Nowon-gu to Host 2023 Nowon Future Education Expo

Held on the 18th from noon to 4 PM at Sanggye Neighborhood Park... Resuming after 4 years, this year's theme is Board Games!
43 booths featuring experiences and exhibitions from the 'Nowon Future Education District Project' led by schools, parents, youth, and the community... Stamp tour, board game events, performances, food trucks, and rest areas available

Nowon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold the '2023 Nowon Future Education Expo,' a platform for communication aimed at improving the educational environment for children and adolescents.

Nowon, the oldest educational special zone in Seoul, has a population of over 70,000 children and adolescents (ages 0-18), accounting for about 15% of the district's total population. As of April this year, it has the highest number of schools (96 elementary, middle, high, and special schools) among Seoul's autonomous districts.

The district operates the 'Nowon Future Education District Project,' which connects empathy, communication, and diversity through cooperation among the public, private, and academic sectors with the goal of nurturing future talents. The '2023 Nowon Future Education Expo' is the event to share the achievements of this project. It is scheduled to be held on the 18th at Sanggye Neighborhood Park and will resume this year after a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

The theme of this year's expo is 'board games' to stimulate the interest of adolescents. Key participants of the Future Education District Project, including youth, parents, community activists, and local linked schools, will engage in various programs such as hands-on experiences, exhibitions, and performances. The expo is divided into four zones with a total of 43 booths: ▲Growing Youth Land ▲Sparkling Parents Land ▲Dreaming School Land ▲Our Village Land.

At 'Growing Youth Land,' youth clubs (Majungmul) and social participation project teams (Started Change) will lead booths offering business accessory sales, coaster-making experiences, soccer games, and photo booths. In addition to promoting youth participation projects and clubs, a school violence prevention campaign will also be conducted.

'Sparkling Parents Land' is led by parent clubs and offers various hands-on programs such as making Christmas decorations, hairpins, pot holders, leather crafts, and Mensa-recommended games. Notably, the group 'Bod-ya Nol-ja' will run the 'Gamstaurant' booth at the center of the venue. Board game challenges will take place at different times, with winners receiving a free pass for one experience booth visit.

'Dreaming School Land' features participation from local linked schools, Yeongsin Nursing Business High School and Sangcheon Elementary School, operating experience booths for making keyrings, bracelets, perfumes, and eco-friendly card wallets. Local linked schools are those that design their curricula utilizing various educational resources within the area, such as the Nowon Math Culture Center, Nowon Astronomy Science Center, and Hwarangdae History Museum. This year, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education designated 10 such schools in Nowon.

'Our Village Land' is organized by village teacher research clubs and education communities at the neighborhood level, led by community activists. Visitors can enjoy face painting, woodworking, traditional games, making dasik (traditional Korean sweets), and carbon neutrality experiences. Each experience booth charges a fee of 1,000 KRW. All proceeds will be donated to the Nowon Education Welfare Foundation.

Additionally, there will be club performances including band and instrument playing, dance, and traditional dance, along with food trucks and rest areas. A 'Stamp Tour' event to find the golden key will also be held, where participants can win various prizes ranging from 2,000 KRW discount coupons for food trucks to wireless earphones.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I am pleased that the Nowon Future Education Expo, which was suspended due to COVID-19, is resuming after four years, bringing together those dedicated to nurturing Nowon's future talents in one place. Going forward, we will continue to actively cooperate among the public, private, and academic sectors to nurture future talents and ensure a happy future for our children.”