Summer Ya Ya 2023
Are you ready for our fun-loaded Summer Ya Ya Mandarin immersion program taught exclusively by our professionally trained full-time Ya Ya teachers? At Ya Ya, we take pride in extending our in-depth, well-thought out topic studies and experiential learning into the summer months. During the past decade, our popular and one-of-a-kind summer program has impacted countless children and families, and it has been proven to be highly effective and engaging. Click through the photos in the slideshow above to get a glimpse of the joyful and unforgettable Mandarin learning experiences we have created for our children in the past.
We are excited to launch the "Travel Around the World" series, where we will take the children to explore a country around the globe every summer. Through an experiential learning and social studies approach, we will engage in activities and discussions on the architecture of landmarks and historic sites, the scenic landscapes, the climate, the foods that define the culture, and the animals indigenous to the country.
In summer 2023, we will embark on our journey to Taiwan, where our founding directors and many of our teachers grew up! Please scroll down to read the theme descriptions of all 4 summer sessions.
Summer Ya Ya Schedule At-A-Glance:
*Please click on the Registration & Tuition button on top to see tuition.
Ages: 3 years
Half Day: 9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Full Day: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Ages: 4 years and up
Full Day: 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
Summer Extended: Mon to Fri, 3:00 pm until 4:30pm
*Classes are grouped by age and level for optimal language acquisition
*lunch and fruit/snack are included for all program options!
*For babies and toddlers (birth to age 2) classes,
please visit the Bao Bao Singalong and Early Prep Pod page!
Session 1: June 19 - June 30
The Beauty of Taiwan Formosa Island 美麗的台灣寶島
Taiwan is known historically as the name “Formosa”, which means beautiful island. There is so much to explore - breathtaking landscapes, historic sites, ancient temples, museums of national treasures, or late night markets with mouthwatering foods. In this first session, we will take an around the island tour (環島旅遊) via train (搭火車), from north to south. We will hop on and off to explore famous destinations such as Taroko Gorge (太魯閣), Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) and Kenting Beach (墾丁海邊). And we will visit one of the most popular night markets in Kenting! Because of its geographical location between tropical and subtropical climate, Taiwan is the Kingdom of Fruits with so many varieties. We will experiment with different art materials to create mock models of native fruits in Taiwan, such as Wax Apple a.k.a. Rose Apple (蓮霧), Custard Apple (釋迦), Starfruit (楊桃) or Guava (芭樂).
Session 2: July 3 to July 14
Tainan- the Oldest City of Taiwan 台南古都之旅
Have you ever visited a very old city and been transported back in time? In this session, we will take such a journey down to Tainan, the oldest city of Taiwan located in the south. For more than two hundred years, Tainan was the old capital of Taiwan and thus well known for its historical landmarks. Let us study the deep history and architecture of the famous Anping Old Fort (安平古堡) and visit the ancient Anping treehouse (安平樹屋), built in the 19th century.
We will stroll down the many little alleys (弄巷) that seem to be frozen in time, the most famous one being Shennon Old Street (神農街). Tainan is also known as the food mecca with many original dishes, such as “Braised Pork with Rice” (滷肉飯) & “Ground Pork with Noodle” (肉燥麵), “Oyster Omelet” (蚵仔煎), and the strangest of them all, called “Coffin Bread” (棺材板). One of our Ya Ya Laoshi who was born in Tainan (guess who?) will make these dishes for the children so they can have an authentic experience.
Session 3: July 17 - July 28
The Taipei Metropolis 台北大都會之旅
Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is a fascinating mix of the modern cosmopolitan and the old. We will study the architecture of the tallest building, Taipei 101. Did you know that the elevators of Taipei 101 can transport passengers from the 5th to the 89th floor in 37 seconds, which is a speed record? We will also visit the most popular temple Xingtian Temple (行天宮), where the legends say that prayers and wishes are granted by the gods. Traveling around a big city like Taipei could be tiring and a bubble tea break is much needed! Did you know that Taiwan is the birthplace of bubble tea? There are more than 20,000 bubble tea shops in Taiwan, with dazzling variations of flavors and toppings. Let us go scout and compare different types of bubbles. And then our teachers will lead the children to make bubble tea and create our own Ya Ya Bubble Tea Shop with barley tea (麥茶) and fruit tea (水果茶).
Session 4: July 31 to August 11
The Wildlife of Formosa 寶島野生動物
Did you know that many wildlife animals are endemic to the island of Taiwan? As a matter of fact, Taiwan has a “national treasure fish” (國寶魚) called Cherry Salmon (櫻花鉤吻鮭). It is so precious and rare that it has earned its position on the Taiwan 2000 dollar bill. Our focus of the last portion of our adventure to Taiwan this summer will be on some of the famous mammals, such as the Formosan Black Bear (台灣黑熊), Leopard Cat (石虎), Formosan Sika Deer (台灣梅花鹿) and Formosan Rock Macaque (台灣獼猴). There are also birds that you only can find in Taiwan. We will study the 3 beautiful blue birds, Taiwan Blue Magpie (臺灣藍鵲), Swinhoe's Pheasant (藍腹鷴), and Mikado Pheasant (帝雉). Aside from learning the physical features and habitats of these animals, we will also discuss why it is important to protect these endangered species. In between our studies about wildlife, we will also have fun making Taiwanese summer desserts. Our very own Ya Ya Chef (who used to be a professional pastry chef - can you guess who from our team?) will lead the children to make shaved ice (剉冰) and delicious toppings like the Taro Balls (芋圓)!
