FOR A NEW CULTURE, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME STUDY.

Byline: Heesun Wee Daily News Staff Writer

Several weeks ago, Jennifer Rennels, a student at California State University, Northridge, was in a bind.

The 23-year-old's aunt had just adopted a baby girl from Korea. And the extended family vowed to expose the youngster to as much Korean culture as possible in the United States.

Rennels wanted to pitch in, too. So she thought about traveling to Korea through an international education program, eventually bringing home her foreign experiences and sharing them with her family. But she doesn't have the time, money or desire to be so far away.

Then a tip from one of her professors led her to an ideal solution: a new CSUN education project that would allow her to immerse herself in Korean culture - without having to get on a plane.

Rennels is one of 20 students who will participate in the Korean Study Abroad in Los Angeles Project, a 15-week course beginning in September that will expose students to Korean society - right here at home. The student selection process is scheduled to end at the end of this month.

Unlike a traditional international program that focuses solely on a native country, the project will go one step further and open students' eyes to a select country's immigrant community in the United States. In this case, students will examine Korea and the Korean-American community in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles.

It's no coincidence the CSUN project, believed to be one of the first of its kind, will be based in Los Angeles. The metropolitan area is home to many international cultures. ``We are in L.A. It's the most perfect place'' for the project, said Jan Fish, one of the two coordinators.

In the beginning

The Korean Study Abroad Project is the brainchild of Fish, a professor and coordinator for CSUN's Early Childhood Education Master's Program, and Ah-Jeong Kim, a CSUN theater professor.

It grew out of students' cries for a more accessible international experience during college, according to Fish and Kim.

``One of the real reasons for this program is to provide opportunities for our students who cannot afford international exchange education,'' Fish said. ``They don't have to leave jobs and family. They can still have that international experience while living in Los Angeles.''

During the 1995-96 academic year, 29 students among roughly 21,000 CSUN undergraduates - average participation for Cal State schools - traveled to foreign countries to study, said Marta Rezvani-Lopez, acting adviser for the campus' Study Abroad and National Student Exchange programs.

A major barrier to exchange programs is cost, Fish said. A study-abroad program through CSUN for one academic year can range from about $8,000 to study in Mexico to about $20,000 for a Japanese program covering academic fees, transportation, room and board and personal expenses. A stint in Korea costs nearly $12,000.

That's why Rezvani-Lopez is excited about the new project. It's an alternative to the traditionally high-priced study-abroad programs.

The new project will cost each student about $792, the same price for any other two courses totaling seven academic units. And enrollment in the project fulfills a cross-cultural, general education requirement every undergraduate must complete.

``This is a good opportunity, since most of them (study-abroad programs) are far away or expensive,'' said April Ibarra, 19, a CSUN student who has applied for the project.

More than lectures

The project promises more than requisite lectures and textbook readings on Korean society and Korean-Americans.

Students will visit Korean-American newspapers, churches and community centers. They'll experience Korean-American theater, arts and crafts. They'll spend three weekends with Korean-American families in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles.

``I feel like we'll be able to merge in the life and culture rather than just read about it,'' Rennels said.

Community visits will be supplemented by two courses - one on Korean language and another on Korean and Korean-American cultures. And the project won't disrupt students' overall course loads. They can simultaneously enroll in other classes such as engineering and English.

The project's focus on Korea is deliberate. ``We chose the Korean-American community first because it has such a large presence in our community and on campus,'' Fish said.

About 2.5 percent of CSUN's students (undergraduates and graduates) are ethnically Korean, according to information students voluntarily provided in a fall 1996 campus survey. According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, about 4,000 Korean-Americans called the north-central San Fernando Valley home in 1990, the year for which the most current numbers are available.

The project's innovative approach to international study has even grabbed the attention of local Korean-Americans beyond CSUN. Earlier this year, the Korean Cultural Center and the Korean Consulate, both in Los Angeles, gave CSUN a $16,000 grant toward the project's $41,000 total cost for the first year.

Additional funds will come from CSUN's offices of undergraduate and graduate studies, and the Office of Graduate Studies, Research and International Programs, Fish said.

The two Korean organizations of Los Angeles also will foot the entire bill for three of the project's 20 students to travel to Korea for 10 days in August, Fish said.

It's a project worthy of support, said Korean Consul Jin Yung Woo of Los Angeles.

``All the other Korean culture-related programs are only lecture-style,'' said Woo. ``This is kind of experiencing Korean culture.''

Fish and Kim, however, concede that the Los Angeles-based project can't replace the experience of living and learning in a foreign country. But it's a good start, they say.

``We want this program to serve as an appetizer to the Korean culture,'' Fish said.

``We would like to create a link between the students and the Korean-American community here,'' Kim agreed, ``We hope that relationship is established and will continue after this program.''

If the project is a success and more money becomes available, CSUN educators plan to expand the project to encompass Armenian and Persian communities, two other dominant, ethnic groups in Los Angeles, Fish said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Jennifer Rennels will participate in the Korean Study Abroad in Los Angeles Project, a 15-week course that will expose students to Korean society - right here at home. She holds a photo of her aunt and the baby girl she adopted from Korea.

(2) Ah-Jeong Kim and Jan Fish are coordinators of the Korean Study Abroad in Los Angeles Project.

John Lazar/Special to the Daily News