US students discover common ground at Hainan exchange camp

HAIKOU, China, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

As educational exchanges between China and the United States continue to regain momentum, educators and students from both countries are calling for deeper people-to-people engagement, saying firsthand cultural experiences help build understanding that extends far beyond the classroom.

That message emerged during the China-US Youth People-to-People Exchange Camp in Hainan province, where 26 students and teachers from Utah's Box Elder School District spent five days learning alongside students from Hainan Normal University's affiliated elementary school.

Participants said the exchange offered a valuable opportunity to challenge stereotypes and discover common ground.

"I think this program is important because having two different cultures learn about each other and meet together connects us all," said Todd Schwab, a 15-year-old US student. "We're not so separate just because we're on different parts of the world."

Seventeen-year-old Aida Schwab said the experience revealed both differences and similarities between the two societies.

"It was really cool experiencing things in Hainan. In the US, we would have never known what it's like," she said. "Seeing the similarities to our own culture, we're not so different. Very similar, yet different."

Matthew Taylor, a Chinese-language teacher from Box Elder School District, said the trip allowed students to apply years of classroom learning in a real-world setting. The visiting group included students aged 5 to 18 who have studied Chinese for between three and seven years.

"This trip to Hainan turns the words from textbooks into reality right before their eyes," he said. "I hope to bring more students to China for cultural exchange."

Taylor also said US educators can learn from Chinese teaching approaches, particularly in mathematics and classroom management.

"The US and China have different cultural ways of teaching, different beliefs in community and education," he said. "As we share those, we can take the positive from each other and improve both education systems."

Jordan Riley, leader of the Utah delegation, said youth exchanges play a unique role in strengthening mutual understanding.

"Walking side by side, these young people build understanding, friendship and mutual learning," he said. "They inject warm and strong positive energy into bilateral relations."

SOURCE China Daily