29 POSTECH students took up the challenge to volunteer for three weeks at schools in Ethiopia. What did they teach and what did they learn?
From Jan. 12 to Feb. 2, POSTECH students volunteered as teachers at schools in Ethiopia. This three week projects kicked off based on the idea of “We share the future,” which encouraged students to learn about the humanity of humans and equipped them with the right sprit so that they can lead the future global world through sharing and volunteering. The project was conducted with the help of COPION, INC., an non-profit and non-governmental organization, and Overseas Volunteer Group of Saemaul Leaders of SAEMAUL ACADEMY. It was fully funded by Woori Bank. For three weeks, 29 students taught science, music, art, and physical education and helped renovate local areas.
Recruiting process
A total of 100 students (54 individual students and 46 students in group) applied for the first round of the “We share the future” project. During Oct. and Nov. 2012, the recruiting process was conducted into two steps: resume screening and an interview. Graduate students as well as undergraduates were eligible to apply for volunteer services. For the resume screening, student’s motivation was the most important criterion. Extracurricular activities and aims students wanted to achieve throughout the project were also considered. Especially, non-profit volunteer experience was highly evaluated. The interview focused on understanding of the idea of nobles oblige which students obtained as POSTECH students and the responsibility to give back to society.
Schools for volunteering
The volunteer service was performed in two schools, Vera School and Deya Elementary School, in Adama city, Ethiopia. Two schools differed in the standard of living. POSTECH students taught basic science principles such as elasticity using plastic bands for 4th to 5th grade of elementary school students during the morning. In the afternoon, students helped to renovate school environment. Also, the appropriate taskforce team established a LED lamp and a wind power generator, which can bring the brightness in the night without power supplies.