Taejon Christian International School

This article is about an international school in Daejeon, South Korea. It is not to be confused with Thai-Chinese International School.

Taejon Christian International School
Address
77 Yongsan 2-ro, Yuseong Gu Daejeon , 34035 South Korea
Information
Other name	TCIS
Former name	Korea Christian Academy / Taejon Foreign School
Type	International School, Boarding School, Private School,
Motto	LEARN • LOVE • LEAD
Religious affiliation(s)	Christian
Denomination	Non-denominational
Established	1958
Head of school	Michael Moimoi
Grades	PreK-12
Enrollment	~400
Average class size	12
Student to teacher ratio	7:1
Education system	IB Curriculum (PYP, MYP, DP)
Language	English
Campus size	10 acres
Color(s)	Black & Gold
Athletics conference	APAC & KAIAC
Mascot	The Dragons
Accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Yearbook	Kulsai
Website	www.tcis.or.kr

Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) is a Pre-K to Grade 12 international school located in an area known as Techno Valley, a neighborhood in the northern part of Daejeon, South Korea. TCIS is a Three-Programme IB World School and provides boarding care through on-campus dormitory facilities. The school accepts foreign families living locally for work, families living abroad and looking for education in Korea, and local Korean families with connections to foreign culture and education abroad. Taejon Christian International School also plays a partnership role in globalization efforts in the city of Daejeon. ^{[1] [2]}

Taejon Christian International School is a non-profit educational institution.

Accreditation and authorization

• In 1973, TCIS gained accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) to deliver a western-style education to children in grades K-12. This accreditation covers academic programs and the on-campus boarding program. In 2021, TCIS is the only school in Daejeon, South Korea, to be authorized by WASC. ^[3]
• In 1999, TCIS received official certification from the Korean Ministry of Education as a foreign school.
• TCIS is authorized by the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a Three Programme World School. ^[4] It received authorization for the Diploma Programme in 2004, the Primary Years Programme in 2008, and the Middle Years Programme in 2012. TCIS was the first school in Korea to become authorized for all three IB programs and today stands as one of seven international schools in Korea to have three-program authorization. ^[5] In 2019, the IB Director General, Siva Kumari, visited South Korea as part of a growing partnership between the IB and Korean government offices to introduce aspects of the IB curriculum in public schools. ^[6] As plans for the IB continues to progress in South Korea, TCIS has been active in helping Korean teachers and administrators to understand more about the practical implementations of the IB in classrooms.^{[ citation needed ]}

History

TCIS is one of the oldest international schools in Korea, with connections going back to 1900 with Pyeongyang Foreign School (PFS). Pyongyang was commonly known as the "Jerusalem of the East", due to the success of (largely) Presbyterian and joint missionary work in the city. ^[7] PFS was an American, Presbyterian-run school for missionary children. They began with families from Canada, Australia, Korea, China, and Japan, and grew over the following years. The need was for western-style education to support the foreign and locally-partnered missionary children. Pyongyang Foreign School closed in 1940 in anticipation of war between the United States and Japan.

Ruth Bell Graham (wife of renowned Christian evangelist, Billy Graham) and sister Virginia Bell Somerville attended Pyongyang Foreign School for some time while their family served as missionaries in China. ^[8] In later years, Billy Graham would go to evangelize in North Korea. Virginia Bell Somerville would return to South Korea with her husband John, serving as missionaries with the Presbyterian Church, for forty years. ^[9] During that time, the Somervilles would be leaders in creating the school that would continue the PFS mission and would become Taejon Christian International School. In 1958, with cooperation among various mission organizations in Korea, Taejon Foreign School was established in Daejeon, on Presbyterian mission property in O-Jung-dong. Two years later, the school name was changed to Korea Christian Academy. In 1993, it changed once more to Taejon Christian International School.

