanding, and offered a brief explanation about it. Afterward, Ms. Zhao Wei, Chair of the China Camp Education Alliance and Founder of Qixing Camp Education Development Center, delivered the opening speech, mentioning: “When we are capable of serving more children, there are definitely opportunities, but also challenges. The government built 50 camps during the 12th Five-Year Plan period, and will continue to build more during the 13th Five-Year Plan. In December, a new policy related to study tours will also be released, which is very good news for our education sector. The government will also encourage children to go to camps to learn every year.” These messages for the education sector brought participants more confidence and encouragement for new developments and explorations in the education industry, and applause continued throughout the venue. Next, various guests took the stage one after another to deliver keynote speeches.
For this CCEA conference, the organizers invited experts in camp education and quality education from around the world, including: John Jorgenson, President of the International Camping Fellowship; Stephan Turnipseed, Executive Vice President of the DI Association; innovation education expert Stephan; Alexander, President of the Russian Camping Association; Scott Brody, American camp education expert; Ben George, experiential learning expert, among others. In addition to inviting experts in camp education from ten countries and regions, the conference also invited over sixty experts from within the education industry and across other sectors. They served as speakers at the parallel workshops of the conference, each delivering thematic presentations on more than fifteen different content modules, which was also one of the highlights of this conference. As a result, during the short breaks in the venue, people could be seen engaging in enthusiastic discussions, with various languages heard all around.
Surrounding Information——
The China Camp Education Alliance aims to promote the sustainable development of China’s camp education industry by conducting academic research in the education sector, cultivating industry talent, and building international exchange and cooperation in camp education. It provides industry research reports for the government and institutions, and also helps foster the personal growth and development of Chinese youth through camp education.
This year, the conference provided three days of industry training specifically for camp education practitioners. The training courses were provided and certified by the International Camping Fellowship (ICF), offering internationally unified standard certification training for camp education professionals, including the International Camp Director Course, Camp Activity Design Course, and Camp Counselor Course. It provided a broad platform for communication and learning for those who love education, work in the education industry, or are interested in it.
In addition, the conference also held a professional exhibition for the public, providing information and support for the public to understand and choose camps. The China Camp Education Alliance will continue to build platforms dedicated to industry talent cultivation and the standardization process, promoting industry standardization, encouraging diversity and sustainable development, and supporting the advancement of camp education with Chinese characteristics.