Dongmyeong University Department of Social Welfare Cultivates Creative and Practical Welfare 'Doing Talent'

Specialized Department Activities, Grade-Level Major Competency Competitions, Abundant Scholarships

Social Worker and Youth Counselor Certification at Once with the 'Do-ing Education System'

The Department of Social Welfare at Dongmyung University (President Jeon Ho-hwan) is operated under the 'Do-ing' education system, which pursues the cultivation of practical welfare talents.

Dongmyung University has established a practical education system that allows students to obtain both social worker and youth counselor certifications simultaneously by providing specialized departmental activities, major competency competitions by academic year, and a variety of abundant scholarships.

The university offers a regular curriculum for obtaining the essential qualification of Level 2 Social Worker and the elective Level 2 Youth Counselor certification. Additionally, a non-curricular course is provided for acquiring the Level 3 Youth Counselor certification, creating an education system where students can obtain three welfare-related national certifications individually.

Courses for qualifications such as art therapy counseling and recreation, which are useful in the social welfare field, are also offered, operating various programs for not only national qualifications but also private certifications.

Graduates serve as social welfare experts in various fields such as social welfare centers, senior welfare centers, disability welfare centers, nursing homes for the elderly, home-based elderly welfare centers, mental health welfare centers, community child centers, youth training centers, social welfare public officials, and medical institutions, based on their acquisition of diverse professional national and private certifications.

In 2023, all students who took the Level 2 Youth Counselor certification exam passed, demonstrating effective education. Moreover, club activities reflect values of consideration, communication, and fairness, rather than being mere hobby groups.

Volunteer clubs such as 'Nurinanum,' which conduct volunteer work in various social welfare fields (children, youth, elderly, disabled, etc.), and 'Blue Voice,' the Busan City Council Legislative Monitor Supporters exploring welfare policy monitoring and development in Busan, are also active.

Other active clubs include the basic learning sharing club 'Social Welfare Guide,' which focuses on welfare data search and presentation methods; the employment-focused mentoring club 'Dongmyung SAND,' which shares social welfare job information and interview preparation; the mental health and medical social welfare major club 'Healing Hyeyum'; the learning community club '040 Study Love Community,' which supplements and deepens coursework, participates in contests, and holds study discussions; and the Level 3 Youth Counselor learning club 'Cheongsangari,' which visits youth shelters and youth counseling welfare centers for practical field visits and volunteer activities.

The 7th annual Chambit Donghaeng Festival, a departmental event where students enhance their major knowledge and reaffirm their mission as prospective social workers, was held.

The first part of the Chambit Donghaeng Festival is a competition by academic year (1st-year speech contest to enhance sensitivity to social issues, 2nd-year program idea contest to strengthen social worker practical skills, 3rd-year media development contest to enhance social welfare resource mobilization and marketing skills, and 4th-year portfolio contest to strengthen social welfare employment skills), culminating in the third part's Golden Bell event, showcasing the skills honed over time.

The second part, the Cooperation and Sharing Festival, builds a network to strengthen field training and employment infrastructure by signing MOUs with social welfare centers, youth organizations, and mental health-related healthcare institutions, befitting the status of an industry-academia practical education innovation university.

The department fosters professional competencies through a systematic curriculum and mentoring system from admission to graduation, earning recognition for expertise by winning various contests.

Achievements include selection for the 2020 Rural Talent Sharing University Student Activity Support Project (Korea Rural Community Corporation), the 2021 Big Data-based ICT Convergence Expert Training Project (Busan City), the 2021 Cheontae Mansang Program Contest Excellence Award (Cheontaejong Welfare Foundation), the 2022 8th Communication Link University Student Volunteer Contest Grand Prize (Busan Volunteer Center), the 2022 Youth Activity Excellent Program Development Contest Award (Busan City), the 2023 Busan Volunteer Shorts Contest Excellence Award (Busan Volunteer Center), the 2023 Busan Youth Activity Program Contest 1st Place (Busan Youth Activity Promotion Center), and the 2023 Human Rights Work Contest Encouragement Award (Busan Human Rights Center), reflecting the fruits of the Do-ing education that values practice and challenge.

Furthermore, social welfare field experts are invited to provide in-depth self-exploration and career special lectures for 1st and 2nd-year students to help them identify their strengths, weaknesses, and latent abilities and establish their own career plans.

For 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students, three weeks out of the 15-week semester per course are dedicated to industry-academia convergence special lectures by field experts to strengthen practical skills.

Opportunities are also provided for 3rd and 4th-year students to enhance career planning and employment skills by inviting successful alumni.

Various multi-convergence lectures, including alumni special lectures, are promoted. Especially for 4th-year students approaching graduation, a one-on-one employment coaching program is conducted by inviting current social welfare institution CEOs and middle managers, and an advanced program invites CEOs as interview panelists to conduct practical interviews in three fields (comprehensive social welfare centers, senior welfare centers and disability welfare centers, youth organizations).

Dongmyung University supports scholarships such as regional talent scholarships, volunteer scholarships, special scholarships, transfer scholarships, high-achievement scholarships, Dongmyung family scholarships, Dongmyung welfare scholarships, Dongmyung true talent scholarships, and mileage scholarships to improve academic achievement and ensure stable school life for social welfare students.

In particular, to prevent students from discontinuing or giving up their studies due to financial difficulties, off-campus scholarships (Chambit Donghaeng Festival scholarships, Nurinanum scholarships, academic encouragement scholarships, etc.), plus scholarships, and Daeseon scholarships are provided.

Social welfare is a practical discipline that leads children, youth, elderly, and disabled individuals to better lives and plays a role in transforming local communities.

As South Korea faces a super-aged society and serious social issues such as elder abuse and dementia, Dongmyung University social welfare students have formed specialized volunteer groups to lead community change.

The Department of Social Welfare at Dongmyung University has collaborated with the Busan Western Elder Protection Agency to form the 'Nodaji' monitoring team, meaning 'Let's all protect abused elderly together.'

‘Nodaji,’ composed of eight social welfare students, conducts regular monitoring activities targeting 30 abused elderly individuals.

Additionally, to address dementia blind spots and improve the quality of life for dementia patients, the Busan Nam-gu Dementia Relief Center and Dongmyung University’s Department of Social Welfare have formed the dementia-specialized volunteer group ‘Dongchimi.’

‘Dongchimi’ means ‘Beautiful companionship of Dongmyung University and Dementia Relief Center’ and is a customized volunteer group consisting of 19 social welfare students. They engage in various sharing activities such as birthday party support and campaign promotion.

Park Seon-sook, head of the Department of Social Welfare at Dongmyung University, stated, “We will nurture creative and practical welfare talents who solve social problems and meet the welfare needs of local communities.”