In 1997, Ms. Virginia Somerville wrote an article for the TCIS "Views and Visions" newsletter, talking about a reunion of PFS students, and was quoted as saying that "TCIS/KCA has really been the heir apparent of Pyongyang Foreign School by being today's Korean boarding school". Somerville, Virginia Bell (1997). "Pyongyang Foreign School" (PDF). Views and Visions. TCIS also inherited PFS's yearbook name (Kulsai) and carried on the format of operating both a day and boarding school.

In September, 2012, TCIS moved to its present location in Techno Valley. ^{[10] [Note 1]} The school sits on a 10-acre campus, acquired in partnership with Daejeon city government authorities, in alignment with city goals to improve the educational infrastructure for foreign families, so as to further attract foreign scientists and investors to the area. ^[11]

MOU Partnerships for Globalization Goals in Daejeon

As an international boarding school, Taejon Christian International School holds a unique status for global education within the city of Daejeon. TCIS has formed public partnerships with offices and organizations to help further mutual goals for globalized science and education in the city of Daejeon. ^[12] TCIS has formed MOU partnerships with these organizations toward those ends:

• Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) ^{[13] [Note 2]}

• Institute for Basic Science (IBS) ^{[14] [Note 3]}

• Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education

^{[15] [Note 4] [16] [Note 5]}

Religious affiliation

TCIS is a non-denominational Christian school. In 1958, TCIS was created by the cooperation of missions organizations working in Korea. Today, TCIS delivers education according to a Christian worldview, claiming a Christian ethos as part of its organizational foundation and mission. ^[17]

Athletics and activities conferences

• Asia Pacific Activities Conference (APAC) - A collaborative and competitive international conference of 12 schools located around the Asia-Pacific region.
• Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC) - A Korea-based conference organization made up of international schools in Korea.

Affiliations and memberships

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• International Baccalaureate
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
• Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD)
• College Board International
• East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools
• National Association for College Admission Counseling
• International Association for College Admission Counseling
• National Honor Society
• National Junior Honor Society

Notable alumni

• Jennifer Song - Professional Golfer on the LPGA Tour ^{[18] [19] [20]}

• Paul Bin - NCAA Soccer Champion Forward Player for the University of Maryland (transferred from TCIS to Grande Sports Academy to pursue soccer specialization opportunity with the Real Salt Lake FC of Major League Soccer) ^{[21] [22] [23]}

• Amy Hae Nyun Son - 2022 Gold Medal Award high school recipient at the Samsung Humantech Papers competition. ^[24]

References

1. "Korea Herald". 2017-03-30.
2. "International School". Living in Daejeon. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
3. "Directory of Schools".
4. "IB Schools - Taejon Christian International School" . Retrieved 2021-02-22.
5. "IB Schools In South Korea" . Retrieved 2021-02-22.
6. "IB leaders visit South Korea to kick off partnership - The International Baccalaureate News" . Retrieved 13 December 2019.
7. "The Forgotten American Missionaries of Pyongyang - Kim, Robert". 2017-04-25.
8. Driscoll, Kristen (2007-07-24). "Ruth Bell Graham: A Life Well Lived".
9. Somerville, Virginia Bell (1997). "Pyongyang Foreign School" (PDF). Views and Visions.
10. Shin, Yu-Jin (2012-09-12). "대전외국인학교[TCIS], 새 캠퍼스 완공". Daejeon City News (in Korean).
11. "Korea Herald". 2017-03-30.
12. "Korea Herald". 2017-03-30.
13. Lee, Seung Woo (2011-06-30). "KAIST-대전국제학교, 교육협력 MOU 체결 (KAIST-TCIS Sign MOU for Educational Cooperation)". Korea Business News Agency - NSP통신 (in Korean).
14. Park, Ji-sun (2013-04-22). "IBS-대전외국인학교 MOU..."해외과학자 유치" (IBS-TCIS MOU... "Attracting foreign scientists")" (in Korean).
15. Lee, Jooyoung (2016-08-24). "Daejeon Board of Education-TCIS Exchange Educational Agreement". Yeonhap News (in Korean).
16. Choi, Moongap (2021-12-01). "IB(국제교육) 이해와 응용, 정말 유익해요". Kuki News (in Korean).
17. "Christian Worldview". Taejon Christian International School. Retrieved 2021-02-22.
18. Ornauer, Dave (2009-07-13). "Former TCIS student, rising star on the LPGA links". Stars and Stripes.
19. "USC 2008-09 Women's Golf Roster". University of Southern California Trojans. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
20. "LPGA: Jennifer Song Bio". Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). Retrieved 2021-02-25.
21. Ornauer, Dave (2013-08-30). "TCIS' Bin earns spot with prestigious U.S. soccer academy". Stars and Stripes.
22. "UM Terrapins 2020 Men's Soccer Roster". University of Maryland Terrapins (UM Terps). Retrieved 2021-02-25.
23. Lee, Edward (2018-12-06). "Offense for Maryland men's soccer fueled by friendship between 'polar opposites' Amar Sejdic, Paul Bin". The Baltimore Sun.
24. Choi, Moongap (2022-02-18). "대전외국인학교 학생, '삼성휴먼테크 논문대상' 금상 수상". Kuki News (Korea). Retrieved 2022-02-18.

