Students score trip of a lifetime

A program to give underprivileged US students a chance to see the world is bringing 10 outstanding young people to China. Yu Wei in San Francisco and Zhang Yang in New York report.

For underprivileged American students who have never left North America, traveling more than 10,000 kilometers from home may seem like a far-fetched dream. But 10 top students from Oakland, California, learned earlier this month that they will be going to China this summer, for free.

Thanks to the Learning AFAR program, sponsored by Chinatour.com and the AFAR Foundation in partnership with Global Explorers, the 10 students and two educators from Coliseum College Prep Academy will be sponsored to visit five iconic cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou - and experience firsthand China's culture and history.