Whether it is the banks of the Yangtze, terraced fields above the Mekong or roadside noodle shops after surfing at ‘Salween Special’, our classrooms are World Class.

To provide a college preparatory education incorporating successful life skills and stewardship of the world’s waterways through academic challenge, cultural immersion, and competitive kayaking.

Our Mission and Passion

Our Classroom

“The Journey is the Destination…….”

~ Dan Eldon

“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller

“It is curious - curious that physical

courage should be so common in the

world, and moral courage so rare.”

~ Mark Twain

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 2

This Spring 2012 semester, World Class will embark on a

journey of epic proportions to the heart of China to explore her

diverse culture, powerful white water, and to feel and see why this

country has become one of the top paddling destinations in the

world.

World Class has spent two previous semesters in China

and the experience has been powerful. Multi-day trips below

Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze, massive surf waves on the

Salween, and the deep Moon Gorge of the upper Mekong River

await our students and staff.

Come study abroad with World Class Academy and have

experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime. Come study in

China and feel the power, energy, and intrigue of the Far East.

CHINA: The Experience of a Lifetime

Great Bend of the Yangtze

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 3

To many, China feels like a distant world, filled with risk

and challenge, but for those who have taken the plunge, the

rewards have been plentiful.

World Class has had the opportunity to travel and study in

China in 2007 and in 2009. And now in our third excursion to the

‘Middle Country’, we are again working closely with Last Descents

River Expeditions to handle all in-country logistics and travel.

Our experience in China, and in working with Last Descents, has

proven that China is both a warm and rewarding place to travel -

making this one of our best destinations.

The security in China is far better than most Latin

American and African countries and the petty crime rate is lower

than most places in the USA. World Class will be traveling with

local interpreters and guides to maximize the experience as well

as the benefit of local knowledge.

World Class and Last Descents has an exciting lineup of

destinations for our four weeks beginning early January. This

includes a multi-day raft-supported trip through sections of the

Great Bend of the Yangtze, big wave surfing on the Salween and

hiking up to sacred glaciers above the upper Mekong river near

the border of Tibet.

Last Descents River Expeditions, a guide service

and white water conservancy organization, will be handling our

logistics and providing ground support for our team. World Class

has worked with them on all previous trips to China. Find out more at:

http://lastdescents.com

http://chinariversproject.org

Last Descents River Expeditions &China Rivers Project

“All the way to China...?”

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 4

As the world’s need for energy

increases with our rapid population boom,

we stand to lose are our mountains, creeks,

forests, and rivers. We live in a time in

which these resources are disappearing

before our eyes, yet many fail to see.

A single wall of concrete blocking

the entire White Nile River in Uganda;

mountain-top removal in West Virginia;

deforestation in Madagascar; and of

course, the Seven River Hydroelectric

Project in China are direct threats to the

natural world. This Spring 2012, World

Class will travel to China for its third

time and due to the rate of hydroelectric

expansion… possibly our last time. Already

the Great Bend of the Yangze River is

mostly gone, leaving just glimpses of its

majesty. Many more of China’s drainages

are at risk.

A primary focus of our term in

China, World Class Academy will embark

on a mission to raise awareness for the

waterways of China.

Through our partnership with Last

Descents, who is already established

as a voice for river conservation based

in China, World Class will produce a

documentary portraying the culture, the

rivers, and the threats that face China.

Come be part of a monumental

experience and an extraordinary journey

and live this vital moment in the history of

our World’s waterways.

CHINA Hydro-electric Threats and our Responsibility

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 5

Our itinerary encompasses the Yunnan

province, along the southwest fringe of China’s

“Western Front,” where economic development

in tourism, hydropower and resource extraction

spurred on by the east’s increasing demand

contrast significantly with cultures holding on

to ancient tradition.

At the heart of this struggle lies the

Nu Jiang or Salween, China’s last free flowing

river and the subject of 13 hydroelectric dam

proposals. One of the finest kayaking rivers on

earth, the school will spend a month paddling

along the 200+ miles of river from Gongshan

down. This entire section is accessible by road

providing opportunities to interact with local

minorities and witness first-hand what role

eco-tourism can play in influencing sustainable

development at the local level.

Before traveling to the Salween, the

school will visit other nearby areas in the

province to gain a diversity of perspectives,

climates and cultures. These include a trip on

the Great Bend of the Yangtze, as well as a visit

to the Mekong River Valley, lying between both

the Nu and the Yangtze drainages, all of which

originate on the Tibetan Plateau.

WCA’s stay in China will also include time

in the vibrant city of Lijiang where The Nature

Conservancy is based to gain a perspective of

the difficult issues confronting China’s long

term development in both the region and the

world abroad.

China Itinerary and Locations

China’s growing influence on both America

and the increasingly global world, provides

a strong rationale for visiting this amazing

country during our 2012 spring semester.

jan 15

jan 16 - 17

jan 18 - 28

jan 29 - feb 4

feb 5 - 8

feb 9 - 13

feb 14 - 26

feb 27 -mar 8

mar 9 - 11

mar 11 - 24

Semester begins with flight to Yunnan Province.Orientation; Tour Lijiang and Visit The Nature Conservancy China HQ.

1st Week of classes; Trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge; Paddle section of Great Bend Yangtze.Return to Lijiang; Visit Naxi Cultural Preservation School; Transport to Deqin on the Mekong River.

Experience life in a road-less Tibetan village; Paddle Moon Gorge, Mekong River.Paddle Upper Yangtze; Transport to Salween. Dimaluo, Upper Salween; Service-learning project.Middle Salween and Zen Wave sections; Quarter Mid-terms.

Transport to Kunming; Unwind; Re-pack; Fly out.Spring Break!

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 6

West Coast is the Best Coast? When you have the

opportunity to kayak the Sierras, Cascades, Columbia River Gorge,

Northern Rockies and top it off with Graduation at the base of Mt.

Adams. Indeed, this might be the best way to finish high school

anywhere.

West Coast, U.S.A.

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mar 11 - 24

mar 26

mar 26 - apr 21

apr 22 - may 5

may 6 - 13

may 18

Spring Break

1st Day of classes for 4th QuarterCentral Sierras / Northern California

Oregon and Washington: Columbia River Gorge

Idaho

Graduation! - Trout Lake, WA.

Sometimes it’s difficult to embark into

the unknown without having some reference

of what to expect. Everything in this brochure

stems from years of traveling and kayaking

throughout China.

For more photos and video from our

past trips visit these online resources:

VIDEO: Salween Update (China 2009)

PHOTOS: China pics by Adam Elliott

VIDEO: World Class Video Library

For more information, contact us in the

following ways:

Aaron Capo Rettig

Executive Director

(541) 908-5937

caporettig@gmail.com

Adam Mills Elliott

Outreach Director/ China Consultant

(928) 600-0966

adam@amelliott.com

Learn More - See More - Do More!

Many thanks to our great partners!

Clicking on the logos will take you directly to

our partner websites.

WCA spring 2012 - China Overview page 8