Residential Daily Life Training Program
Taking the Bus, Grocery Shopping, and More
The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) has garnered significant attention and positive response from schools for 'Kkumdamchae,' the nation's first independent living education center for students with disabilities, which opened last December.
Kkumdamchae, meaning 'a space to hold and fill dreams,' was created by renovating an old dormitory within Sanghee School, a public special education school in Sangju. The center operates a residential daily living training program for high school special classes, special high schools, and vocational students in the Gyeongbuk area, helping them prepare for independent adult living and daily self-reliance.
A student with disabilities is placing food on plates after shopping at the supermarket and cooking, in order to share the meal with friends.
The first semester began on May 2 and will run until July 19, while the second semester will operate from September 3 to December 13.
In the first semester, 54 students from 14 schools are participating, engaging in various daily living training programs focused on money management, self-protection, interpersonal relationships, independent living, leisure activities, and strengthening social adaptation skills.
The program is a 4-day, 3-night residential course, with up to four students per session, each staying in their own private room. Activities include using public transportation, shopping at markets, cooking, and hygiene management.
Students check in every Tuesday at 10 a.m. and check out on Friday at 1 p.m. Depending on the circumstances of each school, the program can also be adjusted to 2 days and 1 night or 3 days and 2 nights.
The operation of Kkumdamchae involves three special education teachers, a homeroom teacher, and one residential life instructor responsible for night-time supervision.
Participants are selected based on criteria suitable for each school, including students who can sleep independently at night, those who can participate in all activities during their stay, and students with no history of sexual misconduct or school violence.
During educational activities, it is mandatory for both the program teacher and the homeroom (or accompanying) teacher to supervise. Preventive education on infectious diseases and personal hygiene is strictly implemented, and the homeroom teacher checks the health status and provides safety education to all participating students daily.
Students participating in the program dream of becoming fully independent members of the community. They experience activities such as taking trains with friends for leisure, ordering hamburgers from unmanned kiosks, and booking movie tickets.
They also get to think about what meals they want to eat, discuss with friends, shop for ingredients at the market, and cook together, experiencing ordinary aspects of daily life through Kkumdamchae.
On the first day, the schedule includes an orientation, safety education, lunch via delivery app, and hygiene education. After lunch, students receive training on using kiosks and smartphones. In the afternoon, they visit convenience facilities such as supermarkets and pharmacies, cook dinner, decorate their rooms, receive personal hygiene education, and prepare for bedtime to conclude the first day.
The second day starts with a morning walk and exercise, followed by making breakfast, sorting recyclables, cleaning, planning meals, shopping, cooking and cleaning up lunch, safety and etiquette education for public transportation, experiencing train and taxi rides, visiting a rattan workshop, ordering dinner via kiosk, and preparing for bedtime with personal hygiene management.
On the third day, after breakfast, students learn how to use local public institutions (city hall, post office). After lunch, they experience going to the cinema, have dinner via delivery app, invite friends to My Home for a snack party, manage laundry and personal hygiene, and organize their belongings to wrap up the day.
On the final fourth day, students cook and share breakfast together, clean and organize the communal kitchen and their rooms, have lunch via delivery app, and receive certificates of completion, marking the end of the 4-day, 3-night program.
At Kkumdamchae, students are encouraged to take on any challenge without relying on help or consideration from others, providing them with opportunities to try things on their own, build confidence, and achieve complete social integration as members of society. All program activity fees are supported by the Gyeongbuk Office of Education.
Upon completing the Kkumdamchae program, students receive priority admission when applying for the vocational-linked housing (dormitory) at the Gyeongbuk Developmental Disabilities Training Center within the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled Gyeongbuk Branch.
Superintendent Lim Jong-sik stated, "We will continue to spare no effort and support to help transitional students with disabilities in the province prepare for independent living and successful social integration through a variety of unique, customized career, vocational education, and independent living competency programs."
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