This immersive summer program takes you to South Korea for a transformative 21-day journey exploring peacebuilding, human rights, and contemporary Korean culture. Departing from Los Angeles in mid-July, you'll spend your time in Seoul, the DMZ, Dochodo Island, and a Buddhist temple, all while living with a homestay family for nine days—a core component that deepens your language skills and cultural understanding.

You'll begin with pre-departure orientation in the U.S., where you'll meet your cohort and experienced group leaders, then travel to South Korea for in-country orientation in Seoul. Here, you'll visit historically significant sites like 14th-century Joseon Dynasty royal palaces, explore the poignant Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) including infiltration tunnels and observation decks overlooking North Korea, and participate in hands-on peacebuilding workshops that examine conflict analysis, colonization, and the peninsula's division. You'll take basic Korean language classes emphasizing practical communication skills, experience contemporary Korean culture through K-pop dance classes in the breakdancing capital of the world, and visit cutting-edge media installations like HiKR GROUND.

The program alternates between group-based and immersive experiences. You'll travel to Dochodo Island for ecological and cultural immersion, where you'll engage in coastal cleanup and other community service projects, learn traditional fishing and salt farming techniques, participate in eco-peace workshops, and collaborate with Korean youth through sports and cultural exchange. Then comes your Buddhist temple stay, where you'll live and meditate with monks, learn about Buddhist religious traditions, participate in bowing ceremonies and lotus lantern-making, and engage in tea ceremonies—all while reflecting on religion's role in conflict and peacebuilding.

The homestay component—days 13-19—is where you'll truly experience daily Korean life. You'll participate in your host family's routines, explore your neighborhood, attend youth cultural exchange activities including robotics and coding workshops, experience traditional hanbok (Korean dress) at Gyeongbok Palace, and complete a community service project alongside Korean students. Throughout, you'll interact directly with Korean youth to discuss peace on the peninsula, share perspectives on K-culture and reunification, and engage with local activists and human rights advocates.

The program emphasizes experiential, cohort-based learning designed to build technical skills (Korean language, community service certification) and interpersonal skills (intercultural communication, problem-solving, adaptability, relationship-building). You'll return to Seoul for final reflections with your group and depart with a community service certificate. Be prepared for high summer temperatures and humidity, lots of walking through urban Seoul, modest and culturally appropriate clothing, and a meat-heavy cuisine (though Buddhist temple meals are typically vegan). The program is led by experienced facilitators like Yonghan Kim, who has organized over 200 youth projects on intercultural understanding, and past group leaders like Bekah Rocak, a Chinese adoptee and ethnic studies graduate with lived experience in Seoul. All students receive dedicated support for LGBTQ+ concerns and other identity-related questions, ensuring a safe learning environment.