LG Innotek Shifts Social Contribution Activities to 'Ontact' Due to COVID-19

Chul-dong Jeong, CEO of LG Innotek

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] LG Innotek announced on the 17th that it will convert its representative social contribution program, the 'Junior Sonamu (Materials and Components Dream Tree) Classroom,' to an Ontact (online face-to-face) format. This change is due to difficulties in conducting face-to-face volunteer activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Junior Sonamu Classroom is LG Innotek’s social contribution activity supporting the education of children and adolescents. The program aims to help children and youth grow upright like green pine trees.

To this end, LG Innotek has signed a business agreement with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and has been continuously supporting adolescents participating in the 'After-School Academy' for seven years. Through the Junior Sonamu Classroom, LG Innotek has implemented various programs such as operating science classes, providing books, supporting learning and cultural experiences for child welfare facilities, and improving local government facilities.

With the shift to Ontact, the 'Materials and Components Science Classroom' will have LG Innotek employees directly participate as instructors to produce video lectures on materials and components technology, which is LG Innotek’s business area, for students of the After-School Academy. Students will watch the video lectures at home and can create and experience experiment kits that were delivered in advance by courier. Previously, LG Innotek employees visited the After-School Academy to conduct face-to-face classes with about 20 students at a time.

The newly launched 'Youth Career Coaching Program' will also be conducted via video calls starting this year. This program, linked with study groups composed of LG Group affiliate employees, involves employees with professional coaching certifications providing one-on-one career coaching to students through video calls.

In addition, LG Innotek plans to remodel outdated After-School Academy classrooms and provide IT devices such as laptops and tablet PCs necessary for online learning.

To strengthen the Junior Sonamu Classroom activities, LG Innotek increased its support budget to 600 million KRW this year. This is to actively assist vulnerable youth who cannot attend school due to COVID-19. The After-School Academy expanded from 12 locations in 7 regions last year to 50 locations this year, and the number of participating students increased from 240 to 1,000.

Shim Mincheol, Youth Policy Officer at the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, said, "Due to school closures caused by COVID-19, there is concern about the academic gap among vulnerable youth who need care, and support is necessary. We are grateful to LG Innotek employees who are actively supporting through various non-face-to-face activity programs."

Kim Heejeon, Executive Director of Management Support at LG Innotek, said, "We will continue to support youth who are going through more difficult times than usual due to COVID-19 so that they can grow bright and healthy and realize their dreams through the Junior Sonamu Classroom program."

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