STARTALK at UB

Students in the program are giving a performance during the closing ceremony.

Discover Chinese Language and Culture

The University at Buffalo is excited to host the Language Wonders of the World: STARTALK Chinese Program over the summer. This free, three-week intensive camp is designed for high school students in grades 9–12, offering an engaging introduction to the Chinese language and a rich exploration of Chinese culture in Western New York.

Learn about:

What is STARTALK? Meet the team

What is STARTALK?

STARTALK is a program funded by the National Security Agency (NSA) to support critical language education for students in kindergarten through college. Its goals include:

  • Increasing the number of Americans learning and teaching critical-need languages.
  • Delivering engaging and creative language learning opportunities.

Program Features

Advantages of the UB STARTALK Program:

Free Admission: No costs for enrollment or to attend camp.

Summer camp: The program is three weeks long over summer.

College Credit: Earn 3 undergraduate credits from UB after completing the program.

Meals Provided: Lunch and snacks are served daily.

Are you a match?

To qualify for this program, students must:

Be enrolled in grades 9–12 in the upcoming fall semester.

Live in Western New York and can commute to UB each day.

Have no to little previous experience learning Chinese.

Submit their completed application by the deadline.

“This program has really helped me see how much dedication and commitment goes into learning a language, especially one as intricate as Chinese. I truly feel like I've become more accepting to different cultures and most definitely of their cuisines. I'm confident that with this exposure to the structure of the Chinese language, I'll be able to more easily pick up other languages that don't use the Latin alphabet.”
9/5/25
“Knowing that everyone in the program had a genuine interest in the language and wasn't there because they "had to be." The commitment and enthusiasm both the students and teachers had was like nothing I've ever seen before.”
9/5/25
“The program has given me a deeper understanding of the many similarities and differences between the cultures of the world.”
9/5/25
“This program significantly helped in growing and exposing to the language and will help as a foundation to grow in the future.”
9/5/25
“My child was very intimidated by this language and the exposure during STARTALK allowed my child to continue learning.”
9/5/25
“I believe this program has paved the way for my child to learn a language very different from the one she grew up speaking and I think this will allow many door to open for her. ”
9/5/25
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Group photo of students holding individual signs that spell out "UB STARTALK 2025.".