The "Little Citizens of the Pacific: An APEC Green & Smart Adventure," a four-day cultural exchange for local and international children, was held from July 21-24 at the Longhua International Cooperation Center (LICC) in Minzhi, Longhua.

The camp brought together children aged 6 to 12 to explore the diverse cultures of the 21 APEC economies. Through interactive games, hands-on crafts and immersive activities, participants explored landmarks of the 21 APEC economies, native wildlife, local cuisines, traditional music and art from across the Pacific Rim. The experience fostered a global mindset in a fun and engaging setting.

A group photo of the "Little Citizens of the Pacific: An APEC Green & Smart Adventure," held from July 21-24 at the Longhua International Cooperation Center (LICC). Photos courtesy of LICC

Young attendees also visited nine interactive tech stations, where they got hands-on with 3D printers, coding robots, AI translation glasses, and others. The activities introduced them to cutting-edge technology and sparked curiosity and innovative thinking.

A key highlight was the "Little Delegates" session, where children role-played representatives of different APEC economies. They discussed and delivered short speeches on the theme "How AI improves our daily lives" and jointly drafted a document titled “Little Citizens' AI Inspirations," learning to collaborate, express their ideas and reach consensus along the way.

Each child took home a full set of 21 commemorative fridge magnets featuring landmarks of the 21 APEC economies, a hand-painted ukulele, an official certificate of commemoration, and their own clay artworks as well as baked treats created during the camp, capturing four days of growth.

Canadian sisters Eivana, Vanra and Nithana Einthusan shared their experiences in an interview. Eivana said she learned about the 21 APEC economies, discovered new animals, painted her own ukulele and made clay crafts. Vanra and Nithana then highlighted they made many new international friends at the camp and felt very happy throughout the experience.

Austin (C) poses for a photo with other young participants at the scene.

A Chinese participant identified as Austin said the "Little Delegates" session was his favorite part of the camp. He said he learned about the customs of all 21 APEC economies. He also said spending time with international children and the foreign teachers helped him improve his English.