This summer, Southern Utah University hosts 16 students from Korea who attend the Gongju National University of Education. These students, in collaboration with SUU students and staff, are running free summer camps to help Cedar City youth ages 8–15 discover how education speaks across cultures and describes the world.
“Small towns don’t have the same luxury of larger cities to be exposed to many different cultures,” said Johnny Oh, SUU director of global collaboration. “These camps provide a chance for local children to learn how to work with someone different than them. It opens their minds to new possibilities and is a valuable lesson to both the Cedar City and Korean students.”
The camps include workshops on math, science, art, and physical fitness. The first camp was held July 5–15 and saw 40 local students participate from many surrounding schools including South Elementary School, Iron Springs Elementary, and East Elementary School.
Cason Blodgett, a local fourth grader from Iron Springs Elementary School, said he was surprised to find out Koreans like many of the same things he does, like Pokémon, even though they’re from the other side of the world.
Monica, a student from Kongju National University of Education, explained that Korean classes are lecture-based and have little class participation.
“I was really impressed by how many children participate in class,” said Monica. “When I become a teacher in Korea, I want to encourage my students to actively engage in class so they can be more involved in the lesson.”
The last free summer camp starts July 25 and runs until Aug. 4. For more information or to register, contact Johnny Oh at oh@suu.edu or (435) 865-8198.
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