JDC signs MOUs with two institutions to establish international schools in Jeju


A number of prestigious U.S. private schools, including Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Perkiomen School, are expected to discuss setting up overseas branches in Jeju.

Jeju Free International City Development Center signed memoranda of understanding with Wilbraham & Monson Academy and Perkiomen School on each campus on Jan. 18 and 19 to establish international schools at Jeju Global Education City.

JDC Chairman Byon Jong-il inked MOUs with the two schools during a visit to six schools in the U.S. The remaining four schools, all expressed high interest in JGEC and shared opinions that could lead to tangible results.

Yet more schools have also expressed a strong desire to establish a presence in Jeju.

Founded in 1804 and located in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Wilbraham & Monson Academy is a college preparatory, co-educational school for grades 6-12. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, offering 17 Advanced Placement courses.

The school is known in Korea as the alma mater of Kim Hyun-chong, the former chief trade negotiator. It runs a variety of globalization programs, including economics and finance courses, in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology to foster students into next-generation global leaders.

Perkiomen School, founded in 1875 and located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a co-educational college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 6-12.

Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Perkiomen offers 20 AP courses, English As a Second Language programs and special support programs for students who want to go on to university. It also works to help international students successfully integrate into an American educational environment.

JDC visited four elite private schools in the eastern U.S. to see whether they had an intention to set up an affiliated school in JGEC and discuss how they can enter the Korean educational market.

Meanwhile, Cheshire Academy expressed its intention to establish a presence in JGEC and to sign an MOU during a visit to Jeju on Jan. 10. It will discuss MOU schedules with the JDC after receiving approval from the school’s governing body.

Representatives from St. Johnsbury Academy visited Jeju in December 2011, toured the JGEC site, and held working-level discussions with JDC counterparts. The school said that it expects to receive approval from its governing body in late January and then conduct follow-up steps to set up a branch in Jeju. One of the notable alumni of the school is Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States.

Founded in 1759, Germantown Academy, a sister school of NLCS U.K., is located in Pennsylvania, boasting 250 years of tradition. It is one of the top U.S. private schools with all graduates advancing to four-year universities. Encouraged by the successful opening of NLCS Jeju, Germantown Academy seems set to vigorously pursue entry into JGEC.

The Hun School of Princeton, a prestigious independent college preparatory school in New Jersey, has shown a deep interest in the Jeju project. It is understood that the school’s next plans include having internal discussions, seeking approval from its governing body and visiting Jeju. The school has a high admission rate to Princeton University.

Educational institutions at home and abroad have actively looked into entry into Jeju. In particular, there have been discussions about the establishment of U.S. schools offering AP courses, which are preferred by Korean students. This suggests that the JGEC project is expected to settle in earlier than expected.

NLCS Jeju and KIS Jeju successfully opened in September last year, and construction for Branksome Hall Asia is on target to open this October.

If U.S. schools set up on Jeju, their educational programs would be mutually complementary to those of NCLS Jeju, KIS Jeju and Branksome Hall Asia, leading to more diverse curricula available to Korean and Asian students. In addition, this would help spark strong interest among Korean parents, giving considerable momentum to JDC’s education city project.


U.S. schools interested in Jeju Global Education City

1. Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MMA)

Overview

● Location: Wilbraham, Massachusetts

● Established: 1804 (established by the merger of Wilbraham Academy and Monson Academy)

● Grades: 6-12, co-educational (day & boarding school)

● Enrollment: 345

Key Features

● MMA offers the Center for Entrepreneurial & Global Studies in collaboration with MIT and local entrepreneurs.

● MMA provides AP and ESL courses.

● The student to teacher ratio is 7:1. The number of students per class is 12-15.

● Notable school alumni include Kim Hyun-chong, former chief trade negotiator and ambassador to the U.N., and Richard Fuld, CEO of Lehman Brothers.

● Some 2011 graduates advanced to Stanford, Boston, Brown and Purdue.

2. Perkiomen School

Overview

● Location: Pennsburg, Pennsylvania (165-acre campus)

● Established: 1875

● Grades: 6-12, co-educational (day & boarding school)

● Enrollment: 303

Key Features

● The student to teacher ratio is 6:1. The number of students per class averages 10.

● AP and ESL programs are offered.

● Some 2010 graduates went on to Cornell University, University of Michigan and Pennsylvania State University.

● The Bridge Program is offered to help students prepare for college and help international students adjust themselves to a new environment.

● Perkiomen’s Library was set up in 1913 with donations from Andrew Carnegie.

● The first international student to study at Perkiomen came from Korea in 1891.

3. Cheshire Academy

Overview

● Location: Cheshire, Connecticut

● Established: 1794 (tenth private academy founded in the U.S.)

● Grades: 6―12, co-educational (day & boarding school)

● Enrollment: 363 Key Features

● IB Diploma, AP and ESL programs are offered.

● The student to teacher ratio is 7:1. The number of students per class averages 12.

● The Roxbury Program, an academic support program, is offered to help students catch up and give them counsel on college entrance.

● ACCESS CHESHIRE, a four-week interdisciplinary course of study in the arts and sciences, is open to non-Cheshire students.

● Notable school alumni include J. Pierpont Morgan, industrialist, Fred Friendly, former president of CBS News, and Roberto Goizueta, CEO of Coca-Cola.

4. The Hun School of Princeton

Overview

● Location: Princeton, New Jersey

● Established: 1914

● Grades: 6―12, co-educational (day & boarding school)

● Enrollment: 595

Key Features

● Founded by Dr. John Gale Hun, a professor at Princeton University, it is located near Princeton.

● 32 percent of students receive scholarships.

● The student to teacher ratio is 7:1. The number of students per class averages 15.

● AP and ESL programs are offered.

● Qualified students have the opportunity to take classes at Princeton University.

● Some 2011 graduates advanced to Columbia University, Brown University and Dartmouth College.

● Notable alumni include Saud bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz, Saudi prince and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Ethan Hawke, an actor, and Thomas Watson, former CEO of IBM.

5. Germantown Academy

Overview

● Location: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania

● Established: 1759

● Grades: Kindergarten to Grade 12, co-educational (day school)

● Enrollment: 1,122

Key Features

● The student to teacher ratio is 8:1.

● All graduates go on to four-year universities, including Harvard, Stanford and Yale.

● Notable alumni include Frederick Taylor, management consultant and inventor of the Taylor system, and Charles Darrow, creator of the Monopoly board game.

6. St. Johnsbury Academy

Overview

● Location: St. Johnsbury, Vermont

● Established: 1842

● Grades: 9―12, co-educational (day & boarding school)

● Enrollment: 929

Key Features

● Some 2010 graduates advanced to Boston University, Purdue University and New York University.

● Notable alumni include Calvin Coolidge, a U.S. president.