In March 2025, Nicole and her students at New England College embarked on an educational tour in South Korea, exploring Korean culture and history. We caught up with Nicole to find out more about more about their school trip, their learning goals for their Korea visit, and how The Learning Adventure helped them plan an unforgettable learning experience.
What were your motivations for taking your students on this trip?
The trip was associated with a course called “Storytelling as Research,” which focuses on narrative writing, qualitative research, and the importance of telling one’s story. In the course, we read Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, which tells the story of Shin Dong Hyuk, one of the only men known to have been born in a North Korean prison camp and escaped. Since we cannot go to North Korea, we wanted to travel to South Korea to experience the culture and learn more about the North Korean refugee experience. We were also interested in learning other important narratives, such as those of the Japanese Comfort Women.
What made you choose to travel with The Learning Adventure?
I had not used The Learning Adventure in the past, but it was one of the only groups offering trips to South Korea. After speaking with the planning agents, I was pleased to learn that TLA uses local guides (at no extra cost) and was happy to create an itinerary that fit exactly what I wanted.
We went back and forth several times to find experiences, foods, museums, etc. that would fit with course objectives, while also fitting into the budget I was working with.
What were the top highlights of the trip for your students?
Korean culture, or K-Culture as the national museum referred to it, has spread globally with the popularity of Squid Game and other Korean dramas. The students were really excited to experience the culture for themselves, particularly the foods. In my 20s, I lived in Korea and moved there having no idea of the foods that were eaten. My students, in contrast, were excitedly eating tonghulu, sugared fruit on a stick, and tteokbokki, rice cakes in spicy sauce. There were so many more things they anticipated being able to eat and experience than I had when I moved to South Korea in 2008.
They had an idea of what a norae bang (singing room) was and were shocked when the first bus we took was a norae bus. They had a lot of expectations before we arrived, and those expectations were largely met. So, while my highlights were the museums and educational experiences, just being in South Korea and seeing in person what they’ve watched on their televisions seemed to be highlight for them.
What were your top highlights as a teacher?
One of the best experiences was our interview with a North Korean defector, which was facilitated and translated by our Korean-speaking guide. The course focuses on qualitative research techniques, such as interview, so students were able to put their new skills to work. Being able to speak with someone who had firsthand knowledge of life in North Korea, as well as the journey one must take to get out of that regime, was life-changing for students who frequently take their own birthright privileges for granted.
One student asked her, “With all of the technological differences in South Korea, what is the one thing that shocked you the most when you arrived?” The student was expecting a response about the lights of Seoul or access to the internet, but the North Korean refugee responded, “Actually, the technology didn’t really interest me… I just couldn’t believe that I could read any book I wanted. In North Korea, we could only read what was given to us. So now, I spend a lot of my time just reading.” (Quotes transcribed from recorded interview.) This interview was essential to the students’ positive experience.
How do you feel this trip has helped shape the students’ global perspectives and understanding of the world?
I brought undergraduate students, most of whom had never been out of the country. When we returned, they all described the experience as life-changing and expressed an interest in continued global travel.
Additionally, students were instructed to observe Korean culture to identify something they wanted to investigate further once we returned home. Each student chose a different focus; some examples include the differences in processed foods and body weight, understanding the Korean education system, and post-partum support and paid family leave. After exploring the topic by finding reputable sources, students used their qualitative research techniques to compare the topic at a global and local level.
So, for example, the student who researched post-partum support found that Korean mothers frequently choose to move from the hospital to a Sanhujoriwon, which offers specialized care for newborns and mothers; it’s essentially a two-week stay to learn how to care for your baby and to allow the mother to rest through the night while nurses care for their newborns.
Conversely, new mothers in the US are often sent home within 48 hours of giving birth. The student conducted a survey to determine if the lack of support for new mothers is one factor contributing to lower birth rates in the US. Creating a project that asked students to investigate a topic on the global level has widened the students’ global perspectives.
How did your local Adventure Leader enrich your trip?
Our local leader was very knowledgeable on Korean history and culture, and in the areas where she didn’t feel as knowledgeable, she arranged for additional tour guides that were. We really appreciated her willingness to explain more and answer questions.
Would you book with The Learning Adventure again and why?
Having traveled with other companies in the past, I can say that I will book again with TLA because I was better able to curate the experience and connect it directly to my learning objectives than with other companies. In addition, we had the services of a 24-hour guide without having to pay an extra fee, which I have not encountered with other companies. I think TLA did a fantastic job of creating the exact experience I was hoping for my students within the budget and time constraints.
If you’d like to learn more about our educational tours in South Korea, you can view our standard itineraries here. Alternatively, you can reach out to our team by form, phone, or email.
This post is courtesy of:
