'Rebirth of School Spaces by Students' Hands'

Eunpyeong-gu, My Drawn Empathy School (Soongsil Middle School)

Eunpyeong-gu Empathy School Project ... Students, Parents, and Teachers Unite to Transform Old and Neglected School Spaces

Applications for Participating Schools Open Until the 28th... 14 Schools in Eunpyeong Area to be Selected... Total Budget of 2.3 Billion KRW Allocated

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is publicly recruiting schools to participate in this year's student-led space innovation project, "The Empathy School I Designed."

"The Empathy School I Designed" is a space innovation project that enhances the utility of old and neglected spaces within schools by having students directly design the spaces they want. The core of the project is to allow students, the true owners of the school, to exercise spatial sovereignty through direct participation.

This year, the district plans to select 14 schools with a total budget of 2.38 billion KRW.

Elementary, middle, and high schools in the Eunpyeong area wishing to participate can submit their project applications to the Citizen Education Division of the district office by the 28th. From the application stage, student-centered preliminary surveys will identify target spaces, and schools will be selected through evaluations scheduled for next month.

Selected schools will receive project funds necessary for environmental improvements, and a design TF team will be formed to officially start the project. The TF team, composed of students, parents, and teachers, will also include architectural experts who will collaborate from design planning to construction, transforming unused school spaces into creative and emotionally engaging areas for students.

Since the project began in 2021, 27 schools have participated, completing emotional spaces designed directly by students.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated, "The Empathy School I Designed is a participatory project where children find and imagine the spaces they want and design the colors and uses that fit those spaces. Through the process of turning discarded and old spaces into dream spaces, we provide unforgettable and valuable experiences during their school years. We hope many schools will participate again this year."