GEBG 2017 C O L L A B O R AT I V E P R O G R A M S SOUT H KORE A - COLOMB IA
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Table of Contents Guiding Principles 5 General Objectives 6 How It Works 7 South Korea 11 Colombia 18 Dates and Prices 27
“Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.� - Pablo Picasso
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Guiding Principles 1) Uphold and exemplify GEBG mission and values • Program design must target understanding of multiple perspectives and interconnected world systems. • Focus on collaborative activities and engagement with local communities.
2) Broaden opportunity set for GEBG schools • Create programing in underrepresented areas. • Focus on themes of critical importance for understanding global issues. • Ensure range of member schools are able to participate.
• Progress requires transparent and multifaceted evaluations. 5
3) No one walks alone • School leaders and Envoys staff are jointly responsible for program quality. • Students must collaborate during both preparation and travel.
General Program Objectives Students participating on any GEBG collaborative program will: • Possess a basic understanding of the people, events, and issues that constitute the sociopolitical context of their destination. • Provide a nuanced explanation of the concept of culture and how individual behaviors are impacted by communal forces. • Be able to teach others about a specific topic area relevant to their destination. • Demonstrate an understanding of the broader economic, legal, and political systems that influence livelihoods around the world.
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HOW IT WORKS School Liaison
Initial Interest
Educator Webinars
Provide materials to interested students and teachers
Discuss program elements and information in online forum
Families
Family Webinars Schedule times for parent/student participation in online forums
Research
Assist students with applications and preparatory courses
Payment and Document Submission
Complete independent research necessary for decision-making
Students
Ongoing Student Support
Application Submission
Preparatory Courses
Complete online application
Complete online coursework necessary for program
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How Teachers Are Involved We encourage faculty involvement from every GEBG school! There are two main roles that faculty can take on to assist with collaborative programming.
G E B G E D U C AT O R
G E B G T R AV E L L E A D E R
Educators provide input on curriculum, activities, and travel options during the design phase, engage with students during preparatory courses, and integrate travel program into their curriculum.
Travel leaders commit to engage in pre-trip preparations and serve as an educational leader during the travel portion of the program.
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How Students Prepare
F O U N D AT I O N A L C O U R S E S
P E E R C O L L A B O R AT I O N
Collaborations with peers focus on research projects that have specific significance for the trip. The projects culminate in videoconferenced sessions whereby all participating students engage.
Students build content knowledge through self-paced foundational courses given online. Instructors monitor progress, provide guidance, and facilitate dialogues around subject material.
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General Preparation Topics Basic Preparation
Travel Health and Safety
Building a knowledge base Students review a curated series of videos, articles, and other media relevant to the history and culture of the destination and take prove their understanding through factual and creative evaluations.
Destination Risks Students research the health risks relevant to their destinations, learn about methods to mitigate those risks, and pass assessments related to health and safety.
Developing specialized knowledge After developing the necessary background knowledge, students conduct research on topics of personal interest to share with fellow participants.
Situational Awareness Students learn about common pathways for diseases and necessary precautions to take while traveling abroad. We then cover methods to calculate risk and explore reactions to a variety of travel scenarios.
Empathy and Cross-Cultural Sensitivity Through a series of introspective and collaborative exercises, students begin the process of examining their own assumptions around culture. Students take empathy assessments and develop plans for developing their empathic abilities, both at home and abroad.
Pack Smart Students learn about best practices for packing light and traveling smart.
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S OUT H K ORE A The Cresting Wave?
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Why South Korea? A Hermit No More Far and away the per-capita leader in outbound international students, the site of the ‘Miracle on the Han’ has wide network of academic, diplomatic and economic relationships. As China’s rise continues to heighten the geographic significance of the Korean peninsula, the dense web of connections results in a true global ‘hotspot’, whereby events taking place in South Korea ripple around the world.
The Price of Development Having moved from the OECD list of recipients to donors of development aid, the Republic of Korea is a true success story of economic growth and industrialization. The country now stands as a global industrial powerhouse, known around the world for advances in shipbuilding, steelworking, and electronics. This climb, however, has created a mania for competitiveness that has given rise to elevated rates of depression, alcoholism, and suicide. As a post-industrial culture radically different than that of the United States, the exploration of South Korea is critical to understanding the true benefits and costs of economic growth.
