Why Hanuri Korean School?

Students Learn

We provide age-appropriate Korean language instruction that builds confidence and fluency. We know that everyone has different levels of Korean language skills, and our teachers are able to work with and encourage their students to enjoy learning no matter where they start.

Students Connect

Children build friendships while celebrating Korean culture, history and traditions. We recognize that some Korean American children are in spaces where they are the “only” Korean American or “one of a few” Korean Americans, whether that be in schools, neighborhood, or even in their family. Hanuri Korean School aims to be a space where they are one of many.

We serve students from ages 5 to 18, allowing them to create connections to peers that last throughout their school years and beyond.

Students Belong

We strive to be an inclusive community where every family is welcomed and every child feels they belong. Our school brings together Korean American families from many backgrounds: first-, second-, third-, or fourth-generation families, multiracial and multiethnic families, and families with transracial adoptees. By learning alongside one another, our students gain a richer understanding of the many ways to be Korean American. We also welcome those who may not be ethnically Korean but have a deep curiosity about Korean language and culture.

Program Information

Curriculum

Hanuri Korean School’s curriculum includes:

• Age- and level-appropriate language lessons
• Korean culture lessons, including major celebrations, historical events, and notable people
• Korean American history
• Korean drumming lessons
• Traditional Korean dance
• Hands-on art classes

Class Schedule

Location

HANA Center (Google Maps)
4300 N California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60618

Hanuri Korean School meets at HANA Center but is its own independent organization. Please direct all questions to hanurikoreanschool@gmail.com, not HANA Center.

Thank you to HANA Center for generously sharing their space with us!

Calendar

Classes meet on Saturdays, 10 AM - 1 PM.

• Fall semester: September 12, 2026 - January 30, 2027
• Spring semester: February 20 - June 12, 2027

See 2026-2027 School Year Calendar for more details. Dates are subject to change.

Tuition

The 2026-2027 tuition rates are:

Rates are subject to change.

Tuition payments can be made with a one-time payment in full or via monthly installments. Full instructions on how to pay either online or by check will be included in the confirmation email, which you will receive within 4-5 business days once you submit the registration form.

We believe that tuition should not be a barrier for interested families. Please contact hanurikoreanschool@gmail.com for more information about various options.

Registration

We are no longer accepting more students for fall semester. Contact us at hanurikoreanschool@gmail.com to receive our announcement about spring semester registration.

Children must be in grades K-12 and be at least 5 years of age at the start of the semester to enroll. We group students in classes primarily by age and secondarily by proficiency level to ensure they will be learning with and from their peers.

• Fall semester: The registration form opens on July 31, 2026 and will remain open until August 30, 2026.
• Spring semester: The registration form opens on January 9, 2027 and will remain open until February 7, 2027.

About Us

Who We Are

Hanuri Korean School is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to provide an inclusive educational experience for children ages 5-18 to learn Korean language, culture, art, and history, instilling pride and a sense of belonging to our diverse Korean American community in the Chicago area.

Our Story

Hanuri Korean School was founded by a group of dedicated parents who believed that the closing of their beloved Chicago-area Korean school should not mean the end of the community it had created: a welcoming place where Korean American children and youth from all backgrounds could learn, connect, and belong.

Parents believed this community was too important to lose.

Rather than let that community disappear, these families came together with a shared vision: to create a new school that preserves the warmth and inclusion they valued while offering new opportunities for children to learn and grow. From that vision, Hanuri Korean School was born.

Our Name

Hanuri (한우리) means “our Korean community.” The name combines the Korean words han (one, great, or big) and uri (we or us), expressing the idea of one united community. It reflects our belief that every child deserves a place to learn the Korean language, celebrate Korean culture, and develop a lifelong connection to the diverse Korean American community.

Principal

Meeyeon Yoon, our principal, has spent many years teaching students as a middle school teacher in Korea, gaining extensive experience in the field of education.

Even after immigrating to the United States in 2016, she continued to pursue her passion for education by teaching Korean at Truelight Korean School in New Jersey from 2017 to 2024. Later, after moving to Chicago, she taught students at Niles Korean School and Bulta Korean School, gaining diverse experiences in Korean school education across the United States.

In particular, she won the Grand Prize at the 2023 National Association for Korean Schools (NAKS) Korean Language Teaching Competition and an Honorable Mention at the 2022 Online Teaching Competition, in recognition of her passion and expertise in Korean language education and teaching methods.

Building on this rich educational experience, she is currently serving as the principal of Hanuri Korean School, working to build an educational community where students, teachers, and parents grow together.

Principal Yoon believes that a Korean school should be a place where children not only learn the Korean language and culture, but also understand their roots, develop pride in their identity, and grow up joyfully. She hopes to lead Hanuri Korean School to become a place where children experience the joy of learning and form warm memories of celebrating Korean culture.

Teachers

Yun Jie Yang: Hello, I’m Yun Jie Yang. I will be the teacher in charge of Kkum (Dream) Class and will be working with the children. I hope to create good memories and learning experiences for our Kkum Class friends, many of whom will be just starting to learn Hangul and Korean culture for the first time.

Hana Lee: Hello, I’m Hana Lee, who will be in charge of Mirae (Future) Class this semester. As a parent of three Hanuri students, I consider it extremely important to teach our children Korean from a young age. As a second-generation Korean American, I hope that my own experience of learning and practicing Korean will be helpful to our students.

Theo Streit-Hurh: Hello everyone! My name is Theo (Ryeon) Streit-Hurh, and I’ll be teaching the drumming class this year. I’ve learned and taught drumming as a student at Bulta Korean School for the past 12 years. This year, I would like to help young students at Hanuri Korean School develop their drum performance skills and grow their interest in traditional Korean music and culture.

Yujin Kim: Hello, I’m Yujin Kim, who will be teaching the art class this year. I’ve taught students at various Korean schools and have been pursuing a career in the arts for a long time. Based on these experiences, I hope to spend time with the students at Hanuri Korean School as they learn Korean and traditional culture through art.

Kayla Yoon: Teacher intro to come

Board of Directors

• Esther Hurh
• Mo Ran Park
• Hana Lee

Advisory Council

• Jinny Choi
• Cindy Joung
• Jeannie Kim
• Doona Landau
• Jackie Milhans
• Jill Wade

(as of July 2026)

Donate

Hanuri Korean School strives to make this school open to all families whose children want to be a part of a caring community, and to create the best kind of experience for their children. We can do this with the generosity of families, community members, businesses, and other community institutions.

Your tax-deductible gift will help Hanuri Korean School:

• Inspire children to develop pride in their Korean heritage and culture.
• Provide exceptional teachers and engaging classroom experience.
• Offer enriching cultural experiences, including traditional Korean drumming, dance, arts, and other hands-on cultural programming.
• Create a welcoming school where all families feel they belong.
• Build a strong financial foundation that will allow Hanuri Korean School to grow and serve families for years to come.

Contact us at hanurikoreanschool@gmail.com to learn how you can become a supporter of Hanuri Korean School.