Miryang City Youth Counseling and Welfare Center Supports Integrated Customized Services

The Gyeongnam Miryang Youth Counseling and Welfare Center has recently been actively providing support as a beacon of hope for at-risk youth, including out-of-school adolescents.

The "Miryang Youth Counseling and Welfare Center" was established in 1997 under Article 29 of the Youth Welfare Support Act. It is a youth welfare support institution that offers integrated, customized services through individual and group counseling, various educational programs, and a youth safety network composed of related organizations and private resources.

Miryang City Youth Counseling and Welfare Center. [Image source: Miryang City]

The center operates prevention projects linked to the youth safety network, character and emotional specialty projects aimed at making Miryang a safe and happy place for youth, the Miryang Peer Counseling Association "MilTto" for school violence prevention, youth-led participatory theater performances, and the "Miryang Out-of-School Youth Support Center" for supporting out-of-school youth.

Last year, 19 out-of-school youth obtained high school equivalency diplomas through the Miryang Out-of-School Youth Support Center, and among them, 6 realized their dream of entering university.

Additionally, the Miryang Youth Counseling and Welfare Center and the Out-of-School Youth Support Center received multiple awards in 2022, including the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Award in the Outstanding Mentor category for the excellent out-of-school youth support project, the Outstanding Youth Counseling and Welfare Center category for the Solian Peer Counseling Project, and the Youth category of the Youth Blue Growth Awards. They also received the Gyeongnam Governor’s Award in the Outstanding Leader and Outstanding Youth Companion categories, as well as the Grand Prize in the Out-of-School Project category (supported by the Gyeongnam Foundation), totaling six awards.

Starting this year, the long-awaited "Out-of-School Youth Motivation Enhancement Project Education Participation Allowance" will be implemented to prevent crises among out-of-school youth and facilitate their smooth social integration.

This project will be operated with the support of Daegak Cultural Center Yeongsanjeongsa within the region. It provides motivational scholarships to reduce the economic burden on out-of-school youth, allowing them to safely belong to the Miryang Out-of-School Youth Support Center and participate in center educational programs such as GED preparation classes, qualification acquisition courses, job experiences, and club activities.

The Miryang Youth Counseling and Welfare Center plans to faithfully fulfill its role as a professional safe haven that local youth can always trust and turn to. They expressed anticipation for a "Miryang city where youth are safe and happy," achieved through collaboration with the city and youth-related organizations and groups.

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