Category: Korean Studies

2021-2022 NYC PROJECT BRIDGE YOUTH AMBASSADORS

Nuzhat Anchal		Long Island City High School		Born in New York, I moved to Bangladesh at the age of 2 and my life became chaotic as I had to move back and forth between my home country and the U.S. It is also not a hidden fact that it affected my social and educational life until I came to my final destination – Queens, New York City. Studying at Long Island City High School I realized what it feels like to be in a community. Knowing that I am one of the many juniors at my school gives me a sense of belonging. It also has given me opportunities to explore and enjoy the last couple of years before adulthood. Being a dancer for 11 years, the dancing club is my safe place. I am fond of global literature. I am also the editor-in-chief of our Newspaper Club.
Matthew Bernabe		High School for Environmental Studies		I was born in Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan to Filipino immigrants and am currently a senior at the High School for Environmental Studies. Additionally, I’m a member of the National Honors Society, Secretary-General of Model U.N. and on the varsity basketball team. I am extremely passionate about international affairs, and I hope to become a U.S. ambassador in the future. History has always been my strongest subject. I have always been very passionate about learning about the cultures and traditions of others–analyzing political and social events that have molded our respective societies into what they are today. And I hope to learn plenty during my tenure as a Project Bridge Youth Ambassador.
Hidiai Baidas		Bronxdale High School		I was born in Palestine and emigrated to the U.S at the age of 5. I am currently a junior at Bronxdale High School where I participate in as many extracurriculars as I can. I firmly believe that the best way to make connections is to be compassionately engaged in your community. As part of the School Leadership Team, I represent student body concerns to the administration and help mediate issues we face. Anime, Culinary, Youth Court, and Dance are only a few of the other high school clubs with which I have been involved. Currently an area I believe fosters expressive and vibrant connections is the sustainable fashion industry. Through fashion and language we can teach each other about our cultures and encourage empathy within our communities. Project Bridge represents this very idea and through it I hope to actively apply my beliefs and learn more about what it takes to break down walls and build bridges on a whole new level.
Christopher Karundeng		Lavelle Prep Charter School		I am a senior at Lavelle Prep Charter School in Staten Island. Music is an area I have been exploring. I have played guitar for three years and have practiced harsh vocals for almost two years. Throughout high school, I have done many musical performances. I’ve maintained a high GPA throughout my academic career and am the 3rd highest ranked student in my grade. Currently my three career interests are computer science, cosmetology, and dog training. After having lived in Staten Island my whole life, I am just getting used to commuting to “the city” (in other words, Manhattan). I am excited to learn of new opportunities that I can take advantage of.
Sophia Lupton		Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering		I have grown up in Harlem for the majority of my life and believe in giving back to my community. I am a part of the Ascension Church Youth group where we volunteer at the local food pantry and homeless shelter, and I also volunteer at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital. I am a senior at Columbia Secondary School where I am a member of the CSS Green Team and School Musical as well as an art and writing contributor to the CSS literary journal. Recently I have joined the cross-country team. And, I have founded our school’s first Morse Code Club. I am honored to be a part of Project Bridge and am eager to work with the other Youth Ambassadors to not only learn more about Korean history and culture, but to rise up as leaders and teach others in our own communities about Korea as well.
Cherie Pereria		Beacon High School		Growing up in the Bronx, but being born in London to two Angolan parents, meant I have had multiple homes. As a child of three different countries my loyalties reside in more than one place. Which is why I became a co-director of the youth-led volunteering program called ReBronx. Recruiting students from all over NYC to distribute resources to the Bronx’s homeless improves my local home. And as I learn about Korea and connect to a land that is not my own through Project Bridge, I hope to foster the skills needed for my social involvement in my other two international homes. I am currently a senior at Beacon High School.
Diego Ruivola		Landmark High School		I was raised in New York and grew up in different parts of every NYC borough. While it is Brooklyn that is home to me now, I am a junior at Landmark High School in Manhattan. My family is from Ecuador and I have learned as much as possible about my country’s culture which has led me to become interested in culture as a whole. It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to join Project Bridge and learn about Korea. I enjoy doing anything for the first time and if it has wheels and an engine, I will love it even more—especially if it goes fast. I love working on vehicles and taking them apart in order to learn how they work. I plan on building a car from scratch one day.
Marjona Rustman		High School for Environmental Studies		I was born in Qarshi, Uzbekistan but grew up in Hells Kitchen in mid-Manhattan for the past 14 years. I am an outgoing and charismatic individual with an old soul who isn’t afraid of standing up for my beliefs. I currently study at the High School for Environmental Studies as a senior. After graduating, I plan to major in Business Marketing and International Relations. I have had the opportunity to do many things including interning at a Wall Street investment company, attending a six-week intensive program about our environment with ConEdison, and launching a school club to bring awareness to our generation’s social problems. During my free time, I enjoy reading young adult novels and going to art galleries around the city. While I value friendships and family, I don’t mind being alone. I live by the statement – “live so you’ll never regret.”

