Korean War Legacy Foundation invites history teachers to implement new curriculum

Paige Eichkorn, Fort Smith Times Record
·2 min read

The Korean War Legacy Foundation, sponsored by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs of the Republic of Korea, hosted its annual World Congress of Teachers on July 25-28 in Arlington, Virginia.

Jennifer McKinney, a social studies teacher at Northside High School, was selected to attend and receive a new, free curriculum book, "Honoring Sacrifice: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Korean War."

Jennifer McKinney, Northside High School teacher, attended the third annual World Congress of Teachers in Virginia.
Jennifer McKinney, Northside High School teacher, attended the third annual World Congress of Teachers in Virginia.

This event serves to honor the sacrifice of Korean War veterans and the importance of teaching about the war and its legacy in public schools.

The conference engaged over 40 teachers from across the United States on the history of the war and its significant legacy.

As part of the event, McKinney attended the Korean War Veterans Wall of Remembrance Dedication Ceremony to see the unveiling of the new memorial with the families of the fallen.

"In addition to looking at the wall, it was interesting to watch families that were there," she said. "There were family members that remembered those that were killed, but we're talking, 70 years ago from '50 to '53 so, there were a lot of grandchildren, great grandchildren that never knew their family members, but still, it was really emotional."

Yellow roses placed around the names of those lost in the Korean War at the Wall of Remembrance dedication in Arlington, Virginia.
Yellow roses placed around the names of those lost in the Korean War at the Wall of Remembrance dedication in Arlington, Virginia.

The Korean War Legacy Foundation was established in 2012 to help teachers, students, and the public understand the origins and outcomes of the Korean War.

McKinney said the lesson plans from the new curriculum book were created by teachers who are part of the foundation and have traveled to Korea.

Part of her commitment to the World Congress was to create a video transcript of a war veteran interview. This creates a relationship between teachers and the foundation, as it provides educators with resources, the teachers help create their database.

"The book that they presented us has history, geography, literature, stem lesson plans, so it's something that I can take back to Northside," McKinney said. "There's things in there that the biology teacher can do or that one of the math teachers can use."

Cho Tae-yong, South Korean Ambassador for the United States at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
Cho Tae-yong, South Korean Ambassador for the United States at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

The foundation has collected over 1,200 oral history interviews from veterans around the world.

President of the foundation, Dr. Jong woo Han, said in a press release: “I am sure that all of the Korean War veterans will be very proud that we are training the next generation of teachers on their honorable service during the Korean War.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Korean War Legacy Foundation invites teachers to start new curriculum