Gangwon Province to Hold "Children's Participatory Budget School" in Connection with Neulbom School

Future Generations Participate in Budgeting
Children's Participatory Budget School Tailored to Their Perspective

On October 15, 22, and 29, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) announced that it will operate the "Children's Participatory Budget School" for students participating in the Neulbom School at Jinbu Elementary School in Pyeongchang.

A panoramic view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government.

This program is a follow-up project to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Provincial Office of Education on July 8 of last year. It is being carried out by accepting advance applications from elementary schools operating Neulbom classrooms in the province. To help children understand the participatory budgeting system from their perspective, professional instructors will be dispatched to the schools to conduct a short-term, hands-on program.

Last year, pilot programs were held once each at Chuncheon Dongbu Elementary School and the Hwacheon Community Center. This year, the program will be expanded to include more participants.

In particular, by providing participatory budgeting education to lower elementary grades (1st and 2nd graders), the program is expected to naturally draw out practical policy ideas related to safety, education, and culture, thereby enhancing the educational impact.

Lee Hee-yeol, Director of Planning and Coordination at Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, "I hope the Children's Participatory Budget School becomes the starting point for systematically cultivating the policy participation capabilities of future generations," adding, "The province will continue to expand the program through cooperation with the Office of Education and schools, and strengthen support so that the results of participation can be reflected in actual policies."

Meanwhile, in line with the 2026 budget formulation period, the province is operating the "Visiting Participatory Budget School" for cities and counties within the province, and plans to conduct sessions in Chuncheon and Cheorwon during October. Through these efforts, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province will continue to strengthen the policy proposal and budget understanding capabilities of participatory budget committee members in cities and counties.