Welcome to 숲 속의 호수 Villagers, Parents and Guardians!
As Dean of the Korean Language Village, I would like to extend a few personal words about what you can expect from us this summer. We are thrilled to embark on our 13th summer of programming, and can guarantee that this year will be another magical summer of language learning, friendship, excitement, fun, and community building.
All of the information you need will be at your fingertips in our 2011 Welcome Packet. From our website you might be able to catch glimpses of the beautiful wooden cabins with bathrooms/shower facilities, as well as the lush trees and beautiful lake that will be part of our home this summer. From waking moment to lights-out at night, our day is full of activities, including small language-learning groups, volleyball, canoeing and swimming, soccer, archery, ethnic dance, campfires, Korean drumming, drama and movie-making, music, cooking, arts and crafts, and fishing—all in Korean! As always, I have handpicked the best qualified counselors from the USA, Canada and Korea to lead the activities and guide us through the amazing discoveries that are made on a daily basis at our village.
Now let’s talk about your arrival. You will go through “customs” once you cross the border into 숲 속의 호수 on the opening Monday of your session, between the registration hours of 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. This allows time for you to check in, get settled in you cabin and meet your cabin mates and counselors before dinner is served. Please don’t come before 2 PM, as we won’t be ready!
Be sure to have your Concordia Language Villages passport handy as you enter 숲 속의 호수. You will show it to the immigration officials (i.e., counselors), after which you will walk through your check-in stations (getting a Korean name and nametag, seeing the business manager, nurse, language-level evaluation, etc.). Once you get to your cabin, your counselor will need to go through your luggage and do a contraband search. (A list of what not to bring to camp can be found in your welcome packet). After you exchange your ‘foreign’ money for the Korean money we use exclusively on site, our staff will prepare activities until dinnertime that will give you a taste of the exciting things to come.
The Korean Language Village is unplugged! One of our goals is to create an electronics-free environment for our villagers and staff, and an opportunity for us all to take the opportunity to listen to each other or to the sounds of nature rather than devoting or attention to electronic screens. This year, too, there will be no villager access to the Internet for the duration of the village. Of course, communication with the villagers can be maintained through snail mail and via the village email that can be found in the welcome packet. Parents and relatives can be assured that they will be invited to participate ‘virtually’ through uploaded photos and video clips on our web site. As in the past, we plan on devoting a staff member solely for the purpose of taking photos and uploading them throughout our busy day so that you can stay involved in our program.
The Korean language village is an empowering place that provides powerful experiences; a great deal of learning and observation goes on in a short time. This experience is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. I assure you that our counselors, nurse and the dean are available 24 hours to assist, encourage, and guide our villagers so that we can support each other fully, learn from each other, and enjoy the most rewarding summer experience.
As always, feel free to contact me personally by email at rking@cord.edu. And don’t forget to look forward to International Day on August 12th, when we celebrate our enthusiasm for language, food and community with our fellow CLV villages!
See you in the summer of 2011!!!
Ross King
Dean
