Orientation
December 2, 2004

Project Bridge's first meeting of the year included student introductions, icebreaker exercises, role-playing activities and information regarding the program's activities and requirements. The students shared Korean snacks while they were getting to know each other. Although initially shy, the students began to share their thoughts about the program as they became better acquainted. The meeting also included an introduction to basic Korean phrases and a discussion about how to behave as an American abroad.

Workshop 1
December 16, 2004

The Korea Society's chairman and president, Ambassador Donald P. Gregg, who started Project Bridge, began the workshop with a brief account of Project Bridge's 12-year history. He then asked the students to introduce themselves, describe their interests and state their reasons for taking part in Project Bridge. Gregg then talked about his hopes for the program and shared many stories about his experiences as an American living abroad. He also shared his insights on the future role the United States in Korea.

Workshop 2
January 6, 2005

This workshop introduced the participants to the 1992 Los Angeles riots, a racially-fueled episode that became central to the identity of many Korean Americans. Participants were assigned several articles to read for this session, including actual news coverage from 1992 and a retrospective article from 2002. Sa-I-Gu (4.29, a reference to the date the riots began), a documentary by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, was shown during the meeting. Sa-I-Gu covers the immediate repercussions of the L.A. riots on Korean American women in the Los Angeles area.

Workshop 3: Retreat 
January 28-30, 2005

This year's retreat was held at YMCA Camp Bernie in northeastern New Jersey. On Saturday, Fred Carriere, Homer Williams and Shin-hark Suk arrived to deliver guest lectures. Suk began the session with a Korean language lesson. Participants learned the Korean alphabet and how to read and write basic words. They then learned a Korean song, "Springtime in My Hometown," which they practiced so they would have a song to sing during the study tour. During the next session, Carriere outlined the evolution and current status of relations between the U.S., North Korea and South Korea. Participants also learned about the goals of the six countries in the Six-Party Talks and areas of current media interest in North Korea. Williams gave the participants an overview of Korean history.

Workshop 4
February 17, 2005

This workshop covered examples of traditional Korean architecture drawn from sites the participants would be visiting. The group watched a slide show on the architecture of Kyongbok palace, Changdok palace, Haein temple, Sokkuram grotto and Pulguk Temple. There was also a focus on traditional features of Korean architecture, such as the ondol heating system, geomancy, Buddhist symbolism and the influence of modernization.

Workshop 5
March 3, 2005

This workshop was a follow up to the Sa-I-Gu workshop in January. Charles Kim, from the Korean American Center in Los Angeles, visited The Korea Society to speak to the group. Mr. Kim began with an outline of the Korean American community before the 1992 riots, describing the social and economic characteristics of the recent immigrants who made up most of the community. He also noted the strained and uncommunicative relationship between Korean American and African American communities, which he identified as one of the significant causes for the disturbance.

Workshop 6
March 17, 2005

Storyteller Cathy Spagnioli presented her experiences as a storyteller and spoke about her participation in The Korea Society's fellowship program. After sharing international folktales from Korea, India and Japan, she explained how she came to learn Korean folktales and showed a variety of props acquired during her travels to different countries. She also encouraged students to keep an open mind while in Korea by explaining how her relationship with Korea had evolved. After Spagnioli's presentation, the participants told the stories they had prepared for the meeting. The stories they shared gave them a chance to learn more about each other.

Workshop 7
March 31, 2005

The goal of this workshop was to prepare participants for the logistical aspects of the study tour to Korea. Group members discussed what to expect during their home stay with a Korean family. The group also was told about the differences with regard to exams and expectations between the United States' and Korean education systems. They learned about the impressions that Koreans sometimes have of Americans and what degree of influence they could reasonably expect to have on the Koreans they would meet. Finally the group discussed what they hoped to learn from the study tour.

Workshop 8
April 14, 2005

This was the first opportunity for the entire staff of The Korea Society to meet the Project Bridge participants. The meeting started with a brief introduction from Ambassador Gregg, followed by introductions from The Korea Society staff and Project Bridge participants. The workshop gave the staff a chance to get to know the participants. Following the introductions, everyone had a Korean meal, giving the participants more time to socialize in a business-like setting. The participants also learned more about The Korea Society's work.

Parent Information Session
April 16, 2005

Project Bridge participants and their parents came to The Korea Society to learn more about the study tour. The Korea Society's vice president and executive director, Fred Carriere, spoke about the Project Bridge program and The Korea Society's goals for it. Following Carriere's presentation there was a review of the itinerary of the study tour, including a question and answer session with parents where they aired their concerns about the trip.

2004 - 2005 Project Bridge Study Tour 
April 21 - May 1, 2005

Workshop 9
May 16, 2005

This was the first post-study tour meeting for the group. Participants had been back in New York for more than two weeks. During the meeting, they discussed their thoughts and experiences since their return. Discussion began with the reactions of their families and schools. Many participants had given class presentations and had spoken at school assemblies to share their experiences with their classmates. Many had also shared their photos and memorabilia from Korea with their families. The students also commented on their new perspectives of people, the world and New York. Many wished they could return to Korea, as they missed the country, people and unique experiences they had encountered on a regular basis during their stay.

Workshop 10
May 26, 2005

This workshop was spent preparing for the group's final presentation. Participants decided who would present on each specific topic; many had difficulty limiting the breadth of their subject. The coordinators and group leader prepared a slide show of the participants' photographs.

Final Presentation
June 2, 2005

Participants gave their final presentation on their experiences in Korea. The presentation started with a pop quiz and was followed by individual presentations. Topics included Korea’s technology and accommodations, Banpo High School and the home stay, Seoul city tour, the Haja center, the Demilitarized Zone, the Korean Folk Village, Tongdo temple, Jagalchi fish market, Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Motor Company, Kyongju (including Pulguk temple and Sokkuram), Pohang Iron and Steel Company, the National Assembly, Korea International Trade Association, the Institute for Research of Royal Cuisine, Changdok palace and the Museum of Modern Art. Guests included participants’ families, classmates, teachers, mentors and Project Bridge alumni/ae. The presentation concluded with a slide show and a question and answer session.