Q: When is the application deadline for the 2010 Summer Fellowship?

A: The application deadline is March 24, 2010. (Click here for online application).


Q: When will applicants be notified if they have been selected to participate in the program?

A: Acceptances and rejections will be sent out at the end of April.


Q: When and where will the 2010 Summer Fellowship take place?

A: The summer fellowship study tour takes place in South Korea. Fellows arrive in Seoul and spend several days attending Korean studies classes and visiting important sites in the Seoul metropolitan area, before setting off on a tour of sites throughout the rest of the country. In 2010, the summer fellows will be traveling in two groups. The first group will travel to Korea between June 24 and July 7. The second group will travel to Korea between July 8 and 21.


Q: I'm not a Social Studies teacher. Am I eligible to take part in the Summer Fellowship?

A: The 2010 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies invites applications from social studies professionals, exclusively among middle school and high school classroom teachers, administrators, and professors or instructors in schools of education. Unfortunately, if you do not teach or work in the administration of social studies, you would not be eligible. However, please do keep an eye on our Web site, as the Summer Fellowship is an annual program and eligibility criteria can vary from year to year.


Q: How should my references submit their remarks?

A: Your references will submit their remarks through The Korea Society's online submission system. Once you submit your online application, e-mails will be sent directly to your two references, instructing them how to log-in and input their remarks. You may wish to contact your references ahead of time and let them know to be expecting an e-mail from The Korea Society. Your application will not be reviewed unless we receive both references by the deadline. We highly encourage applicants to submit their applications as early as possible and notify their references accordingly.


Q: If I am selected to participate, what does the Summer Fellowship trip pay for? Will I be responsible for any expenses?

A: If you are selected to participate, the Summer Fellowship will pay for your 1) round-trip international airfare between a major U.S. gateway airport (Chicago, Los Angeles or New York) and Seoul; 2) all travel, lodging, meal and program costs in Korea. Fellows will be responsible for paying for travel between their homes and the major U.S. gateway airport of their choice, as well as incidental expenses in Korea, such as snacks and souvenirs.

A: The Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies program does not directly offer academic or CEU credits. However, upon completion of the course, The Korea Society can provide a letter describing the fellowship program in depth and attesting to your participation. Your academic institution or board of education can decide whether to accept this for credit.

A: There is no requirement that fellows be U.S. citizens. U.S. permanent residents are also eligible to participate.

A: American citizens may visit Korea for up to thirty days without a special visa. A passport is required.

A: We are looking for social-studies lesson plans, aimed at middle and/or high school students, aimed at teaching the history and/or culture of Korea or East Asia. These should be lesson plans you have already written, not outlines of the lesson plans we will be asking participants to write after the fellowship.

A: The sample lesson plans are the only elements of the application that can be uploaded. The résumé must be inputted into the application text box. We suggest applicants prepare the necessary materials in a Word file and copy and paste them into the application.

A: Though there will be time to conduct individual research, there is little free time built into the itinerary. After the fellowship program ends, fellows are welcome to stay in Korea (paying their own lodging, food and other expenses) and The Korea Society will provide for a return ticket to the U.S. on or near a date of their choosing.

"This experience was very fascinating; the chance to sit down in the male quarter of a Confucian elder's house, as a woman, was a rare one indeed. The village elder...spoke about Neo-Confucianism, explaining how, inspired by Buddhism and Taoism, it deals with cosmological issues without being theistic. When asked if everyone in Korea is Confucian, he answered in the affirmative."

-Jennifer A. Suker

“The summer fellowship in Korean Studies was an intense experience that profoundly affected me on many levels. I reveled in the constant barrage of sensations—new sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile experiences that made each day an adventure. The reading list which we each received before departure will become an invaluable guide over the next several months as I process all of the information and integrate the experiences into my professional life as a teacher. I owe an immeasurable debt to the Korea Society for choosing me as one of its twenty educators for the 2009 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies. It was an honor to be chosen for such a great adventure. I owe thanks as well to the Korea Foundation and the Freeman Foundation for their overwhelmingly generous financial and logistical support that made the fellowship possible.”

