the 25th bluestar international summer camp’s 22 branches across 21 cities kicked off on july 20. a total of 950 employee children from 11 countries worldwide will embark on an unforgettable journey in the next 20 days. there are 135 campers in beijing branch no 1, including 46 from france, australia, norway and the uk; 18 from gansu province’s gulang county, which has been receiving bluestar’s support in the past; and others from subsidiaries in jinan, shanxi, nanjing and harbin.
for children in bluestar, one of the happiest times of the year occurs from july 20 to august 10, when thousands of their friends come together.
bluestar began its business in 1990, and employees had to stay away from home for the industrial cleaning business all over the country, creating problems in their children’s summer vacation. therefore, ren jianxin proposed to hold the first summer camp to take care of employee children. the move also helped children develop team spirit, independent living skills, and literary and sports abilities. the summer camp has set different themes every year since 1992, but they all revolve around china, bluestar and individual spirit.
the expanding company business also boosted the development of the summer camp, which has generally received 1,000 campers each year since 1997. the summer camp invited experts from the beijing education department in 2000 to help plan the event. they confirmed the theme, content, clothes and time of the event.
after acquiring five overseas companies, including the france-based adisseo, in 2009, bluestar began to expand the summer camp abroad. children of foreign employees from more than 10 countries around the world got together in beijing to attend the event. “bluestar, we’re family” has become a permanent theme of the summer camp.
the camp has received tens of thousands of children in the past 25 years, and involved more than 70 million yuan in costs. it has become the only one of its kind in china.
bluestar has not only created economic benefits for its shareholders, but has also lived up to its social responsibilities by taking concrete actions. the rapid business expansion, especially for multinational operations, often faced problems caused by cultural differences. it’s imperative to explore a new approach that integrates overseas development and culture. the summer camp has acted as a platform to blend various cultures in bluestar.
the summer camp has produced remarkable achievements since its establishment. some of the campers have now become bluestar employees, or college students, making contributions to the company and social development. they resemble the lush and towering woods in summer.
bluestar has seen employee sustainable development as an indispensable element in corporate development. it has committed itself to offering good working environment and development opportunities for employees and helping employees balance work and family responsibilities. its summer camp has become a social responsibility brand that integrates employee care, children education and culture.
the summer camp has cut across cultural boundaries and makes campers proud of their parents’ work. it instills an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit among children.