GIST After-school Program Begins with the Kick-off Ceremony 
 
GIST Opens After-School Program To Support Underprivileged:
Kick-off Ceremony of Voluntary Service Corps on Feb. 18
 

On February 18, in the conference room located in the Administration building gathered were more than 50 members of GIST (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, President Jung-Ho SONU) to attend the kick-off ceremony of Voluntary Service Corps for GIST After-school Program (a.k.a. GIST Bae-um Madang, meaning ‘Learning Yard’). Among the participants of the ceremony were the president and key staffs of GIST, instructors of after-school program, the head of the Science and Industry Division of Gwangju City, the superintendent of education of Gwangju City, the mayor of Gwangju Northern District, and the director of the community children center (sponsor of the after-school program).
GIST has hosted its after-school program since last month. The GIST After-School is one of its various community out-reach programs. It is particularly designed to serve teenagers in the community who have not been provided with quality education. Graduate students at GIST and other volunteers line up to organize the Voluntary Service Corps for teaching high- and junior high school students. Currently the GIST team has 120 students, who the city council of education recommended across thirteen community children centers. Students are taught in subjects such as mathematics, English, and science.
GIST is also engaged in other activities to support local communities, including donating books and equipment for science classes to ten elementary schools in the region, awarding outstanding elementary schools in Gwangju Chumdan District, hosting GIST Science School for adults on monthly basis, and inviting 160 students from child welfare facilities to cultural events. In order to support and contribute to the local communities, GIST will continue to conduct those projects.
Jung-Ho SONU, president of GIST, says, “The educational and research support is one of the social obligations [of the Institute] to the community. I hope that such continuous supports will positively contribute the development of the local community”, and “We are also planning to accept more applicants for the GIST After-School Program so that more children could get greater benefits” he adds.