Bellwether for Modern Asia In 2002, the Korean soap opera Winter Sonata debuted on KBS setting off a frenzy across Asia that continued unabated through to the meteoric YouTube rise of PSY’s Gangnam Style. For better or worse, the growing popularity of all things Korean, from fashion and film to music and cuisine, has made the Republic of Korea the preeminent conveyor of ‘modern Asian’ culture to the West. 12
Program Objectives ONE
TWO
What we do: Increase understanding of the key elements of the Korean development story as well as the costs to the modern society. How we do it: Our preparatory courses cover Korea’s remarkable economic journey in the post war period, focusing on the role of the chaebol in building a diversified industrial base. While in country, we engage in site visits to a selection of businesses and governmental institutions, including a tour of the massive shipyards of Hyundai Heavy Industries to see the methods by which South Korea has become a player in the globalized economy. We journey to the infamous “DMZ” and engage with North Korean refugees to gain a better perspective on how the perpetual threat of invasion from the North has influenced development in the South. Regular discussions on our observations build up to a final discussion on the ‘perfect balance’ necessary for societal well-being.
What we do: Learn about the representation, critique, and evolution of traditional values through the ongoing Korean Wave of movies, drama, music, cuisine and fashion. How we do it: During the preparatory courses, we screen different popular dramas and movies to see if we can pick out key elements that separate Korean drama from the West. We visit production studios to learn about the stories behind the creation of the famed Korean dramas and dance and interview directors and actresses on how they approach their work. Along with a variety of experiential activities involving Korean cooking, dance, and music, students engage in regular observation and analysis exercises to better understand the interplay between values and pop culture.
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THREE
What we do: Develop a better understanding of the tension between cultural traditions and the forces of modernity within South Korea. How we do it: We hike up the magnificent Bukhansan mountain for an aerial view of sprawling Seoul, witnessing the ongoing battle between development and the environment, and then tour the tour the myriad alleyways of Insadong, visiting artisans in their workshops and making our own handicrafts. This view of Seoul is contrasted by a visit the famed Gangnam district as well as the massive underground Coex Mall, where we explore the various intricacies of Korean fashion and design. To close off our journey, we experience a traditional templestay in a Buddhist temple outside of Seoul.
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Program Highlights Dialogue with North Korean Defectors We have the unique opportunity to interact with a group of North Korean defectors studying English in Seoul. Following a visit to the Demilitarized Zone, this person-to-person interaction allows for a deeper and more emotional understanding of the immense sadness surrounding the split of the Korean peninsula.
Myeongdong and Nanta Drum Performance The lively Myeongdong area provides the perfect environment to observe and experience modern Korean fashion and youth culture. After K-pop dance classes and explorations of the area, we go to the world-famous Nanta show. A non-verbal performance of traditional Korean drumming (samulnori) intermixed with lively and entertaining cooking. The show involves acrobatics, magic tricks, comedy, and pantomime, with room for participation from audience members.
Buddhist Templestay Designed to enhance the public’s understanding of Korean Buddhism, a typical temple stay program entails participation in ceremonial services and Zen meditation. Meals are taken in complete silence with no wasting of food. Students engage in an overnight stay at the temple at the close of our time in South Korea. 15
KBS Baseball Game Sports stand as one of the purest illustrations of how a populace comes together, and South Korea is no exception. We experience the unique joy of a Korean professional baseball game, replete with carefully orchestrated cheers and novel displays of fandom. Insadong and Bukcheon Hanok Village With a mixture of street vendors, art galleries, teahouses, and vegetarian restaurants, Insadong is one of Seoul’s foremost havens for the arts. The nearby Hanok Village is a carefully preserved site that allows visitors to experience the atmosphere of the Joseon Dynasty, six centuries in the past.
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Program Itinerary D AY 1
D AY 9
IN T E R NATIO N A L F LIG HTS INTO SEOUL
I NTERNATI ONAL F L IGH TS DE PART
D AY S 2 - 3 M YO G A KSA TE M P LE
Located in the foothills of Naksan mountain in the heart of Seoul, this unique temple provides space for reflection to start our journey in Korea.
D AY S 4 - 8 S E OU L
South Korea’s capital and largest city, Seoul is constantly adapting, representing the cutting edge of modernity for urban life. The density of historical sites and cultural activities as well as the varied business, academic, and entertainment venues allows us to delve deeply into what it means to be Korean today. 17
C OLOM BIA What comes after peace? Enacting social change in a post-conflict society
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Why Colombia? Peace in our Time
Gran Colombia Redux
Solving inequality is one of the key challenges for the 21st century, and thus a critical focal area for GEBG schools. Colombia’s rapid return to stability provides the perfect context to explore this theme, as systemic inequalities within the nation threaten to disturb the newfound peace. We delve into the various public and private arenas by which people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds are working together to build (and rebuild) their national identity and social contract.
Colombia was named by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2008 as one of the next generation of ‘tiger economies’, with a fast growing, diverse economy and a large population under 30. Economic growth, safety, and stability are on the rise in all corners of the country, and international visitors are joyously rediscovering the remarkable diversity and warmth of this nation. The geographic location and close political relationship to the United States ensures that Colombia will continue to rediscover its historical role as a regional leader. 19
Program Objectives ONE
TWO
What we do: Develop students understanding of what social entrepreneurship is and what it can trigger in the long term.
