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Page 6 of 7
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Orientation
December 15, 2005
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| At the first Project Bridge session of the 2005-2006 program, the eight selected New York students participated in introductions, icebreaker exercises and role-playing games all designed to allow them to get to know one another and get them comfortable working as a group. The group met its New York leader in the process, Christine Fryer, a law and social studies teacher at Louis D. Brandeis High School in Manhattan. Once the ice was broken, Project Bridge coordinator Rebecca Brabant talked to the group about expectations and the schedule for the Project Bridge program. The group also got a taste of Korean culture by trying several Korean snacks and learning several Korean phrases. |
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Workshop 1
January 12, 2006
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| This workshop introduced the students to the Los Angeles riots of April 1992. Prior to this workshop the participants were given several articles to read, including news coverage from 1992 and an autobiographical account of a Korean American who witnessed the events. The documentary Sa-I-Gu, by Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, was shown during the meeting. The documentary covers the immediate repercussions of the LA riots on Korean American women in the Los Angeles area. Participants discussed the effect the Los Angeles incident had on Korean Americans and reflected on how this may have affected individuals immigrating to the United States. Many of the students expressed surprise in learning about this event, as many had never heard of the incident. This first workshop gave the students an opportunity to explore new ideas about conflict and to share their views with the group. For a homework assignment the students were asked to interview someone who had immigrated to the United States. |
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Workshop 2
January 19, 2006
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Christine Fryer, an educator from Louis D. Brandeis High School and the 2006 New York Project Bridge Group Leader, prepared short reading assignments and moderated a discussion on the topics of race and diversity. Readings included selections from, Race and Membership in American History: The Eugenics Movement, Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-Blind Society and A Puerto Rican in New York and Other Sketches. To spur discussion, students were given a questionnaire that allowed them to explore their own concepts of race and identity.
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Workshop 3
February 2, 2006
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At the third workshop, the students were introduced to Ambassador Donald P. Gregg, president and chairman of The Korea Society, who recounted the history of the Project Bridge program back through its founding as an attempt to build intercultural understanding after the divisive 1992 riots in Los Angeles.
Ambassador Gregg asked the students to share their motives for taking part in Project Bridge and what they hoped to take away from the program. Gregg then discussed important lessons from his years of being an American abroad. He also discussed the changing regional dynamics of Northeast Asia and the current and future role of the U.S. on the Korean Peninsula.
Following their session with Ambassador Gregg, the students, led by group leader Christine Fryer, continued the discussion among themselves. Participants were inspired by the depth of Ambassador Gregg's overseas experience. They discussed their early impressions of Project Bridge and Korea.
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Workshop 4
February 17, 2006
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| The fourth Project Bridge workshop was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This workshop introduced participants to the traditions and influences of Korean art. Soyoung Lee, assistant curator in the Department of Asian Art at the museum, led the student group through the Asian Art gallery, highlighting artifacts relating to Korea. Lee’s lecture included religious influences on Korean art and architecture from Buddhism, Confucianism and Shamanism. The gallery featured decorative objects and religious statues. Lee explained the historical background and distinctly Korean features or the art, as well locations in Korea where further examples might be found. |
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Workshop 5
March 2, 2006
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| This workshop was a follow-up to Workshop 1, as students were asked to present their first-hand research on and interviews with American immigrants. The interviewees the students selected ranged from classmates to family friends, and their conclusions were equally varied. All paralleled the experiences of their interviewees to that of the Korean Americans from the documentary Sa-I-Gu and the autobiographical article of a Korean American’s journey from Korea to the United States. The students were also assigned to read a book relating to race and diversity and respond to a series of written questions. |
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Workshop 6
March 11, 2006
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Guest lecturer Heinz Insu Fenkl, from State University of New York at New Paltz, joined the group for a Saturday afternoon meeting and discussion. The lecture included a presentation of selected Korean folktales and a discussion on the importance of folktales in interpreting culture. Professor Fenkl also offered insight into his personal experience growing in Korea, the hobbies modern Korean youth and the differences and similarities of American and Korean cultures.
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Workshop 7
March 16, 2006
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| In Workshop 7, students were given the option of selecting one of nine books to read and evaluate. At this session, each delivered their book report. Project Bridge participants chose a book and responded to questions on the work’s social relevance, its protagonist’s primary conflict and what impact culture has on the individual. The book list included Chang Rae Lee’s Native Speaker, Helie Lee’s Still Life With Rice, Danzy Senna’s Caucasia, Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things, James Baldwin’s Another Country, Sherman Alexie’s Indian Killer, Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner, Paule Marshall’s Brown Girl, Brownstones and Zadie Smith’s White Teeth: A Novel. Each student’s presentation offered a summary of the book, explanations of the book’s importance and how it impacted its reader’s sense of identity and culture. |
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Workshop 8: Retreat
April 24-26, 2006
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Each year, Project Bridge participants take part in a two-night, three-day retreat in order to learn more about Korea and one another. This year's retreat was held at YMCA Camp Bernie in northeastern New Jersey.
