From staff reports
A talented group of scholars, educators and students will participate in USC Beaufort’s 2024 Korea-focused Fulbright-Hays Group Program Abroad. The successful applicants include two Bluffton high school teachers and two USCB students from Beaufort County.
Members of the USCB faculty, USCB students, and local K-12 educators entered a competitive application process in their quest to join the innovative South Korean and Asian Literacy Education (SKALE) project. Funded by a $161,778.27 grant from Fulbright-Hays Group Programs Abroad in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, SKALE is designed to equip local communities with cultural readiness amidst the growing South Korean influence in our region.
Applicants selected for SKALE are:
USCB Faculty: Cindy Lahar (Degree Coordinator, Psychology); Kyle Messick (Assistant Professor of Psychology); Angela Nadeau (Instructor of Psychology); Caroline Sawyer (Associate Professor of Communication Studies).
USCB Education Students: Celeste Cruz-Reyes (Elementary Education Major); Evan Calabrese (Secondary Education – English Major).
K-12 Educators – South Carolina: Elizabeth Schlieger (Beaufort County, May River High School); Mary Katherine Schramm (Beaufort County, May River High School).
K-12 Educators – Georgia: Sharon Butler (Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School); Amber Crews (Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School); Roman Czerwinski-Haro (Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School); Elizabeth Rodgers Clarke (Bryan County, Richmond Hill High School)
The South Carolina Lowcountry and Savannah, Georgia, metro area have seen a surge in South Korean cultural impact since 2022, with ongoing construction of a Hyundai EV facility at a mega site near the Port of Savannah; ongoing construction of a Korean EV battery facility near Savannah; and the relocation of the PGA Tour CJ Cup from Jeju Island, South Korea, to Conagaree Golf Club in Ridgeland. The SKALE project has emerged as a vital initiative to enhance community preparedness.
In August 2023, USCB initiated a call for participants from its internal community, seeking four faculty members specializing in global/international teaching and research, along with two sophomore or junior education students who plan to become future educators within our local community. Subsequently, in September 2023, the call extended externally to K-12 educators across Beaufort, Jasper, Chatham, Bryan, and Effingham counties, leading to an extensive two-month search and a rigorous selection process.
In October 2023, the SKALE selection committee finalized its roster. The 12 participants for the project will be led by project director Juanita (Babet) Villena-Alvarez (Assistant Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Coordinator of USCB’s International Programs), in conjunction with subject-area scholar Greg Choy (University of California, Berkeley).
Over the next 12 months, this team will delve into an immersive study of South Korean culture, language, and education. The program will include a four-week field study in South Korea, encompassing visits to destinations including Seoul and Busan, as well as to culturally significant sites.
The group will present their findings and experiences gained from the SKALE project at the Korean Cultural Studies Conference (KCSC) in October 2024, hosted on the USCB Hilton Head Island campus in collaboration with USCB’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).
This initiative stands as a testament to USCB’s commitment to fostering cultural awareness and preparedness within our communities. We eagerly look forward to witnessing the impact and outcomes of the SKALE project as it unfolds over the coming months.
