"Bringing May 18 to the Classroom"... Gwangju Office of Education Distributes Educational Materials to Schools Nationwide

Experience-Based Learning with Books, Board Games, and 3D Puzzles
May 18 Textbooks and Exhibition Materials Also Distributed

Students learn about the May 18 Democratization Movement by flipping through books, solving puzzles, and playing board games. The Gwangju Office of Education has created experiential educational material kits that capture the historical significance and value of the May 18 Democratization Movement and will distribute them to schools nationwide.

The Gwangju Office of Education announced on the 27th that, ahead of the May 18 week, it will distribute three types of educational materials to schools that wish to receive them: the 'May Education Kit,' 'May 18 Exhibition Materials,' and the 'May 18 Approved Secondary Textbook.'

Notice for Application of Educational Materials on the May 18 Democratic Movement. Provided by Gwangju Office of Education

The 'May Education Kit' is an experience-based resource designed to make May 18 accessible and engaging. The kit includes books related to May 18, activity sheets, a board game, a 3D puzzle of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office, a jigsaw puzzle, postcards, and more. It is available in two versions: elementary and secondary. Notably, the secondary version also contains the novel "The Boy is Coming" by author Han Kang. The 'May 18 Exhibition Materials' are visual resources designed to help schools hold small-scale exhibitions on campus, while the 'May 18 Approved Secondary Textbook' is an official textbook recognized by the Gwangju Superintendent of Education for use in high school curricula.

The Gwangju Office of Education will accept applications from schools nationwide and distribute the May Education Kit and exhibition materials to 200 schools each, and the secondary textbook to 50 schools on a first-come, first-served basis. Schools may apply for more than one type of material. Applications can be submitted in survey format on the Gwangju Office of Education’s Democratic Human Rights Education Center website until April 11, and the materials will be shipped sequentially from April 15 to be used in classrooms during the May 18 commemorative week.

Superintendent Lee Jeongseon stated, "We will continue to support our children so they can learn about May 18 correctly and grow into democratic citizens."

Meanwhile, starting this year, the Gwangju Office of Education is also implementing various new educational programs, including the 'May Bus' tour of May 18 historic sites, traveling May 18 globalization education, and the development of themed educational materials.