Seton Catholic Central High School
Binghamton, NY



"[The 2008 Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies] was one of the most important experiences in my 25-year training as an educator. I found the lectures, field trips and day-to-day experiences invaluable...Both the lectures and traveling gave an incredible boost to my performance in the classroom. I went from someone who had a vague sense of Korean history and culture to someone with a hunger for more information about Korea...Most importantly, I have included two new novels, a collection of poetry and two films that I discovered while involved in the program to my Asian Literature in Translation honors class...My classroom and my appreciation of such a vital country were  immensely enhanced by [this] experience."

- Richard Lyle Sandler
John Burroughs School
Saint Louis, MO



"I teach high needs inner-city students who require so much more than any textbook can offer. This amazing tour afforded me the opportunity to grow as a teacher and learn about South Korea in a manner that would be impossible without visiting the country...there were multiple highlights throughout the trip but the day that stands out in my memory like a beacon was the second day when we visited the Sangdosonwon temple. While I have taught Buddhism for years, I was unprepared for the incredible experience that I was about to experience. Our guide walked us through the basic Buddhist teachings and prayer methods...Then we met the head monk of the temple, Mi San. For the next two hours he spoke to us. He told us about the role of Buddhism in his life, about the goals of Buddhism and how to incorporate Buddhist teachings/concepts into our lives regardless of our religion...This year when I taught my students Buddhism, I incorporated all that I learned during my trip and in particular the temple stay."

-Christine Fryer

New York, NY



"The 2007 Korea Society Summer Fellowship in Korean Studies has made a lasting positive difference in my school district's curriculum development program as well as in my professional and personal growth. The summer fellowship gave me and my colleagues not only the opportunity to experience the dynamism of Korean society, past and present, but to understand the crucial role that Korea has played in the movement of ideas across Asia and more recently throughout the world."

-David J. Sheehan
Watertown Public Schools
Watertown, NY



" The fellowship provided an unusually rich academic experience, comparable to an NEH or Gilder-Lehrman seminar. It was academically rigorous, led by congenial individuals with broad expertise, and made effective educational use of a variety of sites and sources. Not the least of its virtues was its flexibility. The trip's organizers were constantly revising the agenda to take advantage of opportunities to enhance the experience, most significantly the additions of the daytrip to Kaesong. The program has made a major difference in how Asian history is taught at [at my school] and I hope to develop [additional] materials for use in the lower grades. I have also drawn on my experiences while participating in other events related to international education. At every one, I heartily recommend the Korean Studies programs to other teachers and administrators."

-Fred A. Bjornstad
Moorestown High School
Moorestown, NJ

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Fellowship Pictures (BACK TO TOP)

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Application Checklist (BACK TO TOP)

Thank you for your interest in The Korea Society's 2010 Summer Fellowship Program in Korean Studies. We applaud your decision to explore Korean culture, language, and history in depth. Please note that this summer's fellowship will visit Korea in two separate groups, the first from June 24 to July 7, and the second from July 8 to July 21. When applying, please be sure to indicate which dates you prefer to travel.

• ♦ Personal information (name, address, etc.)

• ♦ Professional information (school, school address, number of years employed, etc.)

• ♦ Supporting documentation:

  • ◊ Duties: A list of duties, such as titles of courses taught and/or extra duties such as textbook writing or editing, workshop presentations, service as a mentor teacher, etc. (2000 character maximum)

  • ◊ Current Résumé: Educational background, employment history, and all relevant experience. (4000 character maximum)

  • ◊ Sample lesson plan, or summaries of written work on Korea or Asia. (PDF or .doc, 5 MB limit)

  • ◊ Statement of research objectives: Include the topic of the post-fellowship lesson plan you intend to write and information about research you plan to do on that topic while in Korea.  (3500 character maximum)

  • ◊ Educational action plan: A statement that provides specifics on how you will share what you learn on the fellowship with students and colleagues when you return. (3500 character maximum)

  • ◊ Two professional references: Include names, addresses, and email addresses of your immediate supervisor and one additional reference who can attest to your effectiveness with students. Once we receive this information, we will contact your references directly through email, and ask them to submit their comments through the Web. These comments must be made through our Web site by the application deadline of March 24, 2010. Therefore, we highly recommend you to begin your application as soon as possible, to afford your references ample time to log-in and input their remarks.

Thank you for applying to the 2010 Summer Fellowship Program in Korean Studies.

NOTE!
Once again, we strongly suggest you prepare and compose all required text prior to starting the application so that you can just copy & paste it into the website.
The online application will not allow you to save or print any part of the application