UMD News Releases

Ewha Woman's University is World's Largest Female Educational Institute

In mid-June, eight UMD Department of Education students will embark on a 28-day program of study and discovery traveling to South Korea to immerse themselves in the educational system and culture of the country.

Students Johanna Fenlon, Jacque Gulbrandson, Jessica Randol, Kendra Caywood, Melanie Olson, Pang Vang, Sonia Wadena, and Duzong Yang will travel with UMD Department of Education Associate Professor Jiyoon Yoon, to Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. Ewha Woman's University is the world's largest female educational institute, and Professor Yoon is a proud graduate.

Although the emphasis of the trip is on Koreans and Americans sharing and comparing styles of education, the students are eager to soak up everything the study trip has to offer. The group has a special interest in Korean approaches to teaching the traditional American core subjects of reading, writing, math and science.

In March 2009 President Obama cited South Korea's educational reform as a model for educational reform in this country. In recent years Korea has worked to improve the quality of their teachers and is now the second-highest scoring nation in the world in math and science.

Believing that Korea could provide fine examples of educational excellence to UMD students studying to be teachers, UMD Professor Yoon worked to set up this trip. Generous financial support was provided by LaVerne and Marvin Colness. Laverne Colness is a 1957 UMD graduate. "Without their wonderful support, this trip could not have happened," said Professor Yoon.