Destination Spotlight

Top Students From China Experience More Than A Typical WorldStrides Trip

Not many people can say they’ve done the chicken dance in Times Square with WorldStrides President and CEO, Jim Hall – to be exact, only 13 people can. But in February, 11 top Chinese high school students, and WorldStrides President Richard Lin and Vice President Matt Huttner enjoyed this hilarious experience on the first program run by WorldStrides China.

Jim didn’t know he was going to be put in the spotlight until he joined the students. But once everyone was surrounded by the excitement of the city’s extravagant lights, buildings, and sounds, one student felt it was only appropriate to do the chicken dance right in the middle of Times Square.

This Elite College tour showed 15- to 17-year-olds from eastern China what it would be like to live in the United States and attend an American university. During their two-week trip, the students visited Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Los Angeles. They met with students and college admissions officers, attended workshops, and saw many of the wonderful things the United States has to offer, like a Wizards basketball game, Wicked on Broadway, the shops of Fifth Avenue, and the historical sites of Washington, D.C.

Earlier this year, WorldStrides opened its newest location in the famous Grand Gateway Building of Shanghai, China. Known as WorldStrides China, this office will oversee unique programs designed for college-bound Chinese high school students focusing on bringing elite international education opportunities to the Chinese market. “I am excited to expand our offering of fun, educational travel programs to include Chinese students interested in exploring the diverse cultural and academic opportunities in the United States,” says Jim Hall.

WorldStrides is thrilled to have given these Chinese students the opportunity to benefit from educational travel that students in the United States have experienced for nearly 50 years.