Westminster Marks Fifth Anniversary of Month-long Study Abroad Experience for Korean Students

This January marks the fifth anniversary of Westminster Christian Academy’s month-long Winter Camp, an enriching study abroad experience for a small group of 7th and 8th grade Korean students from Westminster’s sister school Saemmul Christian Academy in Seoul, South Korea. This year, 23 Saemmul middle school students, four faculty, and two administrators are visiting for the duration of January.

The opportunity allows Saemmul students to learn in the classroom alongside American students and teachers. Westminster families host the visiting students, faculty, and administrators, and weekend field trips provide the Saemmul students with firsthand experiences of American culture. In the coming weeks, they will visit St. Louis landmarks, including Busch Stadium, the Science Center, the City Museum, the Art Museum, and the Cathedral Basilica, in addition to a weekend trip to Chicago.

Winter Camp presents unique opportunities for both the Korean and Westminster students, who form friendships with one another during this time. Westminster’s Director of Global Partnerships Dani Butler says the experience of Winter Camp helps prepare Westminster students to make an impact in a global world. “It is not only a wonderful opportunity for the visiting Korean students, but it is also extremely beneficial for our Westminster students,” says Butler. “Fourteen families have volunteered to take on the huge commitment of hosting Korean children for four weeks so that their own children can be exposed to foreign culture here at home. It really does bring all of our families together.”