Finding a safe Chinese Summer Camp in China for my daughter: A dad's honest review

Sending my 14-year-old daughter, Mia, to China for three weeks was a massive step for me as a dad. I’ll be honest, my biggest concern was safety. You hear different things, and it’s a long way from home. When I saw that RISH uses a hotel strictly inside a closed university campus, that sealed the deal. It gave me the peace of mind I needed.

The hotel on campus was solid—clean, safe, and definitely better than a standard dorm room. It was comfortable enough for her needs. But the real highlight was the staff. Let’s talk about everyday life for a teenager. Mia is used to just throwing her clothes in a hamper at home. To be fair, she had never touched a washing machine before this trip. During her first week, she was completely stumped by the camp's laundry room. Her mentor, Daisy, was a total lifesaver. She didn’t just do the laundry for her; Daisy actually took the time to teach Mia how to operate both the washers and the dryers properly. It sounds like a small thing, but that kind of personalized, 24/7 care from the mentors is exactly what you want as a parent.

They also took classes in actual university classrooms, which made the academic side feel very authentic. The camp doesn't really have "weekends" where kids just sit around in their rooms. Instead, every few days they take the students out to explore major Shanghai attractions and do some shopping. Mia couldn't stop raving about the authentic Xiaolongbao. After the main classes wrapped up, they even took the group to tour another culturally rich city. Through it all, Daisy was always right there, keeping their small group organized. Looking back, sending her halfway across the world was worth every penny, and she came home with a completely new level of independence.