What's special about TNKR?

So you wanna be a TNKR tutor! There are some things you should know to understand why you are about to have a special experience.
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TNKR is learner-centered!

Students get to choose, we are their language helpers as they start or continue their journey into the world of English.

* TNKR's co-founders discuss the program in a special #hashtagimpact interview.

* Refugees choose their tutors at a Matching session. This TV clip from 2016 shows what the session is like (it is made for TV so it is 90% accurate).

* Our process has been praised by Thae Yong-ho, the former North Korean diplomat and who is now the first NK defector directly elected to South Korea's National Assembly. (Video, Script)

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Why are North Korean refugees so eager to learn English?

* USA Today: North Korean defectors must overcome big challenge once free: Learn English

* Casey Lartigue's 8 part series in the Korea Times: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) plus Male and Female refugees on English and Adjustment.

* English-only for North Korean refugees (Korea Times

* New programs help defectors from North Korea adjust, shed stigma (UPI)

* Trump-Kim summit: the English school giving North Korean defectors a voice is not holding its breath for peace (South China Morning Post)

* Volunteers help bridge the language gap for defectors
(Koreana Magazine)

* Free English tutoring program helps N.K. defectors adapt (Yonhap feature)
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Have questions about TNKR? Here's what media outlets have asked us.

* Some good questions asked of the TNKR co-founders during an interview on Arirang TV's "Heart to Heart."

* Unification Media interview about TNKR's history and approach.

* "On My Way to Meet You" with English subtitles (TNKR co-founders interviewed along with two TNKR students)

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What are some ways to get involved with TNKR?

* TVN's 49 minute TV special about TNKR (because it is TV, that means it is about 90 percent accurate)

* TNKR Member Jeff Villa on returning to TNKR

* Some start as tutors, then later become staffers, team leaders.

* You can be a leader, tutor, speech coach, mentor, donor, fundraiser, or cheerleader!

But Eben Appleton has already claimed the number #1 cheerleader spot.

* Most volunteers start as tutors. Apply here. After filling out the application, contact TNKR co-founder Casey Lartigue, attend an orientation, then get invited to a Matching session. First preference is for those who also become Members (after all, there would be no TNKR without supporters).

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Why do volunteers become Members?

* TNKR members get many benefits!

* They get to tutor fantastic and motivated North Korean refugees 1:1 who have come to TNKR.
* If they raise enough money, they can get free books signed by North Korean refugee authors.

* They avoid the "hidden costs" of volunteering and "free tutoring". Instead, TNKR can cover costs of tutoring sessions for both students and tutors.

* Here's when and why TNKR began asking volunteers for both "Time and a Dime."

* What's the easiest way to become a Member? Set up a fundraiser, donate to a project, or find other ways to donate, including directly through the TNKR Website.

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And of course, the most special thing about TNKR?

The students!

Escaping from North Korea by Yeonmi Park (One Young World) and Yeon-mi Park: The hopes of North Korea’s ‘Black Market Generation’ (Washington Post) (Yeonmi was a student in TNKR during 2013-14 and TNKR's first Refugee Ambassador)

The Lives of North Korean Women (TEDx) by Eunhee Park (from A-B-C to T-E-D)

My Arduous Journey (TEDx) by Cherie Yang

Park Sisters Graduated from College! (Yeonmi) (Eunmi)

How do you stay up-to-date with TNKR's activities? You don't have to climb a mountain! Just click!

Here are TNKR's official SNS options.

TNKR co-founder Casey Lartigue's SNS options.

Random photos from today

I went walking around today. Whereas some people like to go walking in the mountains, I enjoy walking around in the city. Well, not D.C. or other cities with many homeless, crazy and/or armed people walking around... * * * Here's where I had lunch today. About $1.90 for a hamburger hamberger. * * * Ha-ha! Bet you never would have guessed that Batman is a drinking place in Korea! * * * Man Clinic? The Koreans walking by seemed to be very curious about why I was taking a photo of a "Man Clinic." They may know something I don't know...Actually, I wasn't curious enough to go in and find out what it was... * * * Right down the street from the Man Clinic...there's a Love Shop! I love the euphemism. "Love Shop" sounds much better than Sex Shop. I'm guessing that if you don't go to the "Love Shop" to buy condoms that you may need to visit the Man Clinic a short time later? * * * Nobo

Teach North Korean Refugees Project

On November 1, we will be holding the 20th "Teach North Korean Refugees Project" session. The project launched in March 2013 when Casey Lartigue Jr. and Lee Eunkoo matched 5 North Korean refugees who were teachers in North Korea with 5 English speaking volunteers. The refugees wanted to improve their English in order to improve their chances to become teachers in South Korea. We met at a Toz in Gangnam, matching them. We have directly matched at least 117 NK refugees and 8 South Koreans who assist NK refugees with 164 English speaking volunteers. We have since hosted numerous sessions with a number of themes matching NK refugees with volunteer English speakers: * Staff at NGOs helping NK refugees (to help refugees working at NGOs and also helping NGOs build up their capacity) * special summer or winter study sessions (for students who have more free time during the break, look for another session in late December and early to mid January 2015) * Bring or recommend a

2014-02-14 Yeon-Mi Park`s debut

Yeonmi Park, February 14, 2014, making her debut! Yesterday I was one of the speakers at a special session on North Korean refugees at the Canadian Maple International School. Wow, it was a wonderful time! * Yeon-Mi Park delivered her first major speech in English. She was wonderful! She told her story (35 minute speech without notes), discussed different aspects of North Korea, and then handled questions from students for more than an hour. She did seem to be nervous at the beginning-she took a deep breath just as she started, looked at me, then told her story from her heart. * Returning from the speech, I told Yeonmi that she had star potential. She told me that she didn't believe it, but I told her that the way she handled Q&A and told her story, I would be lucky to have her still returning my phone calls within a year. * The students had many questions. They have been learning about North Korea. They are now reading "Escape from Camp 14" featuring Shin Dong-h

From nothing to something super special (2023-02-10)

FSI has moved into a better institutional neighborhood where we are the poorest in the area. In August 2022, I was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Freedom Speakers International (FSI) and in January 2023 FSI achieved incorporation status in South Korea. This has meant that FSI must upgrade operations and structure and I am the one, as chairman and co-president, who will be blamed if it doesn’t happen. I really should not be the chairman, for a variety of reasons, but anyway I am. Eunkoo and I are not the typical executives of a growing organization. In addition to being mainly responsible for building and fundraising for the organization, we are the hands-on leaders who are constantly in contact with North Korean refugee speakers. We look forward to the day we can afford staff to handle many tasks. Until then we can expect to continue having more days like yesterday, even on Eunkoo’s birthday. 2023-02-10 Meeting #1: planning We started Eunkoo’s birthday with a planning

CFE forum on Korea-EU FTA (Korea Herald)

Public forum on FTA on Thursday 2011-07-05 19:21 A conference on economic opportunities and challenges arising from the Korea-EU FTA which came into effect on July 1 will take place in Seoul on Thursday. The conference, taking place at the Koreana Hotel from 2 p.m., will also examine the current economic crisis in Europe and economic development in Korea. The event is being jointly hosted by the Center for Free Enterprise, a Seoul-based free market think-tank, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty, a German foundation for the promotion of individual freedom which has offices around the world including in Seoul. “We picked the date hoping National Assembly members wouldn’t find a way to delay the agreement going into effect. So this is really timely because we are holding this less than a week after the agreement went into effect,” said Casey Lartigue Jr., manager of international relations at the CFE. Speakers at the conference titled “Economic Freedom

The Casey Lartigue Show!

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