News Release

College, Korean school district building partnership

January 16, 2008

Two cultures and two continents became partners in education when Penn State Harrisburg and one of the largest school districts in Korea recently agreed to mutually develop a working relationship.

Penn State Harrisburg Chancellor Madlyn L. Hanes and Keun-Hyung Na, Superintendent, Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, signed a Memorandum of Understanding January 8 – the first step toward building a partnership to benefit the Korean school district, Penn State Harrisburg, and the midstate.

In the memorandum, both parties mutually agree to establish a working relationship with the “purpose of promoting friendship, cultural and educational ties, and to encourage the exchange of ideas and information between staff and students.” The agreement also states that “The exchange will benefit the current educational staff and teachers in both organizations and develop a bond of understanding and respect among the students of both countries.”

The agreement between the Korean school district and Penn State Harrisburg holds the promise of being the most encompassing in the college’s history. There have been other partnerships in the past – with a school in Mexico more than a decade ago which resulted in a student teacher exchange and a recent arrangement with a Korean University which saw students from that nation spend time on campus in 2006 studying and researching under the direction of electrical engineering faculty.

While a major focus of the agreement is to provide an opportunity for teachers from the Incheon School District to come to the capital region for educational and cultural experiences, the partnership is also aimed at benefiting Penn State Harrisburg students. Chancellor Hanes said at the agreement signing, “Students come to Penn State Harrisburg not just to learn careers and skills, but to learn about the world. I think any time you can give them exposure to the global experience it is beneficial.”

Among the initial consideration is for Penn State Harrisburg to provide education training such as English instruction, workshops, and cultural experiences for the Korean educators, including field observations in local schools.

The five-member Korean delegation visited the college for two days of meetings and off-campus visits. The discussions with college leadership included an explanation of specialized programming at Penn State Harrisburg, including its teacher training, English as a second language, American studies, and history programs. The delegation also visited Lower Dauphin and Middletown Area school districts where the Koreans sat in on classes and met with principals, teachers, and superintendents Dr. Sherri I. Smith and Dr. Richard Weinstein.

Incheon is an international seaport located in the Midwest portion of the Korean peninsula. Its population is 2.6 million and the school district consists of 750 buildings, 480,000 students, and 21,000 educators.