The retreat's lecture sessions began on Saturday, when guest speaker Shin Hark Suk arrived to deliver an intensive Korean language course. Suk taught the students the Korean alphabet and how to read and write a set of important hangul words. The students also learned the lyrics and rhythm to "Springtime in My Hometown," a Korean folksong they would be required to sing for their hosts during the study tour.
At the next lecture session, students listened to Frederick Carriere, vice president and executive director of The Korea Society, speak on the complex relationship between the United States, South Korea and North Korea. Carriere briefed the students on the North Korean nuclear issues that have garnered so much media attention, as well as attempts to negotiate the situation at the Six-Party Talks. Carriere was followed by Homer Williams, who delivered an overview of Korean history through the twentieth century.
The information was a lot for the students to process. Many were surprised to learn of Korea's important role in developing the printing press. Following the lecture sessions, the students discussed what they had learned and gave presentations on particular Korean research topics they would come across on the study tour. Topics included Korean cuisine, folktales, education, religion, dance and music as well as special Korean sites like Namsan, Changdok Palace and Kyongbok Palace.
The balance of the retreat was spent on recreational activities and team building exercises.
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Workshop 9
April 6, 2006
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An important part of preparing for the Project Bridge study tour is learning appropriate etiquette for formal events with sponsor representatives in Korea. This year, the participants attended a dinner with The Korea Society staff in order to rehearse these skills as well as learn about the Society's mission and programs.
The dinner was opened by brief remarks from Ambassador Gregg, following which the participants introduced themselves to the staff. The two groups mingled freely over Korean cuisine.
After dinner, the Project Bridge group met among themselves to discuss their impressions of the staff and the Society. All enjoyed the interaction and expressed a desire to attend further such meetings.
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Parent Information Session
April 8, 2006
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Project Bridge students arrived at The Korea Society for this meeting with their parents in tow. This session was designed to give parents a better sense of the program and a chance ask any questions they had about the study tour. The Korea Society vice president and executive director Fred Carriere spoke about the Project Bridge program and its goals. Study tour itineraries, a face book with biographies of all participants and a suggested packing list were handed out and the evening was concluded with a question and answer session.
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2005 - 2006 Project Bridge Study Tour
April 11 - April 23, 2006
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April 13
Arrival in Korea
Orientation with Fulbright Commission
Homestay with Ban-po High School students
April 14
Seoul Metropolitan Government tour of Seoul
Informational meeting with Korean Stock Dealers Association Representatives
April 15
Visit to National Assembly
Briefing by American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
April 16
Visit Korean Folk Village, Minsokchon
Travel to Busan
April 17
Visit Tongdosa
Learn Korean Traditional Masked Dance
Visit Busan Sites including Haeundae Beach and Jagalchi Fish Market
April 18
Depart for Ulsan
Tour of Hyundai Motor Company
Tour of Hyundai Heavy Industries facilities
April 19
Visit historical sites in Gyeongju including Sokuram, Bulkuksa, Tumuli Park/Chonmachong
Lunch with the Gyeongsanbuk-do Provincial Government
April 20
Travel to Pohang
Tour POSCO Steel Works
Visit Pohang Iron Steel High School
Travel to Seoul
April 21
Visit the Demilitarized Zone
Visit Korea International Trade Association & COEX
Dinner and performance with Korea Foundation representatives
April 22
Cooking demonstration at the Institute for Research on Royal Cuisine
Visit Lee-um with audio guide
Dinner with Poongsan representative
April 23
Study tour debriefing
Depart for the United States.
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Workshop 10
May 11, 2006
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| This meeting marked the first post-study tour meeting for the group. The students shared their reflections on the study tour and talked about their readjustment to life in New York. Many students had the experience of giving class presentations and speaking at school assemblies in order to share their study tour experiences with their classmates. Many of the students families were eager to see photos and learn about Korea; Korean cuisine in particular. The students 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. The meeting concluded with the students sharing their goals for the future and talking about how those had changed because of their experiences in Korea. |
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Workshop 11
May 18, 2006
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The students spent this workshop preparing for the final presentation of the Project Bridge 2005-2006 program. Students coordinated the specific topics which they wanted to present on (they had a having difficulty limiting their presentations to just one topic.) The students also shared photographs to use in their slide show presentations.
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Final Presentation
June 1, 2006
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An audience of participants’ families, classmates, teachers, mentors, previous Project Bridge participants and Society staff gathered to hear the 2005-2006 Project Bridge participants deliver their final reports. Prior to the student presentations, Ambassador Donald Gregg gave made remarks on his impression of this year’s group and awarded the participants with certificates of completion. The students, in groups of two, then gave their final presentation on their experiences in Korea. The presentation topics included: the Demilitarized Zone, women’s roles in Korean society, environment, business, education, food and religion. The session was concluded with a student performance of the Korean folk song, “Springtime in my Hometown.”
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