Laurel Springs School Brings American College Prep to South Korea

• By Scott Aronowitz
• 01/04/10

Laurel Springs School, a private, K-12 preparatory school based in Ojai, CA, is bringing its distance learning program to South Korea. Through a partnership with C2 Education, Korean students can fully prepare for study at a college in the United States without emigrating or even traveling beyond a nearby learning center.

The partnership allows students to attend one of five C2 centers in South Korea, located in Bundang, Daegu, Ilsan, Jamsil, and Sangdong. Enrollees spend a standard school day engaged in college preparatory courses, in all core and elective subjects, via Laurel Springs' distance learning program.

The centers offer all the facilities and tools students need to augment the educational experience, including media classrooms, English-language audiobooks, ESL learning software and listening stations, and special computer games and activities geared to younger students.

In addition, the centers offer supplemental services in the after-school hours, such as educational support and intensive English-language study. Finally, Laurel Springs enrollees can attend field trips and will have the option to participate in the C2 study-abroad program in the United States.

Laurel Springs offers extensive college planning and preparation services, including academic planning, college counseling, and special courses built into the curriculum that focus on test preparation and college placement. Eighty-five percent of its graduates attend college.

"Laurel Springs is excited to be leading this blended approach to education for Korean students," said Marilyn Mosley Gordanier, founder and director of the school. "In Korea, this is the first time a distance learning curriculum will be delivered in a classroom environment with on-site teachers."