Nowon-gu Receives Presidential Citation for Excellence in Youth Development

Nowon-gu, the Only Local Government Nationwide to Receive the Presidential Citation!...Recognized for Multifaceted Efforts in Youth Development and Protection

On the 25th at 2 PM, Nowon-gu received the Presidential Citation at the 2023 Youth Development and Protection Meritorious Service Awards Ceremony

Since 2019, Leading Youth Safety Net Projects and Selected as an Excellent Institution; In 2021, Opened the Nation’s First Autonomous District-Operated ‘Youth Safety Net Integrated Support Center’

Multifaceted Efforts in Youth Development and Protection Including Youth Sexual Counseling Center, Operation of Commissioned Alternative Schools, and Customized Support for Crisis Situations

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is the only local government nationwide to receive the Presidential Citation in the ‘2023 Youth Development and Protection Meritorious Service Government Awards’ hosted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A total of 72 teams, including individuals, organizations, and exemplary peer youths who contributed to the healthy growth of youth and the creation of a youth-friendly social environment, were selected for this award.

Nowon-gu is the only local government to receive the Presidential Citation nationwide.

The district achieved this great honor by implementing multifaceted youth policies such as ▲establishing a social safety net for at-risk youth and strengthening public support systems ▲operating youth specialized institutions like counseling and welfare centers ▲running alternative education institutions to prevent school dropout ▲managing integrated cases of at-risk youth and operating customized programs.

First, since 2019, the district has been promoting the ‘Youth Safety Net Leading Project’ to strengthen the public nature and social responsibility of the protection system for at-risk youth. In November 2020, a business agreement was signed among private (Youth Counseling and Welfare Center), public, and police sectors to establish a one-stop integrated support service for at-risk youth. In January 2021, the district opened the nation’s first autonomous district-operated ‘Youth Safety Net Integrated Support Center.’

The center is staffed full-time by five district office employees, one SPO police officer from Nowon Police Station, and four employees from the Youth Counseling and Welfare Center, enabling rapid information sharing and youth-centered customized support and integrated case management.

The district also focuses on operating specialized institutions such as counseling centers for psychological and emotional support for youth, and in February last year, it opened the nation’s first ‘Youth Sexual Counseling Center.’ The center provides counseling on sexual questions encountered in daily life and supports healthy sexual development by helping youths understand bodily changes and others’ sexual rights. Last year, 1,516 youths received counseling, and 1,703 completed preventive education.

Additionally, to discover and support at-risk youth without blind spots, the district operates a ‘Support Center for Out-of-School Youth’ and runs the nation’s first commissioned alternative schools. The Support Center assists with qualification exams, health checkups and meals, career and job experiences, among other services. The commissioned alternative schools include three locations: ▲Now School (middle and high school) ▲Chamjoeun School (high school) ▲Yerum Arts School (elementary, middle, and high school), currently serving 76 students.

In particular, Yerum Arts School, the nation’s first alternative school for youth with borderline intellectual functioning, has received great acclaim, attracting parents from other regions. The district also operates alternative education institutions ‘Warak’ and ‘Changchanghan Workshop School’ as hub spaces connecting schools and out-of-school environments.

Moreover, the district diversifies services to ensure thorough customized support for various crisis situations. Through integrated case management for about 150 at-risk youths annually, it provides counseling, protection, economic and medical support, and operates separate programs for high-risk youths with histories of self-harm, delivering 5,845 services last year.

The district is also working to protect the rights of working youths by expanding education budgets, supporting driver's license acquisition for youths leaving shelters (through MOUs with local driving schools), and conducting joint campaigns with youth organizations. To prevent post-traumatic stress disorder among youths who have directly or indirectly experienced social disasters, school violence, and other incidents, the district operates one-on-one emergency psychological counseling and class/group stabilization programs.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I am pleased that the youth policies we have focused on have borne good fruit,” and added, “We will continue to carefully monitor whether the youth social safety net and protection systems are functioning well for the happiness of our youths, who are the future leaders.”

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