The first workshop for Project Bridge 2003-04 in New York provided an opportunity for the students, group leaders and program coordinators to get to know one another and begin to develop an awareness and appreciation for the diverse array of cultural and ethnic traditions represented in the group. The workshop also included an overview of the schedule of the program and expected outcomes.

The Los Angeles Incident of April 29, 1992, known in Korean as Sa-I-Gu, was the pivotal event that led to the establishment of the Project Bridge program. The Workshop began with a screening of Sa-I-Gu, a 1993 documentary film by the Korean-American filmmaker Dai Sil Kim-Gibson. During the discussion after the screening, the group explored the underlying causes of the Incident and its continuing relevance to the objectives of the Project Bridge program. Background reading on the state of inter-ethnic relations in Los Angeles since 1992 was assigned for a follow up workshop.

Suh Byung-Sul, a New York-based opera singer, spoke about the challenges he encountered as a recent Korean immigrant to the United States in pursuing his career. His presentation offered interesting insights into some of the cultural differences between Korea and the United States. Suh also sang selected excerpts from his repertoire for the group and discussed his views on opera.

David Ryu, a specialist on inter-ethnic relations from Los Angeles, led a discussion of the lingering aftermath of Sa-I-Gu with a focus on the underlying issues of race, discrimination and prejudice. Ryu skillfully engaged the group in a series of role-playing exercises designed to highlight the situations that give rise to inter-ethnic conflict and to suggest effective strategies for its peaceful resolution. Ryu also spoke about his work to foster better inter-ethnic relations in Los Angeles under the auspices of the 4.29 (Sa-I-Gu) Center, a project of the Korean American Coalition that was launched with the support of The Korea Society and the Martin Luther King Legacy Association.

The group spent a weekend together at Camp Bernie, a YMCA facility in Northwestern New Jersey. The program included a combination of community-building exercises, including both indoor and outdoor sports activities, a series of guided discussions on topics related to Korea, the screening of a Korean film, and a 3-hour intensive introduction to Korean language.

Each student participant gave a 15-minute oral presentation based on an independent research project. The presentations covered a diverse array of topics including the division of Korea, traditional Korean music, the history of the Korean government, Korean immigration to the United States, the modernization of Korea, religions in contemporary Korea, the Comfort Women issue, and the Korean educational system.

This workshop introduced the group to some of the day-to-day preoccupations of their peers in Korea with a specific focus on the topics of education and pop culture in Korea. HanNa Kim, a former Project Bridge coordinator, drew on her experience as an instructor at an alternative high school in Seoul to explain how its program of study differed from the course of study offered at an average Korean high school. June Mee Kim, who is a doctoral candidate in Asian American studies at Harvard University, gave a brief introduction to popular culture in South Korea. She stressed the importance of understanding why reoccurring themes exist and why there may be similarities between popular culture in Korea and popular culture in the United States.

The basic tenets of Korean Buddhism and its liturgical practices were explained by a former monk of Haein Temple, one of the premiere Buddhist monasteries in Korea. The presentation got underway with the screening of a film on Haein Temple, which gave the group their first systematic exposure to images of rural Korea. The monk also explained the importance attached in the Korean Buddhist tradition to disciplinary practices such as bowing and meditation.

The program coordinators reviewed the itinerary of the study tour, explained its ground rules and offered practical tips on logistical issues. The session ended with a refresher drill on common Korean phrases.

Two weeks after the study tour, the group reconvened at The Korea Society to reflect on their shared experiences and to prepare for their community presentation. They discussed their most memorable experiences in Korea, explained the insights they had gained about themselves, and outlined their goals for the future. The workshop ended with an evaluation session.

The community presentation was the final component of the 2003-2004 Project Bridge program. It brought to an end the group's eight-month commitment to the program. Friends, family, classmates and teachers were invited to participate in the community presentation. Each student chose one aspect of the study tour and spoke about what tit had taught them. The group took questions from the audience. The workshop came to an end with a closing ceremony in which the group leaders presented each student with a certificate of completion from The Korea Society as well as an award that reflected a unique aspect of the students' personal makeup.