ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City University will host a free immersion-style Russian language summer camp for high school and college students as part of a U.S. National Security Agency language proficiency program.
The STARTALK program at ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ will run July 6-27, 2025, with pre-camp online ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ in February. The on-campus summer camp will be followed by post-camp online ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ from August to October 2025. Classes are offered at intermediate and advanced levels.
The theme is βJourney through the Russophone World Across Continents.β The program aims to increase studentsβ levels of proficiency in the Russian language and introduce them to global Russian-speaking cultures around the world, program director Sabina Amanbayeva said.
βWe are delighted to once again offer this camp for students in ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ and beyond,β said Amanbayeva, who teaches world literature and Russian language at ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½. βStudents make friends, learn Russian and experience what it is like to live on a college campus. Half of our cohort typically comes from heritage speakers, and half from non-heritage speakers, so it is a nice balance.β
From cooking dishes from post-Soviet regions to learning different dances to filming videos, students will be immersed in an intense and interactive learning experience. Students will take field trips where they can meet other speakers of Russian and visit nearby museums. The program includes career workshops in foreign service and other job opportunities connected to Russian language.
Applications are accepted online at okcu.edu/russian-immersion-program. Prospective students must have at least an Intermediate Low proficiency in Russian, usually achieved after a year of study. Formal language study is not required for heritage speakers of Russian. The early admission deadline is Nov. 22 and the final deadline is Jan. 5, 2025. There are 24 spots available.
The program is free for students and is funded through an NSA grant. The program covers tuition, room and board. Students are only responsible for their transportation to and from ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ City.
During the summer camp (July 6-27, 2025), students will live in a dormitory on the ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½ campus. During the online pre-camp (February to May 2025) and post-camp (August to October 2025) terms, students will have weekly online synchronous Russian ΒιΆΉ΄«Γ½.
Students are required to attend all three parts of the program. High school students who complete the program will earn three college credit hours.
For more information visit okcu.edu/russian-immersion-program.
