August 3–7, 2009

Twenty-one metro New York teachers attended an intensive, five-day course on Korean history, politics, culture, geography, religion, language and literature at The Korea Society. The goal of this in-service course was to expose educators to Korea and provide them with a framework for bringing it into the classroom. All teachers successfully completed the course assignments and were awarded 3 credits from the NYC Department of Education’s After School Professional Development Program. Gari Ledyard, Sejong Professor of Korean Studies (Emeritus) at Columbia University, presented a rich overview of Korean history. John Goulde, director of the Asian studies program at Sweet Briar College, explained the religious and philosophical beliefs that shaped modern Koreans' worldview. Shin-hark Suk, a former Korean-language instructor at Queens Community College and The Korea Society, introduced the teachers to written and spoken Korean. Evans J.R. Revere, president of The Korea Society, spoke about Korea's division, its role in the Cold War and current inter-Korean politics in his lecture, “Two Koreas: Crisis and Cooperation.” Teachers also drew on the experience and knowledge of Mark Peterson, professor of Korean studies at Brigham Young University; Gail Ludwig, professor of geography at the University of Missouri-Columbia; Patricia Rosof, adjunct instructor of history at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, New York; and Daniel Levine, senior director of communications at The Korea Society. Between lectures, participants immersed themselves in Korean culture by watching the award-winning film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring, and enjoying a traditional Korean buffet lunch.