Highly Praised for Sharing Evolving Education Trends and Vision with High-Quality Content and Scale... Plans to Expand Regular Annual Events After Evaluation and Improvement This Year
Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) successfully concluded the first-ever ‘Y Education Expo 2023,’ held this year to share evolving educational trends and directions, after a three-day grand journey.
From the 7th to the 9th, a variety of programs covering 16 topics across 5 fields were held around the Yangcheon-gu Office area, attracting an estimated total of about 32,000 visitors including elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide, as well as parents and teachers.
Under the slogan “Changing Education Changes the Future,” this Y Education Expo, the first of its kind on a national scale hosted by a basic local government, opened a public forum for exchanging information and directions on future education. It was praised for hosting advanced, high-quality programs and an extraordinary scale of the expo, befitting its reputation as a leading education district.
Opening Ceremony Declares a Strong Start for Y Education Expo, Exploring Future Education Directions
The opening ceremony held at the Yangcheon Cultural Hall Grand Theater kicked off with a spectacular VR drawing art performance. Following the opening remarks by Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu and congratulatory messages from many dignitaries including Kim Ui-seung, Seoul City’s First Deputy Mayor for Administration, the event concluded with a digital ceremony proclaiming the vigorous start of the Y Education Expo. Subsequently, the ‘Y-Education Forum,’ co-hosted with EBS, was attended by about 200 people. It began with an online keynote speech by Professor Paul Yoon, followed by an in-depth discussion among five domestic and international scholars on future talent and educational methods.
About 1,500 students and parents participated in the ‘Career Rock Talk Concert’ and ‘Star Mentor Lectures’ featuring career mentors favored by youth. The talk show-style ‘Career Rock Talk Concert’ featured former short track national team athlete Kwak Yoon-gi and three youth representatives on stage, who candidly communicated about the journey from starting as athletes to becoming national representatives. This session encouraged young people to discover what they truly love and support their dreams, receiving great enthusiasm on site.
Additionally, Professor Han Jae-kwon of Hanyang University delivered a ‘Robot Special Lecture’ that easily explained the history and future prospects of robots through hands-on experiences. The event continued with a live demonstration of the humanoid soccer robot ‘Ellis,’ sparking a stream of curious questions from youth interested in 4th industrial revolution technologies, including students from the Robot High School.
National Career and College Admission Expo Draws Over 6,000 Visitors, Parents Flock to the Event
On the following days, the Career and College Admission Expo, providing one-stop information on admissions, college entrance, and career paths tailored to student tendencies by current and former education experts, was held on the 8th and 9th to enthusiastic responses from parents and students. First, high school admission briefings were held for 17 schools including Sejong Science High School, Daewon Foreign Language High School, Hana High School, and Mokdong High School, attracting over 2,500 parents and others. Attendees acquired information on curriculum operation under the high school credit system and resolved their questions about each school. Additionally, university admission strategy sessions for prestigious overseas universities and Korea University’s College of Pharmacy, held by time slot, attracted about 300 participants. Counseling booths staffed by nine current university admissions officers from universities such as Sogang University, Soongsil University, and Inha University, along with ten former admissions officers, as well as 1:1 customized career and college counseling booths and the Y-Admission Mentor Group where students heard from senior peers, drew a total of about 3,000 students and parents, sharing in-depth information on admission planning and future talent development.
Quadruped Robots, AI Avatar ‘Kkottu,’ Drone Soccer Tournament and More: A Future Education Showcase
The core theme of the Y Education Expo, the Future Education Expo held over three days at Yangcheon Park, attracted about 15,000 visitors who experienced firsthand the flow and changes of future technologies rarely encountered in daily life. Particularly, inside the 20-meter diameter transparent air dome zone set up on the central lawn of Yangcheon Park, experience booths featuring virtual reality (VR), e-sports drone soccer simulation matches, quadruped, autonomous driving, and logistics delivery robots were open, drawing crowds every day.
Additionally, 23 booths surrounding the air dome showcased hands-on 4th industrial revolution cutting-edge technologies such as drones, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and autonomous driving robots, attracting many visitors. Furthermore, the ‘Titan Robot,’ which performed dance, singing, and a tear water gun performance three times daily, greatly energized the event atmosphere. An unusual event featuring drinks served by a robot barista also caught visitors’ attention.
On the final day, the nationwide first-ever ‘ChatGPT English Speech Contest’ was held to enhance youth AI technology utilization skills and global competencies, adding to the event’s excitement. Among 219 participants nationwide, 20 students (10 middle school and 10 high school) were selected to write and deliver impromptu English speeches on-site using ChatGPT. The middle school division’s topic was “The Impact of K-Content on Youth Worldwide,” and the high school division’s topic was “Cybercrime and the Importance of Personal Information Protection.” As a result, Jang Si-an from Sookmyung Middle School and Kwon Soo-yeon from Han Young Foreign Language High School won the grand prizes, receiving the EBS President’s Award and prize money of 1 million won each.
Professor Shin Jong-ho of Seoul National University’s Department of Education, who chaired the judging panel for the ChatGPT English Speech Contest, said, “This contest was truly meaningful as it provided an opportunity for our youth to express their creativity and originality by incorporating their own thoughts and experiences into presentations, rather than merely imitating information obtained from ChatGPT,” and encouraged all participants by saying, “Everyone who participated is a winner.”
Moreover, the drone soccer tournament featuring 18 youth teams nationwide competed amid enthusiastic cheers from spectators. The YG Dream A team from Yanggam-myeon Residents’ Autonomous Committee in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province, won the championship, receiving the Seoul Mayor’s Award, a trophy, and prize money of 1.5 million won.
Lifelong Learning Festival Filled with 9 Special Stage Programs and 10 Experience Programs
The lifelong learning festival, designed to experience a new paradigm of lifelong education and plan for a second life, was held over three days at the outdoor plaza of Haenuri Town with about 8,000 participants. The festival was filled with learning, entertainment, and exhibitions through 9 special stage programs, 10 experience booths, and an art exhibition. Starting with a brush calligraphy performance by calligrapher Lee San, famous for creating the Soju Chamisul logo, and culminating with a lecture by celebrity trainer Kang Hyung-wook on “Living Together with Companion Dogs,” the festival blossomed into a multi-generational event offering the joy of learning and opportunities for designing a fulfilling life. Nearby, the ‘Y Lifelong Learning Space,’ styled like a plant caf?, provided visitors a place to relax and take commemorative photos at the photo zone while reflecting on lifelong learning.
Establishing Itself as Korea’s Representative Education Expo, Leading Future Education
The closing ceremony held at the special stage in Yangcheon Park began with pre-event performances by three teams including guitarist Song Si-hyun, followed by award ceremonies for competitions, remarks from youth representatives, and farewell remarks by Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu. Especially, the lasertron and multimedia show celebrating the successful conclusion of the expo and promising next year created an overwhelming spectacle, brilliantly marking the finale. Above all, the Y Education Expo was managed as a safe festival without accidents by deploying over 130 safety personnel throughout the venue to control movement and prevent confusion, ensuring a well-organized event.
Mayor Lee Gi-jae of Yangcheon-gu said, “As the first nationwide event hosted by a basic local government, this Y Education Expo was ambitiously prepared with a great aspiration to lead future education,” adding, “Next year, we will prepare even richer and more diverse programs to ensure that the Y Education Expo grows into Korea’s representative education expo.”
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