Starting this fall, primary and middle school students in China will have at least one weekly course on labor education, according to a new curriculum (课程) standard released by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Labor education ranges from household chores to on-campus labor and community volunteer services, generally 3 types according to the new standards: the first refers to everyday chores, including cleaning, organizing, cooking, and using and maintaining home appliances (家电); next is productive labor, including agriculture, making traditional handicrafts (手工艺品), and applying new technologies such as 3D printing; the third type is service work, including volunteer work. The new curriculum also calls for a week of extracurricular and off-campus activities designed for labor education once every school year.

A recent study showed that primary and middle school students in China only spend an average of 12 minutes a day on chores, compared to 72 minutes in the US, 42 minutes in South Korea and 30 minutes in France. Many countries start students’ labor education at a young age. Finland begins to develop students’ life skills in primary school. Spinning, woodworking, cooking and other craftsmanship classes are offered. In Germany, pupils have two labor classes per week. Electronics, office technology, sewing, housekeeping, and career guidance are all taught there.

Adding labor education was out of concern that the country’s youngsters do too little housework and look down on physical labor jobs. Due to great academic pressure, schools tend to put their academic curricula on the top, and parents sometimes see household chores as distractions (分心). But, according to the MOE, labor education must be strengthened to help students develop social values, an interest in labor and finally an all-around development.

With obesity rats on the rise among Americans and their pets， two California women have come up with an all-in-one solution — a foggy boot camp where dog owners and their dogs work out together． Thank Dog Boot camp is the nation's first outdoor fitness program where both humans and dogs get a full-body workout while the dogs also learn basic skills． Founded two years ago by twins Jill and Jamie Bowers， the program has grown to include classes at various Los Angeles and Orange County locations and most recently in Northern California．

Classes begin as early as 6 a．m． With instructors yelling out commands in the traditional boot camp style． The difference here is that instructors are certified in both fitness and dog training， and each boot camper happens to have a four-legged partner by their side at all times．“People need to exercise， and dogs need to be trained and exercised，” said Jill Bowers．

The class takes place on a field in a public park with 30 minutes of running and 30 minutes of weight training． Each person has a mat． Their dogs have their own mats and water bowls beside their owner． Various squats， bends， jumps and dashes are combined for the humans． Meanwhile， dogs are told to engage in a series of numbered commands ranging from “sit” to “go” “to” “come”.

“A lack of exercise and training causes logs to have behavioral problem．” said Bowers． “If they don't have enough activities to exhaust their energy， they take it out on your favorite sofa of your designer shoes． With the boot camp， your dog is too tired to be bad．”

Attorney Taylor joined six months ago． “My dog always gets me out of bed，” said Taylor． “It's so used to going now that it's the one making sure I'm up and go out of the door． I've lost 15 pounds and have gained much confidence．”

STEM Summer Programs for High School Students

STEM is a term that stands for science, technology,engineering,and mathematics. Here is a list of some of the best STEM summer camps for high school students.

Future Matters Program

It is an 8-week paid summer research experience for high school students. This is a hands-on program for students interested in pursuing a career in medical research. Students will attend seminars led by faculty and participate in discussions with peers.

Simons Summer Research

It is a seven-week program located at Stony Brook University. Students will have the opportunity to participate in special workshops, tours and events free of charge. They will conclude the program by producing a written research abstract and research poster.

Research Science Institute

It is the first cost-free summer program of its kind. During this six-week program, students will dive deeper into the world of science and engineering by experiencing the entire research cycle. In this program, students attend lectures given by famous professors and prepare written and oral presentations to present their research.

Program in Math for Young Scientists

This is a six-week intensive mathematics program designed for students across the globe. Unlike common programs, it offers a great deal of independence for students to choose their own schedules and decide what they want to study. Besides learning, there is also “mandatory (强制的) fun time” built into the weekly schedule so that students are able to have non-math related activities.