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ON THIS TRIP:
■ Team Building ■ Lecture on Marine Life ■ High Ropes Course
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IN THIS ISSUE:
■ ■Visit by Environmentalist Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■Polynesian Cultural Center Faculty Retreat ■ Beach Activities
GCP 2016
2 0 1 6 G C P H A WA I I
From the GCP Coordinator United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon once said, “You have to take ownership and leadership of tomorrow. For that to be possible, you have to strengthen your capacity and widen your vision as a global citizen.” In pursuit of this goal, APIS students had the amazing opportunity to once again expand their world through participation in the Global Citizens Program. This year, APIS sent both middle school and high school students on an enlightening adventure to Hawaii, United States, from Feb. 28 to March 7. In Hawaii, students had many different learning opportunities, including team building, learning Polynesian culture, experiencing adventures, and raising their awareness of the world’s fragile ecosystem. Students explored Hawaii’s rich culture as well as the negative impact humanity has had on this fragile environment. I am sure that when you ask one of this year’s GCP participants about their trip, the answer will include the many fun adventures and team building experiences this Global Citizens Program excursion provided. APIS is pleased that both students and teachers enjoyed themselves. However, there was a learning component to this. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I will remember. Involve me and I will learn.” The learning that occurred on this excursion was hands-on, exploratory, reflective, inquisitive, and fun. It involved experts like Dr. Watson, an environmental expert, and was not something that could be replicated in a classroom. Student reflections reinforced to me why the Global Citizens Program is a vital component of learning at APIS. The school’s mission is to create globally enlightened citizens. This cannot solely be achieved in a classroom, via a lecture, watching a video, or reading a book. To develop tomorrow’s global leaders, APIS needs to provide opportunities to students through programs like the Global Citizens Program, where students go beyond the borders of Korea to learn service, culture, team building, adventure, and spiritual growth. For these reasons, the Global Citizens Program is a required part of an APIS education. Most importantly, the Global Citizens Program provides students the chance to have an authentic experience with global education and embrace cultural learning while creating lifelong memories with their teachers and friends. We are excited to see the tremendous personal growth our students gained through these international educational excursions, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to providing APIS students a uniquely global education.
Andrew Murphy GCP Coordinator
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GCP 2016
2 0 1 6 G C P H A WA I I
GCP TRIP SCHEDULE DATE
SCHEDULE Depart to Hawaii
Sat 2/27
Settle into campus Koko Beach Evening dinner and recreation
Team building games
Sun 2/28
Build your raft Raft trip to China Man’s Hat Hanauma Bay trip
Mon 2/29
Lecture on marine life Manoa Falls hike Hauula Loop Trail hike
Tues 3/1
Polynesian Cultural Center Evening games on campus High ropes course
Wed 3/2
Team building All day at Camp Mokule’ia Visit by Dr. Watson, environmentalist
Thur 3/3
Fri 3/4
Campus projects Learning by doing Jungle tour and horse ride at Kualoa Ranch Beach camp out (beach activities, snorkeling, etc.) Break beach camp and return to campus
Sat 3/5
Makapua Lighthouse hike Tide Pools and Blow Hole Expedition
Sun 3/6
Return to Seoul
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GCP 2016
DA I LY AC T I V I T I E S
Day 1
Day 2
Team building games
Hanauma Bay trip
Build your raft
Lecture on marine life
Raft trip to China Man’s Hat
Manoa Falls hike
The accomplishments I had made today were snorkeling and finding diverse species of underwater animals. I also was able to expand my ‌ knowledge of Hawaii.
Mei-Mei Timpson (Grade 8)
Accomplishments were not stopping while we were hiking and staying awake!
Eunice Kwak (Grade 6) 3
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Day 3
Day 4
Hauula Loop Trail hike
High ropes course
Polynesian Cultural Center
Team building
Evening games on campus
All day at Camp Mokule’ia
I finished the hiking and I thought that I was so good, and I also was very proud of myself.
Karen Kim (Grade 6)
GCP 2016
DA I LY AC T I V I T I E S
I learned a lot of things today. To be honest, I just wanted to go through the course by myself but I learned that I and my team needed each other. I felt very fulfilled and accomplished.
Aaron Kang (Grade 9)
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GCP 2016
DA I LY AC T I V I T I E S
Day 5 Visit by environmental expert Campus projects Learning by doing
Jungle tour and horse ride at Kualoa Ranch Beach camp out (beach activities, snorkeling, etc.)
Today was a detailed learning day about
Today was fun, going to see where they shot
APIS Hawaii. I enjoyed learning about the
“Jurassic World.” … Looking forward to
different types of soils and landscapes. My
camping. … Kayaking is gonna be fun, too.
favorite station from the 4 stations was the conception drawing for the empty areas. Dr. Watson said that my visual learning was a good thing so that made me feel proud. The final station gave me a lot of lessons because I found a lot of trash. I wasn’t expecting that from a grassy land. So I learned that there’s no way to hide from man-made pollution unless we put a stop to it. That gave me inspiration on reducing my trash and changing my behavior about trash.
