WAFL Orientation | October 26, 2024
AND WE’RE BACK! On October 26, KAYF kicked off the 2024-2025 WAFL Program with our first online session. During the orientation, KAYF Executive Director Eri Kim discussed the program schedule, student conduct policy, and how students can qualify for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award. This was followed by student introductions for the new WAFL class to get to know each other.
To close, we announced an upcoming field trip in November to a local art gallery in New York. We also announced that KAYF is recruiting interns from the WAFL class to assist with creating marketing materials, conducting alumni outreach, and more.
The WAFL Program has been conducted online since 2020 and is open to Asian American teens nationwide. This year, we have 21 new students joining our roster for a total of 72 students representing 14 states across the US as well as a province in South Korea.
2024 WAFL Orientation Camp | October 12-14, 2024
From October 12 to 14, the Korean American Youth Foundation hosted the WAFL Orientation Camp at Hands In 4 Youth in West Milford, NJ. This is the first time we have been able to host the camp since the pandemic, and we are thrilled to share that 16 WAFL students, including three from West Virginia and Oklahoma, participated in the three-days, two-nights camp.
On Day 1, the students got to know each other with introductions and icebreakers. The students broke out into teams of four, created team names, and designed unique posters representing their group. The groups then competed with each other in team-building games.
To close out the first night of the camp, we held a film screening of Jeronimo: The Untold Tales of Koreans in Cuba. This was followed by a special Q&A with the director of the documentary, Joseph Juhn, who took questions from the students and shared his insights on filmmaking, navigating multiple cultural identities, and the diaspora as the future of Korea.
We kicked off Day 2 of the camp by warming up with a nature walk and an improv speech activity. The students then worked as teams for the weekend’s biggest project, KAYF x Shark Tank: Be the Change You Want to See.
As part of this project, the teams brainstormed issues or problems they wanted to address and worked together to pitch their ideas and solutions to a panel of “sharks” made up of KAYF board members. The sharks spoke with each group and helped them flesh out their ideas, which ranged from innovative golfing accessories to accessibility for people with disabilities.
After a busy morning of brainstorming and discussion, the students went outside for some much-needed fresh air and outdoor activities. Led by staff members of Hands In 4 Youth, the WAFL students played team-building games, climbed challenge courses and rock walls, and tried their hands at archery.
In the evening, the students finished up their Shark Tank presentations and pitched their business ideas to the judges. The winning team GEWI (Ethan Lee, William Kim, Grace Kim, and Irene Moon) presented their project Garden Nana, a vertical gardening product that emphasized sustainability and supporting local farms and businesses.
To celebrate the last night of the WAFL camp, we went outside for a bonfire to make smores (and we couldn’t forget the instant noodles, of course!)
After a busy weekend, we concluded the WAFL Orientation Camp with some basketball, volleyball, and final reflections before making our way back home.
