Gokseong-gun, Fun Classes Playing in the Forest! Creativity Growing Rapidly!

Gokseong Kkumnolja School Forest Education 2020 Elementary Curriculum Linked Operation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] In Gokseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, just playing in the forest counts as a class.

According to Gokseong-gun on the 22nd, the county has been operating the Dream Play School program since the 7th local government term, and from this year, it is being linked with the elementary school curriculum.

This is to maximize the effectiveness by formalizing a program previously run separately by the local government into the school curriculum.

The program is managed by a task force team composed of Gokseong-gun, Gokseong Office of Education, and local elementary schools. According to Gokseong-gun, this allows children to develop creativity and imagination by playing in the forest.

The forest education linked with the curriculum is scheduled to start in June this year, with a total of five programs prepared: tree climbing, orienteering, rope playground, Goblin Village forest experience, and playing at the Asan Jobangwon Art Museum. Seven local elementary schools will participate, engaging in a total of 80 sessions.

The reason Gokseong-gun emphasizes education during the 7th local government term is the belief that the future of the region depends on the happiness of its children.

To this end, under the slogan “Gokseong Education where Parents and Children are Happy,” various forest education and career arts education programs have been operated to realize creative education. The Dream Play School (hereafter ‘Dream Play School’) was started for this purpose.

The Dream Play School utilizes all resources of Gokseong, including local forests, ecology, history, culture, and arts, as learning spaces. Among these, forest education developed considering the region’s mountainous characteristics stands out.

Last year, regional forest education programs such as building tree houses with dads, Bangujeong tree climbing, Jeweol Island orienteering, and Alexander Technique in Samindong were operated, receiving great responses from parents nationwide.

In particular, the National Orienteering Family Mini-Competition held last year on Jeweol Island greatly contributed to establishing Gokseong as a mecca of forest education. Jeweol Island (located at 1115 Jeweol-ri, Ip-myeon, Gokseong-gun) was once so sparsely populated that even Gokseong residents barely knew about it. The area, which was almost abandoned, was reborn as a forest ecology education site and playground for children through the Dream Play School.

The county plans to designate Jeweol Island as Forest Playground No. 1 and expand to Forest Playgrounds No. 2 and 3 in the future.

Mayor Yoo Geun-gi said, “I felt sorry that children these days are tied only to smartphones or studying. It is important for elementary school students to play in the forest to develop creativity and sensitivity. Based on this, from middle school, they should find careers they like through various experiences.”

He added, “I hope children grow into talents suitable for the 4th Industrial Revolution era by developing a spirit of challenge, adventurousness, and creativity through the Dream Play School.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.