Translation Notes

1. (Reporter Yu-Jin Shin) Taejon Christian International School will end the 54-year-old era of Ojung-dong, completing a new campus in Yongsan-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, and will hold a grand opening event on the 13th. Taejon Christian International School is a Western educational institution established in 1958 with the dedication of major denomination missionaries such as the North [South] Presbyterian Church in the United States as a part of the reconstruction of Korea and evangelism amid the tragedy of the Korean War. This is Korea's first foreign school, in fact, succeeding the history and tradition of the Pyongyang Foreign School (opened in 1900 and closed in 1938), the first international school in the Korean Peninsula and Asia. For more than half a century, TCIS is currently a leader in Korea's international education institutions in the global era of the 21st century, with the highest authority instructors and education systems, and has produced many talents in each field at home and abroad for the past half-century. In addition, it is fulfilling its mission as a role model for international foreign schools that are actively established in major cities and provinces today. TCIS has a state-of-the-art educational building, administrative office and dormitory, sports facilities, various practice rooms, and various cultural arts on the 3,8636.4 m² (11,1687.51 pyeong) of Jeongnam-Hyang site near Daedeok Techno Valley, as the Ojung-dong campus has become old and narrow with a long history. With the latest educational facilities with a floor space of 31998.02 m² (9679.40 pyeong) such as performance halls, the relocation was completed at the end of last August, and the 'Daeduck Campus Era' began.
2. (Visiting reporter Lee Seung-woo) KAIST President, Nam-Pyo Seo, and Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) announced that they signed a memorandum of understanding for mutual education programs and personal exchange at the Chosun Hotel in Seoul on the 30th. In addition to providing regular English education courses, the two organizations will actively exchange through programs such as operating international English science camps, exchange of human resources and facilities, and support for regional internationalization efforts. As part of its policy to attract excellent foreign teachers and researchers, KAIST was promoting the development of educational programs to provide regular English education courses to these children. Efforts were given momentum. In addition, Taejon Christian International School was established in 1958 as an elementary school for the children of American missionaries in Korea, and it currently provides private education from kindergarten to high school (K-12 Education) to Koreans and foreigners.
3. (News1 Reporter Park Ji-sun) The Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and Daejeon Foreign School (TCIS) joined hands to provide an excellent educational environment for attracting foreign scientists. The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding at TCIS on the 22nd to promote the influx of scientists into the country by alleviating the burden of the educational concerns, which is an obstacle to the settlement of foreign scientists in Korea. They plan to provide various educational opportunities to the children of scientists in the future, such as jointly holding a "science camp". IBS is able to provide educational programs to research groups and families in other regions by utilizing the environment of Daejeon Foreign School, which has the only boarding facility in Korea. In particular, the official explained that this MOU will have a positive effect on the "Brain Return 500," a policy for attracting outstanding researchers from the Ministry of the Future. For the successful promotion of the Brain Return 500, IBS established a "one-stop support team" in the second half of last year, providing customized services on a full-cycle basis from the arrival of scientists to settlement. "Through this agreement, the children of foreign scholars are able to receive IB (International Baccalaureate) education," said Oh Se-Jung, president. He said, "Excellent settlement conditions are essential for the successful promotion of the International Science Business Belt. We will continue to provide support measures to improve the conditions for foreign scientists and their companions." In addition, following this MOU, IBS plans to expand agreements for the children of scientists at the IBS campus and outside research groups in Gwangju and Daegu.
