Ms. Jessica Caso
Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools

“Today marks the second to last day on this life-changing trip to South Korea. I cannot thank the Borchardt Fund enough for granting me the opportunity to have this experience. Over the past week I have seen and done so much and I am absolutely thrilled that I get to take back so much knowledge to my students and colleagues at McDougle Middle School. I believe the teachers I traveled with will make so many positive changes in their communities due to their participation in this program. We have seen schools, colleges, and even a landfill. We’ve been caught in traffic and a typhoon but nothing stopped us from learning about the fascinating country we are in.

This morning I woke up excited and put on my t-shirt that said “proud museum person” because part of our group was going on an outing to the National Museum of Korea. This museum is the largest in the country and houses a vast collection of artifacts and art dating back to the prehistoric period of Korean history. At the beginning of the tour, Jackie, our guide, explained the various dynasties that have existed throughout Korean history. I was most fascinated by the Three Kingdoms period where Goreyeo, Baekjae, and Silla ruled various parts of the peninsula. I also learned that there was a fourth Kingdom called the Gaya Confederacy which I had not heard of before. Jackie explained that the gayageum, a famous cultural instrument, came from this time period. We then had time to explore the galleries on our own. I enjoyed looking at the hand carved prehistoric tools and watching a presentation about a stele made in honor of a king while sitting on a bench made from a 500 year old tree!! Next, I ventured upstairs and made a beeline for the calligraphy and paintings gallery. There, I learned about the culture of hand carved name stamps and the symbolism of the butterfly in Joseon-era art. It was often used to symbolize prosperity or rebirth. 

The most valuable experience I had in the museum was viewing all of the tactile and digital exhibitions available. Seoul seems to prioritize accessibility throughout the city such as having braille on banisters for the subway and Korea sign language interpretation during some T.V. programs. I was blown away by how many hands-on exhibits were available at the Korean National Museum. These displays benefit all visitors to truly ‘touch’ the past. These exhibits inspire me in two ways. The first is that it reminds me to incorporate more hands-on activities into my classroom as a social studies teacher. Students often request these kinds of projects and seeing these hands-on experiences reminds of their value in the classroom. The second way I am inspired is through my desire to pursue an educational technology degree. I want to learn how to improve classroom technology usage and create tools for history teachers to use to help their students experience history more directly. The museum also contained 4 different VR experiences that were reservation only. I did not get to go in but I read the brochures and was fascinated by the possibility of walking through a traditional Korean garden from the middle ages or through a painting in a virtual reality. The use of technology to enhance the visitor experience at the museum was really astounding.

We finished off the day with a lunch visit to Itaewon where I and others in the group enjoyed a delightful Turkish meal on this international shopping street. We then enjoyed a relaxing cruise along the Han river where we could see the “old” northern part of Seoul and the new Gangnam area all at once. Passengers could also enjoy live music on the lower level or feeding the seagulls sardines on the upper deck. I chose to relax and enjoy the music, the view, and a conversation with another participant about k-dramas.  Today was filled with history, technology, and relaxation. I am looking forward to what the final day of the program brings!”

Ms.Leah Downing
Haywood County

“Hi, I’m Leah Downing. I teach fourth grade in Haywood County. I am so thankful to the generosity of the James G. K. McClure Educational & Development Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina for funding this program for me and several other teachers with me. We are a delegation of 36 global teachers with the goal of bringing what we have learned back to our classrooms and communities in North Carolina.

Today we woke up back at our hotel in Seoul. Today was one of our days where we had activity options to choose from. Some of our group went on a tour of the National Museum and on a yacht cruise on the Han river. I chose to go on a hike in Bukhansan National Park. Seventeen of us rode through the Seoul city streets we have come to love in the past week. We were dropped off at a street corner and began our walk to the base of the hike. At the very beginning of the hike our guide, Esther, showed us three mountain peaks in the distance. I thought to myself “Wow, that is beautiful, but there’s no way we’re hiking all the way up there- that is so far and so high.” But indeed, it was true. We were hiking all the way to the top of the tallest peak.

We walked for a while on a small trail on the side of the road. It was steep, but we set a pace and kept moving along. After about 45 minutes of walking, we got to a Buddhist temple complex. The architecture was beautiful and the views were already breathtaking- and not just because of walking up the steep incline. We could see down through the fog into the city of Seoul. 

Once we spent some time at the temple, Esther told us to go to the bathroom one last time, because we were about to begin our journey. We all thought we had begun about an hour earlier when we started walking. We should have known then we were getting more than we had bargained for, but at that point, we were just oblivious to the climb- but also the beauty- that was ahead. 

The hike was steep from the beginning. I live right in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I spend lots of time hiking outdoors. Let me tell you, my mountains back home are not nearly as steep as the mountains here. The path seemed to be nonstop stairs. Some were man made staircases, but most were made of rocks and stones. We kept trudging along, taking breaks, drinking our water, and trying to get our quads to not give out on us. 

Our sweet Esther, who is a grandmother, was doing better than any of the rest of us. Along the way there were lookouts and this Buddhist meditation center, and some lovely kittens catching bugs. 

When we were almost to the top and drenched in sweat, there was a small building with a museum display, and some picnic benches. We stopped to take one last rest before the final ascent. Some kind hikers on their way down gave us their leftover cucumbers, quail eggs, and mixed nuts to eat along with all the snacks and water we brought along. It was at this point when we reminded Jamie that on the bus ride through town this morning, he told us he thought the hike would be easier than the hike to North Seoul tower many of us had done throughout the previous week. We won’t ever let him live that down. 

After a rest, we were ready to begin the final leg of the journey, but- as we had quickly realized at the start of the hike- we had no clue just how intense this journey would become. The last flight of stairs gave way to a sheer rock face. We were hanging on by ropes and, in places, carved hand and foot holds into the rock. 

We also learned it was love bug season in Seoul. Millions of love bugs were flying through the air as we were trying to ascent. Each time we reached to grip the rail, we would leave smooshed bugs on our palms. We finally reached the top, where bugs were swarming like I have never seen before in my life. I am originally from Florida, so I know a buggy place when I see one, this was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. You can see them flying in this picture of the flag and covering the rock. 

We all made it back down safely, quaking quads and calves carrying us through. Once we were at the bottom of the mountain we all agreed- it was much more than we bargained for, but we loved every minute of it. 

Once back at the hotel, we cleaned up and headed off to our reflection time where we were able to work on the projects we are bringing home. After reflection, I was able to meet up with a friend for a dinner of fried chicken. She lives here in Seoul and studied abroad at my college in North Carolina for a year. We haven’t seen each other in 7 years. It was so good to catch up and spend time together. We walked back to the hotel after stopping by a lovely little stream that runs through the city. 

This was a fabulous day getting to enjoy time here after working so much last week. We are soaking up every second of our last few days here.”