2024 STUDY TOUR PARTICIPANT REFLECTIONS
Helen Kyungsun Youn
Reflecting on my recent experiences and discussions during the ESJF Study Tour, I find myself profoundly moved by the insights shared and the perspectives gained on modern Korean history and its implications for peace education.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the tour was connecting with fellow educators who are dedicated to promoting peace through curriculum development. Hearing their approaches to teaching Korean history and the significance they place on fostering understanding among students was truly inspiring. It reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education in promoting peace and reconciliation.
The impact of U.S. involvement in Korean history was another eye-opening topic of discussion. It became clear through our conversations that the U.S. has played a significant role, both historically and in the present day, shaping the course of events in Korea. This understanding is crucial for providing a balanced perspective to students, allowing them to comprehend the broader context of international relations and its effects on Korean society.
As I look ahead to the upcoming academic year, I am eager to incorporate these insights into my classroom. Collaborating with Korean immersion teachers to integrate this knowledge at appropriate grade levels will enrich our curriculum and provide students with a deeper understanding of Korean history and its implications for global peace.
The presentations and discussions moderated by South Korean participants were particularly enlightening. The emphasis on multicultural and multilingual instruction resonated deeply with me, as it highlighted the diverse educational approaches aimed at meeting the needs of all students. Learning from their experiences broadened my perspective on inclusive education practices, which I hope to integrate into my own teaching philosophy.
Reflecting on the entirety of this experience, I wholeheartedly recommend this peace study tour to my fellow teachers and administrators. The opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with educators from different backgrounds, coupled with firsthand exposure to the complexities of Korean history and its ongoing impact, is invaluable. It not only enhances professional development but also fosters a deeper commitment to promoting peace and understanding within our educational communities.
In conclusion, the peace study tour has been a transformative journey for me personally and professionally. It has reinforced my dedication to promoting peace education and equipped me with new perspectives and strategies to inspire my students. I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated and look forward to sharing these insights with my colleagues as we continue our collective efforts toward a more peaceful world.
One of the most meaningful aspects of the tour was connecting with fellow educators who are dedicated to promoting peace through curriculum development. Hearing their approaches to teaching Korean history and the significance they place on fostering understanding among students was truly inspiring. It reinforced my belief in the transformative power of education in promoting peace and reconciliation.
The impact of U.S. involvement in Korean history was another eye-opening topic of discussion. It became clear through our conversations that the U.S. has played a significant role, both historically and in the present day, shaping the course of events in Korea. This understanding is crucial for providing a balanced perspective to students, allowing them to comprehend the broader context of international relations and its effects on Korean society.
As I look ahead to the upcoming academic year, I am eager to incorporate these insights into my classroom. Collaborating with Korean immersion teachers to integrate this knowledge at appropriate grade levels will enrich our curriculum and provide students with a deeper understanding of Korean history and its implications for global peace.
The presentations and discussions moderated by South Korean participants were particularly enlightening. The emphasis on multicultural and multilingual instruction resonated deeply with me, as it highlighted the diverse educational approaches aimed at meeting the needs of all students. Learning from their experiences broadened my perspective on inclusive education practices, which I hope to integrate into my own teaching philosophy.
Reflecting on the entirety of this experience, I wholeheartedly recommend this peace study tour to my fellow teachers and administrators. The opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with educators from different backgrounds, coupled with firsthand exposure to the complexities of Korean history and its ongoing impact, is invaluable. It not only enhances professional development but also fosters a deeper commitment to promoting peace and understanding within our educational communities.
In conclusion, the peace study tour has been a transformative journey for me personally and professionally. It has reinforced my dedication to promoting peace education and equipped me with new perspectives and strategies to inspire my students. I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated and look forward to sharing these insights with my colleagues as we continue our collective efforts toward a more peaceful world.
Zachary Johnson
As I reflect on the 2024 Education for Social Justice Foundation Study Tour Peace Learned from Modern Korean History, I feel a mix of hope, intrigue, empathy, and even anger. It was an extremely enriching experience for which I feel extremely grateful. I would love to share some of the ways that this tour surprised and enlightened me.
As an undergraduate, I learned about the ways that 20th century geopolitical interests sidelined opportunities for Korean people, and especially Korean women, to achieve honest self-determination. Whether Korea was swept up into the Japanese imperial project and exploited for labor and natural resources or divided into competing spheres of influence during the Cold War between American capitalism and Soviet communism, I was intellectually aware of the stakes and challenges. But only after my first visit in 2017 did I gain an embodied, richer understanding of the ongoing divisions on the peninsula, from witnessing gas masks in subway stations in Seoul or the scale of the DMZ. Indeed, the impact of my first trip to Korea in 2017 partly inspired my decision to apply for the 2024 study tour.
Now, as a world history and U.S. history teacher, I’m deeply moved by and concerned about the enduring realities of imperialism. I strive to create learning experiences where my students can enter conversations about the causes, realities, and consequences of imperialism with the ultimate goal of having them connect past events to present problems. My students have equipped me with a mountain of evidence proving that in order to propose solutions to problems in our world today, we must have a complex understanding of the forces that create and sustain injustice.
