2013 Summer Camp
The third annual Summer Camp for children of multicultural families
SEOUL, August 21, 2013 – From August 6th to 9th, Asia Society Korea Center hosted the third annual Summer Camp for children of multicultural families. Launched in 2011, the Summer Camp was created to offer the children a meaningful educational experience during the school break at no cost to the families. Providing for the children of disadvantaged multicultural families is a relatively new phenomenon in Korea, as it has not traditionally been a destination country for immigration. Through this year’s Summer Camp, twenty elementary school students had an opportunity to receive personal mentoring and nurtured their identities as global citizens. This year's educational initiative was jointly sponsored by the Lotte Foundation and Hyosung Group.
With the generous participation of the embassies of India, Japan, and the Dominican Republic in Korea, the children were able to have hands-on experiences with traditional Indian dance, Japanese culture, as well as Latin American music and dance.
Day 1
The Summer Camp began with a Global Cultural Experience at the Indian Cultural Centre. The children not only learned about Indian history and culture, but they also had a yoga workshop taught by an expert from the Indian Cultural Centre. His Excellency Vishnu Prakash, the Indian Ambassador to Korea, visited to share his insights about Indian culture with the children.
H.E. Vishnu Prakash discusses Indian culture with the Summer Camp participants on August 6, 2013.
Next, the children received a tour of the Public Information and Cultural Center of the Embassy of Japan. They had an exciting time trying on Japanese costumes, playing traditional games, and admiring a collection of colorful Japanese dolls.
The whole group takes part in a tour of the Public Information and Cultural Center of the Embassy of Japan on August 6, 2013.
The children experience Japanese culture at the Public Information and Cultural Center of the Embassy of Japan on August 6, 2013.
Of course, no camp experience is complete without outdoor games!
The children split into teams to play dodgeball on August 6, 2013.
Day 2
On the second day, the children visited the military base at Pocheon where they learned about Korea’s national security through interactive activities. They also went on a special tour at the Cheorwon Peace Observatory at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Through the binoculars placed around the Peace Observatory, they were even able to catch a glimpse of North Korean territory.
The day ended with a barbeque party on the military base where the children shared their thoughts about what they had learned about the Korean War and the nation’s history.
Military personnel pause for a group picture with the Summer Camp participants at the Pocheon base on August 7, 2013.
Day 3
The third day of Summer Camp was full of the music and dance of faraway nations. A professional dancer taught the children kathak, one of the eight styles of classical Indian dance. Later, the children learned about the history and culture of the Dominican Republic through a representative from the country’s embassy in Korea.
Professional salsa dancer, Eun-Hye Won, gives an exciting dance lesson on August 8, 2013.
Acclaimed chef Sebastiano Giangregorio shared about the rich flavors of traditional Italian cuisine and made the history of the children’s favorite foods come alive through his stories. As a parting gift, Chef Sebastiano gave each child a real chef’s hat with his autograph on it.
Chef Sebastiano Giangregorio explains the origins of Italian food on August 8, 2013.
Day 4
The last day was marked with a closing ceremony where everyone received prizes and a certificate for completing the Summer Camp. The children left with many new friends, lifelong memories, and richer dreams for their futures in a global world.
The Summer Camp participants after the closing ceremony on August 9, 2013.
Photography by Jun Michael Park and Seulgi Oh for the Asia Society Korea Center.