On June 21, the Sino-U.S. Student-Teacher Exchange Meeting of the "Splendid Jiangsu · U.S. Youth Exchange Camp" was held in Nanjing. Organized by Philadelphia Window to promote youth exchanges between China and the U.S., nearly 100 American teachers and students from Saint Mark's High School (Delaware), William Penn Charter School (Pennsylvania), Taylorsville High School (Utah), Riverton High School, and Mountain Ridge High School participated in this exchange program.
(Article reprinted from: Jiangsu Education News)
Jiang Yong, Director-General of the Provincial Department of Education, attended the event and delivered a speech. Chen Dali, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education, addressed the gathering via video. Jin Shangjun, Deputy Director-General of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, and Yang Shubing, Deputy Director-General of the Provincial Department of Education, presented completion certificates to student representatives. A total of 250 teachers and students from 24 U.S. states including California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Florida attended the meeting. Relevant divisions of the Provincial Department of Education, the Nanjing Municipal Education Bureau, and principals from local primary and secondary schools also participated.
Jiang Yong highlighted that Jiangsu Province has maintained early-starting, wide-ranging, and high-level educational cooperation with the U.S., yielding fruitful results. Jiangsu will fully implement the "San Francisco Vision" agreed by Chinese and U.S. leaders and the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important reply letter, encouraging more American youth to visit Jiangsu and gain comprehensive understanding of China and its development. He urged participating American students to: 1) Actively share China's stories. He hoped they would enjoy their Jiangsu journey, deepen their understanding of China's economy, society, and culture, serve as ambassadors of China-U.S. friendship, and bring back their valuable experiences and heartfelt connections to share with family, friends, teachers, and classmates in the U.S., inspiring more people to visit and understand China and Jiangsu. 2) Carry forward China-U.S. friendship. He expressed hope to build platforms for heart-to-heart exchanges between youth, promoting mutual learning between civilizations and people-to-people bonds. He encouraged participants to make friends with Jiangsu teachers and students during this friendly exchange, strengthen friendship through dialogue, achieve common progress through mutual learning, and inject youthful energy into China-U.S. relations. 3) Consider pursuing higher education in Jiangsu. Jiangsu is committed to providing quality educational resources and comprehensive development opportunities for international students. He hoped this exchange would enhance their understanding of Jiangsu's education and universities, welcoming them to study at renowned institutions here and grow into high-caliber global talents with multicultural understanding.
Chen Dali expressed three hopes for the "Splendid Jiangsu · U.S. Youth Exchange Camp": 1) Jointly build bridges for people-to-people connections. He encouraged students to share their Jiangsu experiences after returning home, serve as cultural ambassadors, and invite more people to visit China's landscapes and cultural heritage, witnessing the nation's transformative changes. 2) Establish diversified exchange channels. He urged Jiangsu to leverage its cultural and educational resources, advance educational openness, create more robust cooperation platforms and influential programs, and promote frequent interactions between youth. 3) Contribute youthful energy to lasting friendship. He hoped both countries' youth would continue to deepen bonds and inject positive energy into the future of China-U.S. friendship.
At the meeting, Chinese and American student representatives performed songs and dances including "Jasmine Flower" and "Auld Lang Syne."
This year marks the 45th anniversary of China-U.S. diplomatic relations. To implement President Xi Jinping's initiative of "inviting 50,000 American youth to China for exchanges over the next five years," the Provincial Department of Education launched the "Splendid Jiangsu · U.S. Youth Exchange Camp." From June 9 to 29, 427 Grade 9-12 teachers and students from 24 U.S. states will visit Jiangsu in batches for immersive school exchanges, city tours, cultural experiences, and other activities across 13 cities. These efforts aim to foster deeper, more objective understanding of China, build bridges for mutual understanding, friendship, and cooperation, and promote heartfelt exchanges between youth.
On June 17, 250 American teachers and students arrived in Jiangsu for the exchange program. They traveled to Suzhou, Changzhou, Yangzhou, Lianyungang, Xuzhou, Huai'an, Suqian, Nanjing, and other cities, visited local schools to make friends, explored economic development zones and urban renewal projects, studied historical and cultural heritage at museums, and experienced traditional Chinese culture through language learning, cuisine tasting, martial arts practice, and tea ceremonies.
