Naju City
News Headlines
The Challenge
Yumi Hogan, The First Lady of Maryland, wanted to help young people in Naju City, Korea learn English. Hogan, the first Korean-American First Lady in the United States. was born in Naju City and now considers Howard County her home.
The English Language Center was honored to be selected by the First Lady of Maryland to provide educational opportunities to young people in Naju City. In addition to the logistics of bringing people from overseas, developing a program tailored to the younger population, and providing a cultural experience, the English Language Center was challenged with creating a language immersion program.
The Design
The English Language Center developed a plan to offer a mix of college preparation (including tours of area colleges) and language and culture immersion. Now, every summer, 30 middle school students from Naju City, Korea, take part in an exciting, action-packed, two-week camp coordinated by Howard Community College’s English Language Center. The program was developed to promote education and cultural understanding. The camp includes daily English language classes, art, and science workshops facilitated by HCC faculty. Students experience American culture through excursions around Maryland and Washington, D.C.
The Impact
The young people of Naju City are now able to experience our nation’s capital, while learning English for two weeks each summer.