October 18th, 2023 - Ten students from South Korea paid a special visit to the Barbados Community College (BCC) recently. The students are members of the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) Organization which was started in 2001 in South Korea.
Accompanied by Director, Selbert Johnson, the students met with a team from the BCC, including Principal, Annette Alleyne; Registrar, Roger Worrell, Assistant Registrar – Examinations, Makeda Hart, Head, Quality Assurance & Enhancement Unit, Dr. Jean Butcher-Lashley, and Cassandra Earle-Hazell, a visiting quality assurance officer from the Barbados Accreditation Council.
The students, all of whom are in their early 20s, are enrolled in a diverse range of programmes including the culinary arts, journalism, education, languages, engineering, and computer science.
In addition to performing a musical number, the students shared information about the IYF programme which has been described as being based on “mindset education”. They spoke about the importance of finding connections between people and learning the mindset of others in order to break down barriers and discover similarities that can lead to harmonious living.
Director Johnson said a major part of the students’ visit to Barbados is to try to grow the movement. He noted that an opportunity also exists for young people to travel to South Korea to be part of the programme.
In her response, Ms. Alleyne observed that there are many similarities in culture between Barbadian and South Korean young people. Noting that at least two (2) of the students are currently completing studies in culinary arts, she invited them to visit the Jean and Norma Holder Hospitality Institute (JNHHI).