Seoul City Opens 218 Local Learning Centers Near Homes... Various Community-Based Programs Transition to In-Person

Expansion of 18 District Neighborhood Learning Centers Near Homes... Operated at Resident Autonomy Centers, Libraries, Workshops, etc.
This Year, Support for Bridging Learning Gaps Including Digital Citizen Education and Programs for Underprivileged Groups

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is opening 218 neighborhood lifelong learning centers called ‘Dongne Baeumteo’ near residents' homes at the dong (neighborhood) level. This is an increase of 21 centers in one autonomous district compared to 197 centers in 17 districts in 2021.

On the 12th, considering the spread of digital transformation during the COVID-19 recovery process this year, Seoul City decided to broadly provide digital citizen education to alleviate educational and social class disparities. In Dongjak-gu, a program titled ‘Surviving in the Digital World’ is prepared for seniors and middle-aged adults. Additionally, in Jung-gu, a learning support and experience program called ‘Dreaming Nuriteo’ is operated for low-income children to support marginalized groups.

Furthermore, various environmentally friendly programs, which are currently gaining attention, are also prepared in diverse ways. In Dongdaemun-gu, you can attend a class called ‘Give Old Clothes, Get New Clothes: Clothing Reform.’ In Nowon-gu, the program ‘Handmade Cafe through Recycling’ offers an experience of restoring and reusing items that would otherwise be discarded as useless.

The 1,205 programs and 307 learning-practice projects starting at 218 centers across 18 autonomous districts in Seoul will be conducted sequentially at each Dongne Baeumteo, with the city providing a total budget of 1.3 billion KRW to support program operation and assistance.

Professional and systematic consulting tailored to each district’s circumstances will also be provided. This year, consulting types will be diversified, including peer consulting and group consulting, to offer services based on each district’s situation and survey results. Information on the operation status and participation methods of Dongne Baeumteo can be found on the Seoul Lifelong Education Promotion Institute’s Dongne Baeumteo bulletin board and each autonomous district’s website. Seoul City plans to continuously support learning, practice, and growth through Dongne Baeumteo.

Park Jin-yong, Director of Lifelong Education at Seoul City, said, “With the lifting of social distancing due to COVID-19, we look forward to hearing the laughter of citizens at Dongne Baeumteo across the city,” adding, “We plan to continuously support breaking down barriers between social classes and sharing passion for learning and neighborly affection at the more vibrant Dongne Baeumteo this year.”

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