What we do: Increase student comprehension of the complexities behind peace education. How we do it: Students develop a basic understanding of the history of conflicts within Colombia through a series of curated videos, articles, and other media. While in country, we collaborate with local schools where students are able to have meaningful conversations with local peers and understand the context in which they lived in the past and in the present. We participate in workshops lead by local experts where the roots of the conflict are identified and the process to reach a post-conflict era is analyzed and discussed. Drawing upon these experiences, students engage in a multiparty negotiation exercise that highlights the tensions of the conflict, simulating the peace talks between the Colombian government and the illegal armed forces.
How we do it: We visit social entrepreneurs working in different sectors and with a diverse range of communities around the country and participate in their everyday operations. We facilitate students to engage in ‘behindthe-scenes’ interviews and research projects that help students get a more nuanced view of the social entrepreneurial world. At regular intervals during the program, Envoys instructors lead students through reflective activities designed to make connections between the effect of social entrepreneurship and the post-conflict development of the nation.
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THREE
What we do: Build students awareness of the challenges faced by developing countries. How we do it: We utilize preparatory courses to build a common understanding of basic needs, capabilities, and rights-based approaches to development. Students analyze the relevance of these theories around development with the real-life cases seen in the field. We visit different communities inside and outside of Cartagena and Bogotรก engaging in conversations with local leaders who explain the social, cultural and economical dynamics of the area. National and local government officials share their perspectives on the developmental challenges and their actual and future plans. At the close of the program, students are challenged to construct their own models and take a stand on how we can best ensure the well-being and inherent rights of all members of the global society. 21
Program Highlights Perspectives on Peace We engage with local teachers and students to learn about how the past history of violence impacted has impacted families and individuals. Using precepts from the Narrative Four methodology, program participants learn to retell the stories that they have heard, building a deeper empathic connection.
Delving into Non-Profit Management Compartamos con Colombia is a non-for-profit consultancy firm that advises, accompanies and gives support to allow early stage social entrepreneurs to reach self-sustainability. We partner with CCC to learn about the growth of social work in the Colombian context. Traditions in the Land of Magical Realism From near-ubiquitous cafes to the nightly salsa dances, Colombia holds a wealth of beautiful cultural traditions that both exemplify Latin America and stand alone.
Exploring Educational Innovations in Colombia In coordination with the Ministry of Education, Volunteers Colombia has brought hundreds of professionals from English-speaking countries to serve assistant English teachers in high-need areas. We work with the leadership of the organization to create a needs assessment for current projects, examining future expansion opportunities and obstacles.
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Poverty Mapping in Cartagena Cartagena is considered by many as the most beautiful city of Colombia, but also contains the largest inequality of the region. Within the city limits lie areas of high touristic affluence, historical landmarks and beautiful landscapes along with vast neighborhoods that live under the extreme poverty line. Mentorship Models for Entrepreneurs The business accelerator Endeavor works with Colombian entrepreneurs with potential to catalyze long-term economic growth in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, advertising, education, entertainment, and the environment. We work with Endeavor’s leaders and staff members to learn about how they select and mentor different entrepreneurs.
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Program Itinerary D AY 1
D AY S 8 - 1 0
IN T E R NATIO N A L F LIG HTS INTO BOGOTA
CARTAGENA
This remarkable city has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, with mazes cobbled alleyways, enormous balconies shrouded in bougainvillea, and architecture that has to be seen to be believed.
D AY S 2 - 5 B O G OTA
The capital of Colombia, Bogotรก is located in the geographic center of the country on a vast plain at 2,600 meters above sea level. With eight million people from all corners of Colombia, the city is as diverse as the entire country.
D AY 1 1 I NTERNATI ONAL F L IGH TS H OME
D AY S 6 - 7 T HE SA B A N A
The Sabana is one of the richest agricultural regions of the country with hundreds of different small towns that preserve colonial style. Traveling around the Sabana provides a unique opportunity to understand the magic behind the traditions within the rural communities. 24
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Potential Program Dates First Program
Second Program
Third Program
South Korea
June 12th-June 20th
June 27th-July 5th
July 12th-July 20th
Colombia
June 12th-June 22nd
June 27th-July 7th
July 12th-July 22nd
Prices South Korea
Traveling Student
Traveling Faculty
$2,950
$1,950
$3,250
Colombia
$2,750
Program dates and prices do not include international travel. Envoys will finalize program dates and group flights to best suit the needs of registered schools.
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Cambridge, MA 02142 One Broadway 14th Floor 1 (800) 515 6523 www.envoys.com info@envoys.com ENVOYS INTERNATIONAL Bogotá – Colombia Cra. 11B # 98-08 Of: 501 PBX: (571) 6910684 27