Did you decide where to go with your kids this weekend?
(Published March 05, 2013)
 
Gyeonggi Province provide various experiential learning programs on Saturdays, holidays, and during vacation periods

◇ Gyeonggi Province operates one-day experiential learning programs for the development of creativity and upright character of elementary, middle, and high school students on Saturdays, holidays and during the school vacations starting from this month. The photo shows children standing in line for pottery activities. ⓒ G-News Plus
 
Gyeonggi Province supports field experience learning programs on Saturdays, holidays and during the school vacation periods.
 
It announced on March 4 that it would start one-day experience learning programs for the development of creativity and upright character of elementary, middle, and high school students from this month.
 
These programs were designed to provide the education regarding creativity and good character to students from underprivileged families including children from low income families and poorly-fed children who relatively have fewer opportunities for field experiences after 5-day school classes, and also to promote their sociality. Gyeonggi Province will offer various learning programs regarding cultural, art, science, marine, and agricultural experiences, targeting 3950 elementary, middle, and high school students in the province.

The programs consist of 5 creative learning programs including ‘Fun experiencing trips to farming villages’ and ‘Cultural tours for ceramic pottery’, which are carried out as last year, and ‘Juvenile field learning class for science and technology in ASV’ , ‘Maritime logistics class at Pyeongtaek Port’, and ‘Go back to prehistory’, which are new programs this year. This year, the programs are carried out in a way of the field learning which focuses on students’ direct experiences where students watch and feel by themselves and which stimulate their emotions.

These programs utilized facilities, human resources, and educational contents owned by the public offices in Gyeonggi Province. This year, Gyeonggi Green and Agriculture Foundation, Korea Ceramic Foundation, Gyeonggi Technopark, Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corporation, and Jeongok Prehistory Museum are participating in the programs.
 
‘Fun experiencing trips to farming villages’ hosted by Gyeonggi Green and Agriculture Foundation was designed to promote recognition of the value of farming and understanding of the villages by experiencing agricultural lives.
 
It runs as a one day tour on Saturdays, holidays, and during the vacation periods, and in the tour, students can learn the practical experiences including crop harvesting, taking ferryboats, making Barley Gaettok, trout fishing, and natural dyeing from the farming and fishing villages located in Gyeonggi Province.
 
‘Cultural tours for ceramic pottery’ hosted by Korea Ceramic Foundation is a one-day package-type program which offers exhibition tours, pottery class, various handcrafting programs and events.
 
It runs as a one-day tour on Saturdays, holidays and during the school vacations, and various attractions will be offered to students by linking with special exhibitions for children in the first half of the year, and Biennial special programs in the second half of the year.
 
‘Juvenile field learning class for science and technology in ASV’ hosted by Gyeonggi Technopark is intended to promote creative mindsets in terms of science and technology by providing opportunities for the visits to the research centers so that they can experience future-oriented high tech science and technology.

This tour includes special lectures about science technology, field tour of Ansan Science Valley, and modeling electronic kits by themselves.

In ‘Maritime logistics class at Pyeongtaek Port’ hosted by Gyeonggi Pyeongtaek Port Corporation, on-board learning on the office duty ship of Gyeonggi Province, the visit to the lighthouse observatory in Nue Island and the folk museum of fishing villages, mudflat activities, and yacht activities are provided. It is scheduled to carry out in Daebu Island, Ansan and at Pyeongtaek Port as one-day tour on Saturdays. In especial, as ‘the first year of the advance into the sea’, the program of this year will significantly contribute to students’ understanding of the importance of the sea.
 
‘Go back to prehistory’ hosted by Jeongok Prehistory Museum provides a variety of activities related to prehistoric cultures by the understanding of prehistoric remains in Jeongok-ri, and the program includes the field trip to the prehistoric remains in Jeongok-ri, the visit to Jeongok Prehistory Museum, activities of using stone tools, hunting activities, and creating works of art. It runs as one-day tour on Saturday, holidays, and during the school vacations.

To enroll in these programs, educational facilities such as schools or community child care centers should contact the relevant public office, and they will be accepted in order of application if too many apply for the programs. (Individual applications are not accepted.)

Entry fee of each program varies per characteristics of the program, ranging 4,000 ~ 6,000 won for students from underprivileged families, and 14,000 ~ 20,000 won for other students, and you can contact the host organization for the details.

“As schools run under the 5-day class system as last year, we are planning to constantly create diverse and interesting weekend field learning programs,” says Yonghee Lee, a director of Lifelong Education Bureau of Gyeonggi Provincial Office. “Those programs are expected to offer the caring function to students from underprivileged families including solitary children and poorly-fed children who leave unattended on the weekends and educational supports as well as contributing to a reduction in private education expenses,” He adds.

ⓒ G-News Plus news| Roh Kyunghee khrohh@kg21.net

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