"I am from North Korea" Speech Contest
Join us for the 19th edition of the North Korean Refugee English Speech Contest, “I am from North Korea.”
Twice per year, North Korean refugees who want to participate in the contest are matched with mentors who help them prepare and improve their speeches. Many participants in the “I am from North Korea” English Speech Contest also join our North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network.
This event offers a unique glimpse into the lives of North Korean refugees through original speeches delivered by seven courageous individuals. Hear firsthand accounts of their experiences living in and fleeing North Korea, and gain valuable insight into their daily struggles and triumphs.
After holding 18 speech contests since 2015, this is the first that will be done internationally.
Date and Time
April 13th, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST
3:00-4:00 p.m. Q&A with Yeonmi Park
Venue
Pfizer Lecture Hall, 12 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Presentations
Special Guest
Master of Ceremonies
Presentations
Seven North Korean refugees will fly from Seoul to Cambridge to deliver original speeches in English, each up to 10 minutes long.
Special Guest
North Korean refugee author Yeonmi Park, former FSI student and now internationally renowned author and speaker, will participate in a post-contest Q&A session with attendees.
Consider sponsoring FSI’s speech contest
We depend on donations from donors who support our vision of creating learning opportunities in which North Korean refugees have the autonomy of choosing how they will learn. With the support of donors, we have been able to empower numerous North Korean refugees to achieve their goals in life.
Tuition-free mentorship for public speaking in English is at the core of our operations.
Continued and increased support for our flagship events and core programs will help us:
Increase the impact of our biannual “I am from North Korea” Speech Contest by transforming it into an international event.
Add more speakers to our North Korean Refugee Keynote Speakers Network, reaching a goal of 50 publicly listed speakers.
Donate via PayPal
Donation Matching Challenge
Our Partners
Our Sponsors
FSI VIP Club
Anonymous (Matching Donation Challenge)
Casey Lartigue, Jr. (donation & fundraising)
Eunkoo Lee (donation & fundraising)
Event Partners
Harvard Club of Broward County
Harvard Club of Seattle
Platinum Patrons
$5,000+Conrad (donation pledge)
Gold Sponsors
$2,000–$4,999Chloe Lee (donation)
Soo Jeong Ahn (donation)
Silver Supporters
$1,000–$1,999Eben Appleton (donation & fundraising)
Alexis Wainwright (donation)
Anonymous (donation)
Bronze Benefactors
$500–$999Young Jae Cho (donation)
Sapphire Supporters
$200–$499Timothy Han (donation)
Jesse S (donation)
Georgene S (donation)
Anonymous (donation)
Ken S (donation)
Chaeyeon Lee (donation)
Ernie Choi, Ryan(Wonjae) Choi(Donation)
Copper Contributions
$100–$199Chung-hee (donation)
Yongmi (donation)
Yeajun Park (donation)
Jeff C (donation)
Gail G (donation)
Roger F (donation)
Seth (donation)
Anonymous (donation)
About our Sponsorship Levels
Platinum Patrons: Donation/fundraising of $5,000 or more. Your name/organizational logo can be included on a sponsor banner and also on the main banner for the contest, all marketing materials, FSI Website, and post on social media. Platinum Patrons will be mentioned during the speech contest and Q&A session.
Gold Sponsors: Donation/fundraising of $2,000 – $4,999. Your name/organizational logo will be included on the sponsor or main banner (they will be accepted on the main banner until we run out of space), all marketing materials, FSI Website, and post on social media. Gold sponsors will be mentioned during the Q&A session or the speech contest.
Silver Supporters: Donation/fundraising of $1,000 – $1,999. Your name/organizational logo will be included in all materials, FSI Website, and post on social media.
Bronze Benefactors: Donation/fundraising of $500 – $999. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website and selected materials related to the speech contest.
Sapphire Supporters: Donation/fundraising of $200 – $499. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website and one document related to the speech contest.
Copper Contributors: Donation/fundraising $100 – $199. Your name/organizational logo will be included on our website.
If you have donated to our Harvard project (or via one of our fundraisers), please confirm that you would like your name listed.
