South Korea
-April 2014-
Korea Society - Fellowship in Korean studies
Through the Korea Society Educational Fellowship program I learned more about Korea’s history, culture and language to expand my educational outreach program the international peace project from Japan-US to Korea-Japan-US. The International Peace Project has been a language and culture exchange for students in Japan and the United States. Since starting this project I have begun working with the Utah States Office of Education Social Studies director on creating global curriculum and one of the first Korean Language/Culture curriculum in the state. I have collaborated with Korean groups locally including the Next Generation Korean Americans, BYU and UVU Korean Clubs, getting a first hand Korean perspectives and integration in classrooms. Having this opportunity to study and collaborate in Korea will have the greatest impact on expanding the East Asia outreach from Japan to Korea. In the last two years I have also contributed to the successful educational outreach Going Global program sponsored by the Japan Society. The program is an online forum for students in the United States, Japan and Pakistan to collaborate on various topics. Working with the Japan Society’s Going Global project and collaborating with Fulbright Japan has given me perspective and experience with creating global outreach. This experience gave me the opportunity to set up a similar partnership with the Korea Society.
By expanding the educational outreach program to Korea, students are able to collaborate internationally in order to create a foundation for mutual understanding and collaboration. By establishing Korea-US relations early in life it will create impact and strengthen long term cultural, political and economic ties. My goal is to create a program where students can break down cultural and language barriers to learn and grow together. While many East Asian outreaches in Utah have traditionally focused on China and Japan, I am working to create a Korean outreach program. Most international student at two of the largest universities in Utah are Korean, there is a clear lack of Korean outreach in the secondary schools. My program is developing East Asian language and cultural outreach curriculum focused on Korea. I have been asked to contribute to the Utah Social Studies Core Curriculum for my global perspectives and outreach programs. The objectives from my program that are in the Utah State As a volunteer tutor for International Korean Students at Utah Valley University I have been able to learn basic conversational Korean and much about the culture. I have been able to apply much of the Korean Culture to my lessons; using Korea’s North/South relations to teach about media literacy, RunningMan (런닝맨) to create lesson plans to teach US Government, American Revolution and Greek Gods, and to have daily Korean Moments where students learn the basics of Korean Language and culture. The opportunity for this fellowship to Korea would greatly enhance and improve this curriculum and outreach program. As a district content leader and state presenter the information I learn from this fellowship program will have a multiplier effect in my school, district and state as well as globally. |
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