Yeongdeungpo-gu 1st Year Middle School Free Semester Ecological Education Enhances Environmental Sensitivity

Pilot Operation of Environmental Education Linked to Free Semester System for 1 Student Among 9 in the Region... Climate Crisis Awareness Education, Career Exploration in Environmental Fields, Ecological Leadership Training... Actively Promoting Environmental Projects for Residents Including Local Environmental Festivals

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) is conducting a pilot environmental education program linked to the free semester system for first-year middle school students in the district to raise awareness among youth about the increasingly serious climate crisis and environmental issues and to enhance their climate change response capabilities.

In June last year, the district signed an agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Mulla Youth Center, designated as a ‘Local Environmental Education Center’ by the Seoul City Environmental Policy Division, to support the operation of the Yeongdeungpo-gu Environmental Education Center in 2021.

With the agreement, Yeongdeungpo-gu and the Seoul Metropolitan Mulla Youth Center agreed to cooperate to create a community-based environmental education ecosystem and to foster the next generation of green leaders through the expansion of ecological transition education.

Additionally, the district is promoting various environmental protection programs, including environmental education linked to the middle school free semester system, community-led eco-friendly festivals involving environmental organizations, educational institutions, and residents.

Accordingly, a demand survey for ‘Environmental Education Linked to the Middle School Free Semester System’ was conducted in January targeting 12 middle schools in the area, and nine schools expressed interest in the education, leading to the pilot operation of the program for approximately 500 first-year middle school students.

The main content of the education consists of customized environmental education by class and group specialized for the middle school free semester system, featuring experiential classes and Project Based Learning (PBL) lectures on topics such as climate change, energy saving, and biodiversity to cultivate environmental sensitivity and enhance creativity.

The detailed curriculum includes ▲ climate crisis awareness education and a ‘Climate Change Project’ to overcome the crisis, ▲ ‘Let’s Catch the Environment (Job)’ to design environmental-related career paths through fostering ecological values, and ▲ related programs such as resource circulation, career exploration, ecological leadership, and experiencing ecological professions, promoting coexistence between humans and nature and sustainable ecological transition education.

Furthermore, the district plans to operate environmental protection practice education for local residents, including training environmental education professionals and ecological-friendly daily life EM education.

In the second half of this year, a local environmental festival planned and organized directly by youth in collaboration with the community environmental network is also scheduled, with consideration given to holding it online depending on the COVID-19 situation.

Next year, the district plans to expand the free semester system-linked environmental education to all middle schools in the area, strengthening systematic support so that the growing future generation can develop as green growth leaders with ecological sensitivity.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, stated, “The ecological transition education linked to the middle school free semester system was introduced so that growing youth can respond promptly to climate change and learn the value of coexistence with nature,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to raise environmental awareness among residents and to prepare educational programs and support measures that activate environmental protection movements in daily life.”

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