4. (Reporter Joo-young Lee) Daejeon City Office of Education and Daejeon Foreign School (TCIS) signed an MOU agreement for strengthening global education capacity and cooperation in educational exchange on the 24th. According to the agreement, the two institutions will establish a "mutual cooperation system to expand opportunities for English experience for elementary, middle, and high school students on the campus, and to incorporate advanced educational methods such as discussion-type classes and self-directed learning methods into our educational field through TCIS class experiences of teachers", the city office of education said. Taejon Christian International School is the first school in Korea to be accredited for all three international baccalaureate curriculums (elementary, secondary, and international faculty) and provides systematic integrated education through connected education from K1 (aged 4) to 12th grade. Superintendent Seol Dong-ho said, "We expect that the agreement with Taejon Christian International School will greatly help our students to develop English communication skills, international sense, and understanding of cultural diversity to become a cultured global citizen in this global era."
5. (Kuki News) At the 'Good-Turn Workshop', a video conference held jointly by the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education (DMOE) and Taejon Christian International School (TCIS), attendees listened eagerly to the information shared. "It was useful to see a detailed explanation of the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum and examples of how teachers apply it in actual classes." "It was a pity that the workshop time passed sooner than expected." These comments are from participants of the DMOE-TCIS 'Good-Turn Workshop' jointly held on November 25th by the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent, Seol Dong-ho) and Taejon Christian International School (Head of School, Michael Moimoi). The online workshop, held as a real-time videoconference for 40 elementary and middle school English teachers from Daejeon, was held in three courses of the International Baccalaureate programs (PYP, MYP, DP). The IB is recognized as the gold standard of international curricula. As TCIS was the first school in Korea to become authorized in all three programs of the IB the interest is in how the school uses the IB as an approach to foreign language education, international education, and classroom English classes. The workshop was held for 2 hours, divided into elementary and middle school divisions under the overall theme of 'What is the relationship between the IB curriculum and the understanding and practice of inquiry learning?'. In the elementary school division, teacher Shin Kwang-mi of Taejon Christian International School gave a lecture under the sub-theme of 'Practices of Concept-Based Inquiry Learning'. Also, in the middle school division, teacher Min-soo Cho gave a lecture under the sub-theme, 'IB MYP (Middle Years Program) from the perspective of Taejon Christian International School – Understanding Exploration and Learning'. All lectures were conducted in English. Of the total 40 participants, all 22 who responded to the questionnaire answered that they were generally satisfied with this workshop, and 95% said that the lecturer's content was relevant to their understanding of IB. Choi Jae-mo, Head of the Secondary Education division at the Daejeon Office of Education, said, "I hope that this workshop will give teachers a good idea of how to improve their English classes and evaluation. Head of Taejon Christian International School, Michael Moimoi, said, "TCIS plans to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Daejeon, the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education, KAIST, and schools at various levels. I want to make the application of IB active," he said. He continued, "Taejon Christian International School is strengthening its role as a school that works with the local community." Meanwhile, among the teachers who participated in this workshop, two elementary school teachers and two middle school teachers will be selected to further experience and observe classes at TCIS in January 2022. This workshop was held as part of a plan to activate the business agreement between the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education and Taejon Christian International School signed in August 2016.

Coordinates: 36°24′57.07″N127°23′57.52″E / 36.4158528°N 127.3993111°E / 36.4158528; 127.3993111