---

 

2023-2024 Los Angeles, Montana, and New York Youth Ambassadors at Gyeongbuk Palace in Seoul

PROJECT BRIDGE OVERVIEW

Project Bridge, whose name captures the goal of reaching across ethnic and cultural divides, aims to help young people develop insights and skills needed to “bridge” the gaps between people of divergent cultural heritages. By fostering greater intercultural awareness and understanding, it empowers the youth ambassadors to view social and cultural differences as a pathway – not a barrier – to exercise their responsibilities as emerging young leaders in an increasingly interconnected and richly diverse world while educating them on the long-standing and close relationship between the peoples of Korea and the U.S.

U.S. Partners:
The Korea Society in New York developed the program in response to the 1992 Los Angeles Uprising that erupted on April 29 (Sa-I-Gu in Korean). The first delegation of urban “Youth Ambassadors” was sent to the Republic of Korea in 1993 on a program named Kids to Korea. Early in its inception the Society partnered with Pacific Century Institute in Los Angeles to further hone and advance the program. And, 27 years later in 2019 Project Bridge welcomed a new demographic and partner, The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana in Missoula, bringing a diverse rural and Indigenous perspective to the program.

 

 

Students:
Open to junior and senior public high school students in New York and Los Angeles, and a range of students in Montana, the program attracts applications from students of different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Through a highly selective application process eight students from Los Angeles, eight students from New York and eight students from Montana are selected each year to become Youth Ambassadors.

 

Curriculum: 
The Program has evolved into an academic year-long program in which students, using Korea as a case study, cultivate their understanding of race and crosscultural relations and hone their leadership and intercultural competence skills. Students participate in bi-monthly workshops offered both in-person and virtually. They undertake a 10-day study tour to the Republic of Korea. Finally, the Program culminates in community presentations and a graduation ceremony.

Workshops: 
In the bi-monthly workshop students are introduced to a wide range of topics spanning Korean pre-modern and modern history, the Korean war, education in Korea, the arts and cuisine as well as cultural values. They explore current events, U.S. and regional relationships, and the economic factors that led to the ‘Miracle on the Han’. Additionally, they investigate race relations in the U.S., specifically the 1992 Sa-I-Gu incident, otherwise known as the Los Angeles Uprising, the impetus for creating the Program. Outside experts frequently lead lively and informative discussions both in-person with the smaller regional groups and via Zoom with the entire cohort. Students also receive Hanguel language training and etiquette coaching along with preparation for the study tour.

Study Tour: 
The ten-day spring Study Tour to Korea, a highlight of the program, provides youth ambassadors with a powerful experience to see Korea first-hand and meet Koreans in their own environment. It involves a geographic breadth of exposure to many people, activities, and places in Korea of historical and social significance.  During this all expenses paid tour students have abundant opportunities to engage with Korean high school and university students, instructors and professors, corporate leaders, government officials, Buddhist monks and many others as they travel around the country experiencing both city and rural life. Throughout the tour they gain a deeper understanding of the Korean people as well as the unique and close relationship between the U.S. and Korea.

Community Presentation: 
The Program culminates in early summer when the youth ambassadors share their newly acquired knowledge and insights about Korea with their families, friends, teachers, and the greater community. These community presentations are open to the public and precede a graduation ceremony. These Project Bridge “graduates” join an alumni group that now numbers over 400.

Sponsors: 
It is only with the expert guidance and generous hospitality of our Korean hosts and sponsors that we have been able to sustain the Project Bridge Program over these many years. Through this support the Korea Society, The Pacific Century Institute, and The Mansfield Center can work with young people to continue to “build bridges” between our two nations. The time students spend with sponsors enhances the invaluable lessons of their Korean experiences and the fond memories of Korea that will endure for a lifetime. Fore Information about Sponsors, please click HERE.

2025 Supporting Sponsors and Sites Visited by Youth Ambassadors

Corporations, Businesses, Government * Center for a Unified Korea Future * Chong Kun Dang (CKD) Kochon Education Foundation * HD Hyundai * Hyundai Motor Company * Jeonbuk International Cooperation Agency (JBICA) * Korean Air * Korea Foundation * Korea International Trade Association (KITA) * National Institute for Unification Education * POSCO * Korea IPTV Broadcasting Association * United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission Educational Institutions * Ewha Womans University (Seoul) * Jeonbuk Foreign Language High School (Gunsan) * Poongsan High School (Andong) * POSTECH University (Pohang)

Historical and Cultural Sites * COEX (Seoul) * Dosan Sewon Confucian Academy (Andong) *DMZ * Gyeongbokgung Palace (Seoul) * Gyeonggijeon Shrine (Jeonju) *Hahoe Mask Museum (Andong) *Hahoe Village (Andong) * Jeonju Handicrafts Experience Center * Korean Traditional Cultural Center (Jeonju) * Markets: Insadong, Mangwon, Mapo and               Myengdong (Seoul) * Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY group) * Pohang Space Walk * Seonunsa Temple Stay (Gochang-gun) * Tumuli Park & Daereungwon Tombs (Gyeongju)

• 
  * More information on the Los Angeles Pacific Century Institute Program
• * More information on the Missoula, Montana Mansfield Center Program
•  

 

If you want to be contacted when our next Project Bridge Youth Ambassador competition opens or if you have a question, please
click here.

---