Gwangju Youth Counseling and Welfare Center Wins Two Awards Including Minister of Education Award for School Dropout Prevention

The Gwangju Youth Counseling and Welfare Center in Gyeonggi Province was honored to receive both the Minister of Education Award in the Media Content category and the President Award of the Korea Youth Policy Institute in the Education Program category at the "12th Excellent Cases of School Dropout Prevention Contest 2025" award ceremony held on December 3.

Gwangju Youth Counseling and Welfare Center received both the Minister of Education Award in the Media Content category and the President Award of the Korea Youth Policy Institute in the Education Program category at the '12th Excellent Cases of Dropout Prevention Contest Awards Ceremony 2025' held on the 3rd. Provided by Gwangju City, Gyeonggi-do

The media content titled "The Courage of That Day Facing the Autumn Sky," which won the Minister of Education Award, was highly praised for being based on a real-life experience of a youth and for deeply resonating with peers at risk of dropping out. The work delicately portrays the process of mustering the courage to try again despite environmental and emotional challenges, earning acclaim from the judges for its professionalism and the strength of its message.

In addition, the education program "A Small Shelter in School," which received the President Award of the Korea Youth Policy Institute, is a support model based on the school dropout deliberation system. It helps at-risk youth pause and reflect on their circumstances and future paths before making the decision to leave school. Since its launch in 2018, the program has achieved tangible results, with over 80% of participating youth returning to their studies each year, establishing itself as a leading example in the field of youth policy.

Furthermore, the Gwangju Out-of-School Youth Support Center also received the Gyeonggi Province Governor's Award in the Excellent Program category at the "Gyeonggi Province Out-of-School Youth Support Project Report Conference" held on November 25.

The award-winning program "Kkumkkul Sai" is a customized mentoring program that supports out-of-school youths in career planning, emotional stability, and self-reliance, utilizing manuals and workbooks developed directly by the center's staff. On this day, "Kkumkkul Sai" was introduced as an excellent program and received the highest honor, garnering strong support from field experts.

Mayor Bang Sehwan stated, "This award is the result of the dedicated efforts of those in the field who have quietly supported both at-risk and out-of-school youth to help them grow into healthy members of society. We will continue to develop professional and differentiated programs to protect the dreams and futures of Gwangju's youth."

Meanwhile, the city plans to further strengthen its school dropout prevention and out-of-school youth support systems based on these achievements, focusing its efforts on creating an environment where all youth can grow up safely.

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