Weaving Stories, Culture, and Sustainability - Biweekly Report 5

By Meila Rosianika

Wansan Girls’ High School, Jeonju – Indonesia-Korea Teacher Exchange Program (APTE/APCEIU)

Over the past two weeks from October 26 to November 9, 2025, my teaching journey in Jeonju has been deeply enriched by creativity, culture, and sustainability. These experiences reminded me that education, at its best, is a bridge connecting knowledge, empathy, and environmental consciousness.

Nurturing Eco-Literacy through Recycled Storybooks

In my class, I continued a classroom project titled “Nurturing Eco-Literacy through Recycled Storybooks.” Students engaged in a creative process that began with scanning digital barcodes linked to my original Indonesian folktale storybooks, officially published by the Indonesian government. Using these stories as inspiration, they crafted bilingual (English–Korean) story scrapbooks made entirely from recycled cardboard and paper.

Through this activity, the classroom transformed into a space where language, art, and sustainability met. The students not only practiced their English and Korean but also reflected on how storytelling can nurture empathy and environmental care. Watching them create with their hands: cutting, gluing, decorating—felt like witnessing how small acts of creativity can shape global citizenship.

Before we began, I introduced Indonesian batik as a traditional art form. Students were fascinated to learn that each motif carries symbolic meaning expressing harmony, gratitude, and our connection to nature. This hands-on cultural session offered them a window into Indonesia’s identity, enriching their cross-cultural understanding while inspiring pride in creative craftsmanship.

Connecting Classroom Learning with Real Industry Practice

On October 30, 2025, I joined my students on an industrial field visit organized by the government tourism agency in Jeonju. We traveled to a convention center about an hour away from school, where students had the rare chance to learn directly from professionals about exhibition management and event organization.

They listened to an hour-long lecture on planning, curating, and executing exhibitions, followed by a backstage tour observing lighting systems, safety procedures, and teamwork in action. This experience showcased how Korean vocational education deeply integrates theory and practice. I saw how such exposure shapes students’ professionalism, discipline, and teamwork—skills essential for their future careers in the service and tourism industries.

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

Outside of school, I continued reflecting on how storytelling and sustainability contribute to character education. I wrote and published a reflective blog article titled “Nurturing Eco-Literacy through Recycled Storybooks,” sharing my classroom insights with other educators. Writing became a way to connect my classroom practice with broader discussions on Global Citizenship Education (GCED).

I also spent a meaningful afternoon at Seokhang-dong Art Village, a cultural site that beautifully preserves the historical layers of Jeonju. Wandering through narrow alleys lined with murals, artisan shops, and small museums, I witnessed how tradition and modern creativity coexist harmoniously. Many visitors came not only to admire the art but also to experience Jeonju’s famous gastronomic culture—proof that a city can tell its stories through taste, texture, and atmosphere.

That visit reminded me that literacy is not confined to written words—it is also a sensory experience. By seeing, tasting, and feeling the spirit of a place, one can learn to read culture in the most human way possible.

Sustaining Cross-Cultural Learning

My ongoing project, “Strengthening Cross-Cultural Literacy through Local Stories from Indonesia and Korea,” continues to evolve. The recycled storybook activity has become more than a language lesson, it embodies the essence of sustainable education. By transforming discarded materials into meaningful works of art, students learned that creativity can coexist with care for the planet.

This project aligns closely with UNESCO’s GCED framework, which encourages empathy, respect for diversity, and environmental responsibility as pillars of global learning.

Reflections

These two weeks have reaffirmed my belief that education is not only about preparing students for careers but also about shaping thoughtful, empathetic, and eco-conscious individuals. Whether in the classroom with recycled storybooks or during an industrial visit to a convention center, learning becomes most powerful when it bridges creativity and real-world relevance.

In Jeonju, I am constantly reminded that literacy is alive in stories, in art, in the city streets, and in the hearts of students eager to create a better, more sustainable world.