Honam University’s sign language club 'Haneulgeurim' wrapped up 2023 by receiving the Silver Award at the student-led extracurricular program Free Draw hosted by the University Innovation Project Group’s Integrated Extracurricular Support Center, and the Grand Prize at the club competition hosted by the General Club Federation, recognizing their efforts over the past year.
Since its founding in June 1999, Haneulgeurim has been providing weekly sign language education and continuously conducting various programs and volunteer activities for the school and local community through learned sign language and their majors.
As a result, over the past 24 years, they have been selected 10 times for the Korean University Social Service Council’s university student program contest support project, 3 times as an excellent club in SK Telecom’s university student volunteer program, 2 times for the Korean Youth Club Federation’s youth club support project, 2 times for the Gwangju Volunteer Center’s volunteer program contest, and were chosen as the top program in the IYV Korean University Student Volunteer Contest’s excellent volunteer activity program competition.
Additionally, they were selected for the Gwangju Metropolitan City Arts Club Support Project, LG-Good Neighbors volunteer program support project, KTF NA’s unique club festival excellent club, Gmarket talent sharing program, KT&G volunteer program imagination contest, Federation of Korean Industries social service group contest excellent volunteer group, and received the Gwangju Heungsadan President’s Award, Regional Love Family Volunteer Parade school club bronze award, Youth Volunteer Festival excellent volunteer award, and the Grand Prize at the Gwangju Love Sign Language Contest (12 times), achieving great success through various programs.
They also operated the university student care classroom volunteer group hosted by the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity and have maintained continuous exchanges with local organizations and institutions for the hearing-impaired. Notably, on Disability Day in 2008, they were featured on KBS 9 o’clock national news under the theme “Overcoming Disability Learning Rights through Sign Language,” and currently, 14 sign language interpreters (including deaf interpreters) are actively working in the field.
In 2023, Haneulgeurim operated three after-school sign language classes, attending sign language lessons at least once a week to learn sign language, and conducted various programs such as Homecoming Day and Sign Language Camp, “Sharing Majors with the Hearing-Impaired” held at the Gwangju Seo-gu Deaf Shelter, “Let’s Play in Sign Language with the Elderly” at the Gwangsan-gu Haengboknaru Senior Welfare Center, and “Deaf Experience” with the Deaf Youth Association.
Moreover, they have lowered barriers to sign language, improved awareness of sign language and the hearing-impaired, contributed to the local community, and established themselves as Honam University’s representative club promoting the school.
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