2026 NCTA Summer Study Tour: South Korea
Description of the Tour
We are now accepting applications from our NCTA alumni for the 2026 NCTA Study Tour to South Korea, from June 21-28, 2026. This eight-day study tour will give you valuable first-hand experiences in a country that has risen to become an economic and cultural powerhouse. The study tour will start and end in Seoul where we will have a few days to explore both the traditional and modern aspects of one of the world’s most dynamic capital cities. We will spend a night in a temple in the ancient Silla capital of Gyeongju and explore UNESCO world heritage sites in the area. In the seaside city of Busan we will explore its bustling port and seafood market. A day-trip to the DMZ will highlight the complicated history of the divided Korean peninsula. Of course we will have ample opportunities to try the Korean dishes that are sweeping the culinary world, as well as trying some foods that are less well known outside of Korea. Hopefully spending eight days in South Korea may also garner you a bit more esteem from your students who are deep into K-pop and K-dramas.
To enhance the educational impact of the trip Dr. Seung-hwan Shin (Teaching Associate Professor of Korean Studies at the University of Pittsburgh) and Dr. Patrick Hughes (NCTA at the University of Pittsburgh) will be traveling with the group, providing historical and cultural context. All participants will be given pre-trip and in-country assignments and will be required to develop post-trip teaching materials focusing on South Korea and its connection to the world. This study tour, which is managed through GEEO (https://geeo.org/) is sponsored by the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia (NCTA), University of Pittsburgh coordinating site.
To make the tour more affordable, NCTA alumni who are accepted to the study tour will receive a $2000 subsidy from NCTA, which will be applied to the tour booking with GEEO (note: the booking does not include the cost of international flights). Pitt NCTA has a limited number of additional travel subsidies to help defray some of the costs for participants who request it (the study tour application has a section to request the subsidy).
Those accepted into the study tour are also expected to participate in an online pre-departure orientation session in the Spring of 2026 and an online follow-up in the Fall of 2026 (dates TBD).
The application deadline is November 3, 2025 (applicants will be informed whether they are accepted onto the tour by no later than November 15)
For more detailed information (including the itinerary) of the tour, please visit the GEEO website at https://geeo.org/tour/nctakorea/ (NOTE: at the moment this site is ONLY for details of the tour and is NOT the application form).
For participants from Pennsylvania we are applying for Act 48 hours for professional development credit. For participants from other states we can supply a letter and/or certificate that they can submit to their school districts or administrators.
Expectations
• Applicants will familiarize themselves with all of the details of the study tour, including the itinerary, expenses, expectations, and considerations (such as food/cuisine, climate, physical challenges, lodging, and in-country transportation). These are listed on here and also on the GEEO website at: https://geeo.org/tour/nctakorea/
• Participants will commit to fully participating in all aspects of the study tour, including being an active participant during the tour itself, but also completing all assignments (readings and reports, in-country presentation), producing teaching materials based on the tour, and attending an online pre-departure orientation and an online post-tour follow-up (dates TBD).
• Participants will be forthcoming and transparent about any issues or accommodations that may impact the group and/or the successful running of the tour.
• Participants will develop teaching materials on some aspect of Korea based on their experiences on the study tour. Prior to the online pre-departure orientation (date TBD), participants will submit to the study tour leaders a general outline as to the type of teaching materials they hope to develop. The final product of these teaching materials will be shared with the NCTA for possible use as resources for other educators.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
• Applicants must be NCTA Alumni in good standing, having successfully completed all of the requirements of the standard 36-hour NCTA Seminar from Pitt NCTA’s coordinating site region (Alabama, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia).
• Applicants will be accepted through an application process, as spaces are limited.
• Applicants must be committed to integrating experiences, knowledge, and ideas gained during the study tour into the K-12 classroom. This includes creating lesson materials about Korea (the application asks for a description of such possible teaching materials).
• Applicants must commit to teach at least three more years following the study tour.
Expenses
• The NCTA alumni who are accepted to the study tour will receive a $2000 subsidy from NCTA, which will be applied to the tour booking with GEEO (bringing the GEEO booking price down to just over $1100). More details on the $2000 NCTA subsidy will be sent to those who are accepted into the study tour.
• NCTA has a limited number of additional subsidies for early career educators. If you would like to be considered for an additional subsidy, there is a space on the tour application where you can indicate this (and NCTA will contact you about this).
• Participants arrange and pay for their own international flights (probably between $1800-$2000) which is not a part of the GEEO booking cost.
• Meals during the tour: some are covered by the GEEO registration package, while others will be out-of-pocket.
• For a more detailed list as to what is (and what is not) covered as part of the GEEO registration package, go to the GEEO page at: https://geeo.org/tour/nctakorea/ (NOTE: at the moment this site is ONLY for details of the tour and is NOT the application form)
