Youth Independence Mentoring Project 'Always on My Side'
Up to 25 Million KRW Settlement Support Over 5 Years
Seocho-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 17th that it will hold a "Networking Day" on the 19th, where young people participating in the mentoring project "Always on My Side" for youth preparing for independence and their mentors will meet and strengthen their friendship.
The "Always on My Side" mentoring project is designed to create reliable adults whom young people preparing to live independently after leaving child care facilities can rely on. Started last year, currently 18 adults from various fields participate as mentors, providing support for 14 young mentees. Especially from this year, the program has expanded its target to include high school students who are prospective youth preparing for independence, offering careful support from an early stage.
The mentors consist of adults from diverse fields such as doctors, lawyers, financial experts, clinical health psychologists, retired teachers, and young entrepreneurs. They meet regularly at least once a month with the youth to support not only daily life concerns but also housing, financial, and legal consultations. Mentors also play a significant role in providing emotional stability by participating together in one-day class programs or attending cultural performances.
The "Networking Day," held at the district office at 7 p.m. on the 19th, is an event where each mentor-mentee pair who have met separately or together come together to share their achievements and foster camaraderie.
In particular, during the "Sharing Hearts between Mentors and Mentees" session, warm exchange cases between mentors and youth will be shared. Since each mentor has expertise in their field, for example, a lawyer mentor provided legal advice to a youth seeking to be adopted by a relative, and a financial expert mentor arranged a meeting with a senior accountant for a youth aspiring to become an accountant, offering direct assistance.
Additionally, a young entrepreneur mentor became a strong supporter by sharing vivid entrepreneurial experiences with youth who want to start a business. Sharing these cases is expected to further strengthen the bonds between participants.
Over the past year, the "Always on My Side" mentoring project has supported mentors and mentees through various programs. Small group activities such as making perfume and leather crafts have strengthened friendships among youth preparing for independence, and attending performances at the Seoul Arts Center with mentors provided opportunities for communication and cultural experiences.
Moreover, the district has added top-level economic support nationwide to ensure the successful independence of youth preparing for self-reliance. This includes up to 25 million KRW in settlement funds over five years, up to 18 million KRW in living allowances, up to 12 million KRW for university tuition, and up to 4 million KRW for academy fees.
Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, "Seocho-gu will be a strong support system to help youth preparing for independence grow into healthy members of society," and added, "We will continue to provide warm and differentiated support unique to Seocho to help these youth settle stably in society with even more careful attention."
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