As a study tour participant, I witnessed the extent to which U.S. interests in Korea have involved massive amounts of resources — physical, financial, social, and emotional. I saw land transformed into army bases, such as Yongsan, the size of which I could barely wrap my head around. I also saw the ramifications that imperialism — and the sexism that it intensifies and magnifies — has had on women caught in the crosshairs. Bearing witness to the violence against women around army bases in Gyeonggi compels me to conclude that day two of the study tour was the most important experience for me. I developed a profound reverence for organizations such as Durebang that work to support victims of sexual violence; hearing the stories of the victims, although painful and possibly triggering, hit me right in my heart. While I recognize I have many things to learn, I believe that the United States should work harder to mitigate and prevent such instances of oppression. In the name of democracy, sovereignty, and self-determination, it is crucial that the U.S. hold American service personnel accountable for violent acts.
I foresee incorporating much of this study tour into my professional work. I specifically hope to share with my students the absolute shock I experienced when I realized how much Korean land has been used for U.S. military interests. I am also very excited to incorporate what I learned from classroom observations at Inchang High School, such as having students enter the complicated conversation around the reality and purpose behind objects being sent across the DMZ. These observations further confirmed what I know about the value of student collaboration, and I am so grateful to teachers Jina Go and Sooyong Maeng.
I extend my deepest gratitude to the Education for Social Justice Foundation and other organizations, especially the Uijeongbu chapter of the Association of History Teachers.
As an undergraduate, I learned about the ways that 20th century geopolitical interests sidelined opportunities for Korean people, and especially Korean women, to achieve honest self-determination. Whether Korea was swept up into the Japanese imperial project and exploited for labor and natural resources or divided into competing spheres of influence during the Cold War between American capitalism and Soviet communism, I was intellectually aware of the stakes and challenges. But only after my first visit in 2017 did I gain an embodied, richer understanding of the ongoing divisions on the peninsula, from witnessing gas masks in subway stations in Seoul or the scale of the DMZ. Indeed, the impact of my first trip to Korea in 2017 partly inspired my decision to apply for the 2024 study tour.
Now, as a world history and U.S. history teacher, I’m deeply moved by and concerned about the enduring realities of imperialism. I strive to create learning experiences where my students can enter conversations about the causes, realities, and consequences of imperialism with the ultimate goal of having them connect past events to present problems. My students have equipped me with a mountain of evidence proving that in order to propose solutions to problems in our world today, we must have a complex understanding of the forces that create and sustain injustice.
As a study tour participant, I witnessed the extent to which U.S. interests in Korea have involved massive amounts of resources — physical, financial, social, and emotional. I saw land transformed into army bases, such as Yongsan, the size of which I could barely wrap my head around. I also saw the ramifications that imperialism — and the sexism that it intensifies and magnifies — has had on women caught in the crosshairs. Bearing witness to the violence against women around army bases in Gyeonggi compels me to conclude that day two of the study tour was the most important experience for me. I developed a profound reverence for organizations such as Durebang that work to support victims of sexual violence; hearing the stories of the victims, although painful and possibly triggering, hit me right in my heart. While I recognize I have many things to learn, I believe that the United States should work harder to mitigate and prevent such instances of oppression. In the name of democracy, sovereignty, and self-determination, it is crucial that the U.S. hold American service personnel accountable for violent acts.
I foresee incorporating much of this study tour into my professional work. I specifically hope to share with my students the absolute shock I experienced when I realized how much Korean land has been used for U.S. military interests. I am also very excited to incorporate what I learned from classroom observations at Inchang High School, such as having students enter the complicated conversation around the reality and purpose behind objects being sent across the DMZ. These observations further confirmed what I know about the value of student collaboration, and I am so grateful to teachers Jina Go and Sooyong Maeng.
I extend my deepest gratitude to the Education for Social Justice Foundation and other organizations, especially the Uijeongbu chapter of the Association of History Teachers.
Eunjee Kang
will be posted once submitted
will be posted once submitted
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2024 ESJF Study Tour Seminar on June 8
Session1
Sung Sohn (co-founder and executive director of the Education for Social Justice Foundation), Teaching “Comfort Women” History and Issues in California
Soonchang Moon (History teacher, Haanbuk Middle School), “Comfort Women” History Education and Continuing Work in South Korea
Session 2
Kyungsun Helen Youn (Assistant Principal, Claire Lilienthal, SFUSD), Impact of California Proposition 227 (1998) and 58 (2016) on Bilingual Programs in SFUSD
Sebyong Yoon (Kongju National University Professor), Examination of Recently Revised Korean History Education Curriculum and Teaching U.S. History through South Korean Textbooks
Session 3
Eunjee Kang (History teacher, Bohannon Middle School, SLZUSD), Korea and the World in American History-Social Studies Classrooms
Zachary Johnson (History teacher, George Washington High School, SFUSD), Modern Korean History in California Public High Schools: A Project-Based Learning Approach
Sung Sohn (co-founder and executive director of the Education for Social Justice Foundation), Teaching “Comfort Women” History and Issues in California
Soonchang Moon (History teacher, Haanbuk Middle School), “Comfort Women” History Education and Continuing Work in South Korea
Session 2
Kyungsun Helen Youn (Assistant Principal, Claire Lilienthal, SFUSD), Impact of California Proposition 227 (1998) and 58 (2016) on Bilingual Programs in SFUSD
Sebyong Yoon (Kongju National University Professor), Examination of Recently Revised Korean History Education Curriculum and Teaching U.S. History through South Korean Textbooks
Session 3
Eunjee Kang (History teacher, Bohannon Middle School, SLZUSD), Korea and the World in American History-Social Studies Classrooms
Zachary Johnson (History teacher, George Washington High School, SFUSD), Modern Korean History in California Public High Schools: A Project-Based Learning Approach
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