Goal to Participate in the 2023 UN-Hosted 'Leaders Summit' Event
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, represent the largest shared objectives of the international community to be implemented over 15 years from 2016 to 2030. The SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 detailed targets, covering various global issues such as ending poverty, quality education, clean energy, and climate action.
However, the Social Progress Imperative in the United States projected that the SDGs will be achieved in 2082, 52 years later than the original target year of 2030. They explained that although everyone recognizes the importance of the SDGs and the need for change, there is a lack of practical action.
To address this, Generation Z youths have stepped forward. Cha Jung-woo, a student at Chadwick International School in Songdo, is serving as the middle school representative of the Youth Impact Fund, launched in 2020. He is the first middle school member of the Youth Impact Fund and strives to create a sustainable world through socially responsible investing.
Currently, Cha Jung-woo participates in the Youth Impact Fund project by analyzing the social media market and managing a portfolio composed of related stocks as a portfolio manager. Additionally, as the middle school representative of the Youth Impact Fund, he is working to incorporate the Youth Impact Fund program into middle school curricula and clubs worldwide, including in Korea and the United States.
The Youth Impact Fund started in 2020. It is an online project that not only provides education on stock investment to youths but also offers opportunities to analyze various companies globally and make actual investments using the knowledge gained. Particularly, it focuses on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing, dedicating efforts to companies that fulfill environmental and social responsibilities rather than merely generating profits. To date, it has provided ESG education and real investment opportunities to over 100 youths worldwide, creating meaningful impact for a sustainable future.
Cha Jung-woo served as the middle school student council president and operated various programs for his peers. Earlier this year, he and close friends became interested in stock investment but, lacking experience, felt frustrated and searched for related programs, through which he learned about the Youth Impact Fund.
Originally designed for high school students, Cha Jung-woo personally contacted the program and became the first middle school student to participate. Through his experience, he realized the need to create opportunities for other middle school students to join the Youth Impact Fund program as well.
By participating in the Youth Impact Fund, he has systematically learned basic concepts of investment and ESG, as well as how to analyze corporate financial statements, through weekly 1-2 hour online meetings with his mentor whenever he had free time. Recently, he started his own portfolio and began actual investing, and plans to publish a report summarizing his research on the social media industry and related companies by October.
Regarding this, Cha Jung-woo stated, “Starting with Chadwick International School where I am currently enrolled, I aim to establish Youth Impact Fund school clubs in middle schools nationwide and worldwide, providing any interested middle school students with systematic education and opportunities to gain real investment experience.” He added, “By forming a network among schools, we plan to expand the program into various areas such as investment competitions, online campaigns, and research. Additionally, in the summer of 2023, I will attend the United Nations’ annual Leaders Summit as a representative of Youth Impact to actively promote our activities aimed at creating a better world.”
Meanwhile, detailed information about the Youth Impact Fund can be found on its official website.
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