Jongno Innovation Education Sets Sail... Accepting Applications for Jongno Innovation Public Contest Project

Accepting Applications for Various Projects to Foster Sustainable Village Education Communities and Nurture Children and Youth's Dreams and Talents... Four Areas Including 'Jongno Maeul School', 'Parent Growth Support', 'Youth Projects', and 'Reading Debate Clubs'

Special Lecture by Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Held in October Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is set to actively promote the 'Jongno Innovation Education Public Project' from April to November to foster a sustainable village education community and strengthen the autonomy capabilities of youth, with applications open until March 12.

This year's Innovation Education District project, with a total budget of 90 million KRW, is designed for the entire village to collaboratively nurture the dreams and talents of children and adolescents. It will be carried out across four main areas: ▲Jongno Village School ▲Parent Growth Support ▲Youth Projects ▲Reading Debate Clubs.

The Jongno Village School project is an after-school and care program operated by various educational stakeholders such as students, parents, and teachers, targeting children and adolescents. Proposals can include educational programs utilizing village ecological resources or cultural and artistic resources. Eligibility to apply includes individuals or organizations residing, working, running a business, or attending school within Jongno-gu, as well as community groups.

The Parent Growth Support public project aims to strengthen parental capabilities and support participation in innovation education, with the goal of building a ‘school-parent-village network.’ Eligible applicants are school parent organizations and clubs or federations with five or more members. Applicants should plan projects that can help parents grow, such as coding education or creative playgrounds.

The Youth Project public project is designed to support various activities where youth actively plan and operate the entire process. Eligibility includes students from 3rd grade elementary to 3rd grade high school attending schools within the region or groups of five or more youths aged 10 to 19 residing in Jongno-gu. Project themes can cover local issues, culture, arts, humanities, debates, media, and more. However, one adult mentor?such as a teacher, village resident, parent, or university student?must be designated.

The newly established Reading Debate Club category for this year is part of the ‘2021 Seoul-type Innovation Education District’ project, aimed at revitalizing reading culture among children and adolescents.

This involves participating in a village reading club network to cultivate humanistic thinking and support growth as healthy democratic citizens by holding regular reading debate meetings at least once a month. Any group with two operators residing or having a living area in Jongno-gu and five or more children and adolescents aged 8 to 19 can apply.

The application period for this public project is from March 2 to 6 p.m. on March 12. Applicants must submit the application form and activity plan documents either by visiting the Education Division at the district office or via email.

The document templates must be downloaded from the district office website, and detailed eligibility and project information can be confirmed through the website announcement or by contacting the Education Division.

The district will review applications considering understanding of innovation education, project validity and appropriateness, and operational capacity, with results expected to be announced in April. Selected projects will receive a subsidy of up to 5 million KRW, and proposers are required to participate in related accounting education, mid-term consulting, and monitoring.

Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, “We hope residents show great interest and participation in the 2021 Jongno Innovation Education Public Project, which unites public and private efforts to support the dreams and growth of children and youth, the future leaders of society.” He added, “We will provide comprehensive support so that participation in village activities helps them grow into healthy democratic citizens.”

Meanwhile, Jongno-gu has steadily carried out innovation education projects that move beyond traditional school-centered education to involve both the village and schools. Examples include the ‘365 Jongno Creative Bus,’ an educational program utilizing various cultural assets unique to Jongno’s 600-year history, the ‘Village Instructor Selection’ to strengthen village activity support systems, and parent growth support programs. Last year, to share the values and vision of innovation education, the district operated ‘Jongno Innovation Education Week,’ hosting a series of lectures by invited experts and a video contest for youth.