Concordia Language Villages staff may speak a Village language, creatively teach culture, work and play hard. They also develop skills and qualities that will make them excellent employees in any field.
Sēn Lín Hú 森林湖
Chinese Language Village
About the Village
Chinese is spoken by more than a billion people, making it the world’s most widely used language. Today, an estimated one out of every five people on the planet speaks Chinese. More than five million people in North and South America alone speak Chinese! At Sēn Lín Hú 森林湖, our Chinese Language Village, you’ll learn Mandarin Chinese in a fun, supportive environment, led by native and expert speakers who will encourage you as you practice tàijíquán (Tai Chi), take part in cultural activities like the famous duānwǔjié (dragon boat festival) and explore your creative side with cultural art like shūfǎ (calligraphy) and làrǎn (batik). Discover Chinese language and culture right here in Minnesota at Sēn Lín Hú.
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Life at Sēn Lín Hú
Gōngfushān (Kung Fu Fan) Routine
Interactive Instruction
Learning Chinese Ink Art
School Group Culinary Exploration
Birchwood Nametags
Culturally Appropriate Cuisine
Chinese Songs
Painting Masks
Writing Instruction
Summer 2027 Schedule
Session descriptions coming soon. Registration opens Oct. 15.
| Language | Session Type | Session Category | Ages | Start Date | End Date |
| Chinese | Youth Credit | Two Week | Grades 9-12 | 7/26/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth Credit | Four Week | Grades 9-12 | 7/26/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth | One Week | Ages 10-18 | 7/26/2027 | 7/31/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth | Two Week | Ages 10-18 | 7/26/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth | One Week | Ages 10-18 | 8/2/2027 | 8/7/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth Credit | Two Week | Grades 9-12 | 8/9/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
| Chinese | Day Camp | One Week | Ages 6-11 | 8/9/2027 | 8/13/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth | One Week | Ages 7-14 | 8/9/2027 | 8/14/2027 |
| Chinese | Youth | Two Week | Ages 7-14 | 8/9/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
| Chinese | Family | One Week | 8/16/2027 | 8/21/2027 |
Upcoming Chinese Camps & Programs
Minimum registration fee $200 Our one-week programs are perfect for villagers who are ready to experience an overnight camp but can't fit a longer program into busy summer schedules, or aren't quite ready for a longer time away from home. These programs provide an opportunity to explore the language through small and large group learning activities and immersive daily experiences. Plus, you'll get to do all the fun arts, crafts, games and cultural exploration of the Language Village camp experience, along with traditional summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and making new friends. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $300 Our two-week programs are our most popular, providing an opportunity to become truly immersed in Village life! Villagers build and enhance their language skills through small and large group learning activities, and by hearing and using the language - with the encouragement of our supportive staff - throughout their daily activities. By engaging in a variety of music, arts, sports and classic summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and more, villagers can increase their confidence, improve their language ability, and grow to become courageous global citizens. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $400 Our two-week high school credit program allows villagers to earn a semester's worth of high school credit in just two weeks! In addition to classes with formal language instruction, credit villagers can choose from a variety of elective activities, as well as classic summer camp favorites like campfires, singing songs, and more - all in the language of the Village. These programs welcome language learners of all levels. Fully accredited by Cognia, credit programs include standardized curriculums, assessments, and transcripts to meet your local school system’s requirements. Please check with your school district in advance to ensure that credit from Cognia will be accepted if you wish to have the credit reflected on your villager’s high school transcript. High school credit sessions are designed for villagers entering grades 9 and up in Fall 2027.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $600 Want to gain an entire year’s worth of high school language credit in just four weeks? Our High School Credit programs are for you! In addition to classes with formal language instruction, credit villagers can choose from a variety of elective activities, as well as classic summer camp favorites like campfires, singing songs, and more - all in the language of the Village. Each four-week session is divided by an interim weekend, during which villagers have the opportunity to call home, do their laundry, and take a break from the intensive activity of Village life. These programs welcome language learners of all levels. Fully accredited by Cognia, credit programs include standardized curriculums, assessments, and transcripts to meet your local school system’s requirements. Please check with your school district in advance to ensure that credit from Cognia will be accepted if you wish to have the credit reflected on your villager’s high school transcript. High school credit sessions are designed for villagers entering grades 9 and up in Fall 2027.
Registration closes June 28, 2027
Minimum registration fee $200 Our one-week programs are perfect for villagers who are ready to experience an overnight camp but can't fit a longer program into busy summer schedules, or aren't quite ready for a longer time away from home. These programs provide an opportunity to explore the language through small and large group learning activities and immersive daily experiences. Plus, you'll get to do all the fun arts, crafts, games and cultural exploration of the Language Village camp experience, along with traditional summer camp activities like campfires, singing songs, and making new friends. These programs welcome language learners of all levels.
Registration closes July 05, 2027
Government & Corporate Programs
A global outlook is important for success in the domestic and international arena. Concordia Language Villages offers customized corporate, government and military training programs to meet the specific needs of our clients.
Learn About Scholarship Opportunities
Need-based scholarships are available for Chinese summer youth immersion sessions through the Passport Fund. Scholarships are based on a family’s adjusted gross income, number of dependents and the length of the session.
Additionally, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education offers a $1,000 stipend for Minnesota students who qualify for free or reduced lunch at school.
Our Location: Sēn Lín Hú
Sēn Lín Hú is Back in Bemidji!
Sēn Lín Hú’s longtime home for over a decade at Maplelag Resort was destroyed in a tragic fire in October 2022. After two years of hosting the Village on campus at Concordia College in Moorhead, we are pleased to return to our Turtle River Lake site!We will host Sēn Lín Hú this year at Skogfjorden, our Norwegian Language Village, which will be carefully and craftfully transformed into an immersive Chinese experience.
Meet Our Team
Read more about our professional staff at Sēn Lín Hú, our Chinese Language Village.
Noah 米诺安 Mǐ Nuò Ān Smith
Dean
We’re excited to share that Noah Nuo An Smith will be returning as dean of 森林湖 Sēn Lín Hú for the upcoming summer session. Many families will recognize Nuo An from his recent service as dean in 2023 and 2024, and we’re thrilled to have him officially on board and ready to hit the ground running once again. Nuo An has been bringing his passion for language and cultural immersion to 森林湖 Sēn Lín Hu for over a decade. He currently works in the academic administration at the Alliance Française of Washington D.C. Before that, he spent time working at Yinghua Academy in Minneapolis, one of the premier Chinese language immersion schools in the country. Having grown up a villager at 森林湖 Sēn Lín Hu, he has held a variety of roles from junior counselor to waterfront manager and curriculum facilitator, and now is returning for his third year as dean. He studied International Relations at Tufts University and holds a graduate certificate in China-U.S. relations with a focus on comparative politics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
We’re grateful to welcome Nuo An back for his third summer as dean and look forward to another meaningful, immersive season under his leadership.