Cultural Exchange Between APIS Hawaii and Yumkwang High School in Seoul
(Click Here!)
In a meaningful collaboration, 14 APIS Hawaii students created Korean-language videos about their daily lives, favorite Korean foods, and landmarks, which they shared with students from Yumkwang Academy. Through this exchange, students gained a deeper understanding of the Korean language and culture while forging connections across borders. In response, Yumkwang students shared their videos, fostering a mutual understanding of cultures and daily experiences. This project expanded students’ cultural perspectives and strengthened their identities as global citizens.
Connecting Students Across Cultures: This program fosters cultural exchange and global collaboration between students from the APIS Hawaii Korean class and Yumkwang High School in Seoul. The students engage in activities that promote understanding, language learning, and communication skills. Together, they are building connections and developing the diverse abilities needed in a global society, growing into the leaders of tomorrow.
Yumkwang Academy, comprising Middle, High, and Meditech High Schools, is a Christian School founded in 1965 by Dr. Jeong-Yeol Kim, with a focus on faith-based education, performing arts, and global cultural education. APIS Seoul campus established in 2007 a close educational partnership with the neighboring Yumkwang Academy. To support North Korean refugees enrolled at Yumkwang High School in adapting to Korean society and building peer relationships, a couple of students from the APIS Seoul campus have volunteered to provide English lessons on a weekly basis since 2021. Moving forward, we will continue to cooperate educationally through various activities to implement the Lord’s teaching, “You are the light of the world and the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), which forms the foundation of Yumkwang’s education.
The educational collaboration between the APIS Hawaii Korean class (led by Ms. Emily Kim) and the Yumkwang High School English class (led by Ms. So-Yeon Joo) focuses not only on cultural exchange but also on developing the diverse skills and abilities required in a global society. This activity provides students with valuable experiences and learning opportunities, serving as a crucial stepping stone for their growth into future global leaders.
Educational Goals of the Cultural Exchange Activities
- Increasing Awareness of Cultural Identity and Diversity: The goal is for students to explore their cultural identity, share it with others, and broaden their awareness of other cultures. Through this, they will learn to understand and respect the values of diverse cultural backgrounds.
- Providing Real-Life Language Use Experience: The goal is for students to improve their practical language skills by using Korean and English in real-life situations. This will help them gain confidence in applying the languages they have learned in everyday life.
- Developing Collaboration and Teamwork Skills: Through joint projects, students will learn the importance of collaboration and gain experience in achieving larger goals through teamwork. This process will contribute to developing their problem-solving abilities and creativity.
- Cultivating Global Citizenship: The goal is for students to learn how to communicate and collaborate with people from diverse cultural backgrounds as members of the global community. This will help them develop the qualities of a global citizen and gain the ability to contribute to making a better world.