Gangdong-gu Selected as Autonomous District to Operate 'Ecologically Friendly Daycare Centers'

District selects 5 eco-friendly daycare centers to operate from June...Creating child-centered care environment focused on nature and play beyond traditional curriculum

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) has selected five "Ecologically Friendly Daycare Centers" and will operate them from June to realize an ecological-friendly childcare process centered on nature, play, and children.

Last month, the district participated in Seoul City's "2020 Ecologically Friendly Daycare Center" project contest and was finally selected as one of the six autonomous districts to operate the project.

The ecologically friendly daycare centers break away from the existing structured childcare curriculum, creating childcare programs and environments that guarantee children's right to play without restrictions on time and space, thereby realizing ecological childcare that pursues the true nature of childhood.

Accordingly, Gangdong-gu recruited base daycare centers to participate in the ecological-friendly daycare center project in May, selected five centers, and plans to begin full-scale operation from June.

The selected daycare centers will receive professional consulting in five areas: space, daily life, childcare curriculum, child-teacher relationships, and health and safety, and will be improved into daycare centers suitable for an ecologically friendly childcare environment, including support for indoor environment improvement.

In addition, to spread ecologically friendly daycare centers, the district plans to operate research groups for qualitative improvement toward ecological childcare, gathering childcare teachers, parents, and experts from daycare centers other than the five base centers.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, stated, "Ecologically friendly childcare is the most suitable practice to raise children as they truly are?joyful and lively children. We will do our best to establish and expand the ecological-friendly daycare center project so that children can grow up healthy and happy."