▲ CEO Hwang Tae-sook

In previous years, studying abroad has been a promising option for university students to get a better position in society. Today, however, a variety of ‘go overseas’ programs are being offered to all grades of students. While students are excited to have the opportunity, parents are rather worried since they have to be separated from their children for a while. Naturally, it is very important for parents, and of course their children, to search and find the right agent who can make the ‘overseas experience’ worth paying for.

Worth paying for comes from attention to detail
Canada TEMS Academy is the sole educational institution in Waterloo City, Ontario, Canada, which has had 10 years of expertise in teaching international students that progress to top universities. There are fifteen prestigious universities in Canada and six of them are in Ontario. Waterloo City enjoys the 5th highest rank in household income, and is 4th in both economic growth rate and friendliness to immigrants among 209 rated cities across the world. 

What makes Canada TEMS Academy Korea stand out amongst similar service providers is its ‘managed service’ designed for students aged between thirteen and eighteen (grade eight to twelve). The managed service at TEMS offers customized afterschool programs, admission essay programs (important for university entrance in the US and Canada) and a down-to-earth college-preparatory guide; it is noteworthy that the managed service is run directly by CEO Hwang Tae-sook alongside scholarship skim and parent notices.

Living abroad and TEMS English program
Students can either stay in a house of local residents or in their choice of premium housing. The homestay is beneficial and gives the opportunity to immerse in a different culture, while the premium residence comes with a planned study and daily schedule. All homestay households are approved by the local education office through background checks and on-site inspections.

“The managed service of TEMS provides meticulous care to each student; how they feel and how they adapt to a new environment alongside self-directed learning and its application. It is very important to monitor their combined emotional state and academic performance in order to help them achieve their goals. One good example of the management service is a student who won a presidential prize in swimming but had been poor in school when in Korea: he is now waiting to enter one of the top universities in Canada thanks to the managed service of TEMS; he also won the 50m gold medal by breaking the record at the Ontario Swimming Championships” said Hwang.. 

Meanwhile, the TEMS English program is designed for short term language study abroad during summer and winter vacations at the schools registered to the local education office in Canada. Students go through a 2 week ESL course and the number of foreign students per class, after the ESL course at local school, is limited to 2 (others are natives) for effectiveness; the course comes with a city tour, top university tour and sightseeing.

As a trustworthy companion
Hwang majored in social welfare but has built her career in English education for 29 years. She has proven her talent in the field as a branch manager at Tuntun English and her business acumen by establishing Joongang Ivy in 2005. It was in 2012 that she joined hands with Canada TEMS Academy and was promoted to CEO of Canada TEMS Academy Korea in January 2015.  

Hwang’s eldest daughter studied at the University of Toronto, Columbia University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and received a US$260,000 scholarship; she is currently working at one of the top national research institutes in the US. Hwang’s second daughter spent her middle and high school years in the US and received a presidential prize from George W. Bush in 2006 for excellent academic performance followed by yet another presidential prize from Barack Obama in 2016, the year of her graduation.

Canada TEMS Academy Korea is holding a program presentation on 31st March at the Intercontinental Hotel, Seoul.