Kyobo Education Foundation Selects Principal Im Seok-hwan and Others for 2020 Kyobo Education Awards

Four Category Grand Prize Winners Awarded 30 Million Won Prize Money and Plaques

Im Seokhwan, Principal of Daegu Haeol Middle and High School

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] The Kyobo Education Foundation announced on the 23rd that it has selected winners in four categories for the ‘2020 Kyobo Education Awards,’ including Principal Im Seok-hwan.

This year’s winners are ▲Grand Prize in the True Person Development category: Principal Im Seok-hwan of Daegu Haeol Middle and High School ▲Grand Prize in the Creative Talent Development category: Science teacher Choi Kyung-chul of Yebong Middle School ▲Grand Prize in the Lifelong Education category: ‘Yeongdo Hope 21’ ▲Grand Prize in the Future Education Content category: ‘Teachers Who Gift Dreams to Children.’

Principal Im, who won the True Person Development category, is an educator and clergyman dedicated to out-of-school at-risk youth. Starting with the alternative education center ‘Kkum Motjari’ in 2012, he has been a key figure leading alternative education in Daegu, culminating in the public alternative school Haeol Middle and High School in 2018.

In particular, as the first principal of a privately commissioned public alternative school nationwide, he was highly praised for creating a new framework for alternative education for out-of-school at-risk youth within public education, fostering a democratic school culture, and nurturing true persons by encompassing both inside and outside the school.

Choi Kyung-chul, teacher at Yebong Middle School

Teacher Choi Kyung-chul received the Creative Talent Development award for his contributions to nurturing creative talents through various interdisciplinary lessons and thematic convergence maker education.

Through inquiry-based activities, Teacher Choi increased student participation while stimulating youth curiosity with challenging questions that crossed boundaries. He also worked closely with the local community through events such as the Namyangju Model Car Competition, Music Maker, and STEAM Junior Classroom to foster the creativity children possess.

‘Yeongdo Hope 21,’ selected in the Lifelong Education category, is a nonprofit private organization voluntarily formed by local residents in 2011, playing a central role in village lifelong education. It was recognized for presenting a model of a lifelong education community where all generations participate systematically from cradle to 100 years old, growing independently.

Youngdo Hope 21 CEO Songmi Lee

The winner in the Future Education Content category, ‘Teachers Who Gift Dreams to Children,’ was highly praised for contributing to nurturing future talents without educational gaps by developing and sharing content based on online learning platforms and media aimed at bridging the educational divide between urban and rural areas.

Seon Jong-hak, Chairman of the Kyobo Education Foundation, said, “This year’s Kyobo Education Award winners have long dedicated themselves to nurturing true persons and promoting national education based on their unique educational philosophies,” adding, “The foundation will work harder to widely spread the winners’ philosophies on talent development and educational values throughout society.”

Meanwhile, the Kyobo Education Awards are the nation’s top education awards that select and honor individuals and organizations contributing to educational development in the categories of ‘True Person Development,’ ‘Creative Talent Development,’ ‘Lifelong Education,’ and ‘Future Education Content.’ Established in 2015, the awards embody the talent development philosophy of Kyobo Life founder Shin Yong-ho, who created education insurance and founded Kyobo Book Centre based on the belief that ‘education is the future of the nation,’ and aim to spread the era-defining value of ‘True Person Development.’

Teacher Kim Seon-wang, a representative who gives dreams to children

The awards ceremony will be held on December 4th at 3 p.m. in the Convention Hall on the 23rd floor of the Kyobo Life Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Each grand prize winner will receive a prize of 30 million won and a trophy.

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