APPSTATE-STARTALK Chinese Immersion Program: A Bite of China
Catalog organization: Appalachian State University Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Compiled by: ExtracurricularHub Editorial Team — editorial policy
Last updated
What Is APPSTATE-STARTALK Chinese Immersion Program?
Appalachian State University's NSA-supported STARTALK program offered intensive beginner Mandarin and Chinese cultural learning to 18 rising grades 9-12 students with limited or no prior Chinese. The hybrid design combined 20 synchronous virtual pre-camp hours, a three-week/102-instructional-hour residential camp in Boone, North Carolina, and 40 synchronous/asynchronous virtual post-camp hours. The residential session ran June 15-July 3, 2026 and is complete. The page still says applications remain open until full, but that stale sentence cannot make a finished summer session open; no 2027 dates or application are posted.
NSA funding covered tuition and learning materials, meals and lodging, and residential field trips for accepted students. Travel to and from Boone and other incidental expenses are not addressed. Learning centered on real-life Mandarin tasks through food, travel, community, and events, with cooking, martial arts, calligraphy/painting, singing, dancing, authentic resources, and digital technology. Priority consideration went to Southern Appalachian students, especially western North Carolina and east Tennessee, but the page does not state that this was an absolute residency restriction.
APPSTATE-STARTALK Chinese Immersion Program Key Facts: Cost, Deadline, and Eligibility
| Cost | Free |
|---|---|
| Format | Hybrid |
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 |
| Application deadline | Dates not announced |
| Listing last updated | October 24, 2026 |
Program details shown here reflect the current catalog record.
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How to Apply to APPSTATE-STARTALK Chinese Immersion Program
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