Chris Kim (Grade 9)
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Day 6
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Kimberly Ho (Grade 7)
GCP 2016
DA I LY AC T I V I T I E S
Day 7 Break beach camp Makapua Lighthouse hike Tide Pools & Blow Hole Expedition
Hawaii is an amazing place. Every day for the past week, I recognize the magnificance of nature. How great is our God! He created the oceans and the mountains that we awe at. He shaped each fish in the sea and composed each song the birds sing. I am grateful for this reminder and I know I will remember this GCP trip always.
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GCP 2016
2 0 1 6 G C P H A WA I I
Middle and High School Trip to Hawaii By Megan Vosk & Ward Milligan
Middle school students and teachers pose for a group picture at the APIS Hawaii campus.
The middle and high school students who attended the GCP trip in February had a blast in beautiful Hawaii. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the palm trees were swaying, and the ocean was clear as crystal. The kids and teachers alike could not have asked for more perfect weather in which to experience the island of Oahu. Students were treated to a fun-filled and meaningful week packed with outdoor adventures and new experiences. They hiked, went horseback riding, completed a ropes course, snorkeled, kayaked, boogieboarded, swam, gardened, played soccer, star gazed, and learned a new game called nine-square. The most difficult part of the trip was deciding which was better — the activities that took place at the beach or those that took place in the mountains. When both settings are breathtaking, it really is hard to decide which one is best. A highlight of the trip was an evening spent camping at a state park. For many of our students, this was their first time ever spending the night in a tent. The students hung out by the beach, playing volleyball and laughing in the water until the sun went down. Then, they were treated to a feast of Korean BBQ grilled by Dr. Kim himself! Almost everyone asked for seconds. As night approached, the stars came out and the sound of the waves gently lapping on the seashore lulled everyone into a peaceful sleep; well, at least until the roosters started crowing at dawn. The students also were guided through four educational activities on the APIS Hawaii campus, exploring nature, erosion, and man’s impact on the natural environment, both positive and negative. Dr. Watson, an environmental expert from the University of Hawaii organized the event. The students prepped a vegetable garden site, experimented with different techniques to minimize erosion on the soccer field, brainstormed ideas for a landscape garden in the front yard, explored a creekbed, and conducted an archeological dig on the outskirts of the property. Along the way, they learned about the local ecology of the site and learned how to be better stewards of the land. During the exploration of the creekbed, some students found what
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Middle and High School Trip to Hawaii
GCP 2016
2 0 1 6 G C P H A WA I I
High school students and teachers arrive at the APIS Hawaii campus for the GCP trip.
Dr. Watson believed to be ancient stone tools. This prompted one of the high school boys to share the following reflection during our evening discussion time: Mankind has always left discarded waste behind. The difference is our modern-day products, unlike the stone tools of the past, contain unnatural compounds which are not easily reclaimed by our environment. His revelation: we need to be more mindful of what we produce to minimize the harmful effects of what we leave behind. This realization came from his experience of physically connecting with the ecological world and personally interacting with his peers. The experience afforded students the opportunity to reflect on the legacy they will leave behind; their environmental legacy, personal legacy, and spiritual legacy. Naomi Anno, APIS Japanese teacher, was one of the teachers who accompanied the students on the trip. She had a fantastic time. She said, “Nature is really amazing. The ocean is like an aquarium. Having the chance to snorkel among species of fish that cannot be found anywhere else in the world was one of the best experiences of my life.” She also appreciated that the GCP trip afforded her the opportunity to bond with students whom she does not teach. “Getting to know the Chinese language students was so much fun! They were all so nice and friendly!” Megan Vosk, APIS Grade 8 English and social studies teacher, agreed with Ms. Anno. “The wildlife in Hawaii is truly one of a kind. While kayaking one morning, I had the privilege of seeing a sea turtle in its natural environment. The turtle bobbed up and down next to the boat while I stared in awe and was
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GCP 2016
2 0 1 6 G C P H A WA I I
Middle and High School Trip to Hawaii reminded of the awesome beauty of creation. It was amazing.” Why send students on a GCP trip? This is a question parents, students, and faculty must ask themselves each year. Having had the pleasure of accompanying the students on this year’s GCP to Hawaii, we would sum it up in one word … experience. There is no substitute for experience. Take friendship for example. We can study about friendship, read about friendship, look at pictures about friendship, watch videos about friendship, etc., but there is no substitute for the experience of having a friend. During this GCP trip, we observed students delighting in the experience of exploring various parts of God’s creation in Hawaii. From the vast power of the ocean, the beauty and diversity found in the fish, the majestic hills, the biology, geology, and the art of creation, God reveals Himself. Romans 1:20 says: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made ... It was wonderful to observe the students become “unplugged” from their electronics and “plugged into” their environment and the people around them. The experience allowed students to make deeper and more meaningful connections with the people around them, both faculty and students. One of the boys commented during our reflection time how he thought he knew the other high school boys on the trip because he knew their names and had a few classes with them. Now, after sharing experiences and conversations with them during the week, he knows them as friends. A positive experience was had by all. Many hope to return again next year. Fingers crossed!
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EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Nicole Suh Art & Design Editor ■ Josephine Shim Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Susan Craton Writing / Editing Staff ■ Caroline Webster Writing / Editing Staff