KNCU-01 focuses on the preservation and promotion of UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage Site, Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes. Jeju which was created by volcanic activity is known for its unique volcanic features, and the entire island itself is like a volcanic museum. There are 368 oreum on the island (※ oreum: It means ‘small mountain’ in Jeju dialect) and over 160 lava tubes are scattered around the island. It is very rare in the world to see a small island that has both oreum and caves.
The value of Jeju has been recognized through its designation as a Biosphere Reserve in 2002, as a World Natural Heritage site in 2007 and a Global Geopark in 2010, making this sub-tropical island the only place on Earth to receive all three UNESCO designations in natural sciences. Therefore, KNCU believes that voluntary activities in Jeju should be made available not only to domestic youths but to youths around the world, to appreciate and preserve world heritage.
Activities to preserve the site will include picking up trash, trimming weeds, and conducting street campaigns. In collaboration with Seogwipo YWCA, the volunteers will also have the opportunity to interact with local community children who come to Seogwipo YWCA as an after-school community learning centre. Here, participants will have an opportunity to introduce their own cultures, and games to local children.
Accommodation and food:
Volunteers will be living in a guest house in Seowipo-Si. It is equipped with rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. The volunteers will need to take turns in cooking, showcasing their own culture’s food. On the first day, volunteers will gather to make a schedule as to who will cook, clean, etc.
Languages:
English
Airport:
Jeju International Airport
Special requirements:
KNCU-01 requires volunteers who have experience working with children as a significant amount of time will be spent with children at the YWCA.
Muan-gun is a region in the Southwest of the Korean peninsula. Renowned for its beautiful landscape and rich biodiversity, its coastal areas have been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and as a Biosphere Reserve. As the area is currently on the Tentative List, bringing together international volunteers from around the world to preserve the area and conduct campaigns to raise awareness of it would provide a worthwhile experience not only for the volunteers but also for the local residents.
The volunteers will experience the ecological system and culture of local communities. The volunteers are expected to work in the coastal areas to preserve the natural beauty of the Tidal Flat. Manual labour such as helping agricultural farming, painting walls, and helping construction work is expected. Lastly, there will be time to connect with the local middle school and high school students, where volunteers will conduct cultural classes.
Accommodation and food:
Volunteers will be living in a nearby residential house. It is equipped with two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. However, please be aware that the accommodations will meet the very minimum standards (no air-conditioner, for example) and you should be able to adapt to the hot weather as the temperature rises significantly during the summer season in the coastal area. The volunteers will need to take turns in cooking, showcasing their own culture’s food. On the arrival day for the workcamp, volunteers will gather at UNESCO House of KNCU located in Seoul and will travel together to the workcamp site all together. They will make a schedule as to who will cook, clean, etc.
Languages:
English
Airport:
Incheon International Airport (ICN)
Train station:
None. The volunteers will have to take an express bus from Seoul to Muan.
Special requirements:
KNCU-2 requires volunteers who are interested in the environment and have experience working with children as we have a camp for local children.
Wando(http://goo.gl/maps/e9PVP) is an island which is about 500km away from Seoul to the south. There is a bridge to mainland so that people can commute conveniently by transportation. And also Wando is famous with seafood and beautiful landscape. However, there are youth depopulation issues because may of youth move to the bigger city nearby for better education condition these day. In result, international exchange and experience is rare to these local children as well. Therefore, this project focuses on providing new experience to local youth & children through international volunteers such as diverse cultures and education programs in cooperation with the host organization. The host organization is the local children center which is providing social and educational service for children and youth in Wando.
Work:
Participants will organize Global cultural camp. There will be 20-30 local children in a camp who doesn’t speak English very well. Participants will develop the whole programmes with indoor and outdoor activities such as traditional cultures, sports, choir, drawing, learning workshop and so on. It could be interesting experience to design youth programmes with international participants. It requires creative ideas and full of energy to get local young people exposed to new experiences.
Accommodation and Food:
In the local children center / Meals are provided and self-catering.
Location and Terminal:
Wando, Jeollanamdo / Wando bus terminal
Leisure activities:
Visiting a beach for swimming and famous tourist sites around.
Yeongwol(http://goo.gl/maps/s99In) is the most clean and nature-oriented province in Korea. It is about 180km away from Seoul to east bound. However, it is a bit isolated thanks to mountains and rivers around. Therefore, young people have rare opportunities to experience different cultures from outside and abroad. This project is held in cooperation with the Yeongwol Youth Centre which has various indoor and outdoor facilities.
Work:
Participants will organize the youth camp for the local youth summer camp. The sessions in the projects are quite open to participants although there will be various and exciting activities in the river, mountains and play ground. Therefore, participants are required to bring any ideas and activities to make the programs together. The project site has various equipment and facilities related with outdoor and indoor such as music instrument and sports. Participants are required to like to interaction with youth.
Accommodation and Food:
In the youth center / Self-catering
Location and Terminal:
Yeongwol, Gangwondo / Yeongwol bus terminal
Leisure Activities:
Visiting historical places and exploring caves around
Requirements:
Interest in outdoor activities, Materials to show your culture
Gongju (http://goo.gl/maps/dfCqn) is about 150 km away from Seoul and located in the center of South Chungcheong province. This city is an ancient of Baekje Kingdom, where brilliant Baekje culture flourished, Gongju is a city of history, culture and tourism. As Korea’s local society is aging rapidly and the population is decreasing, the host organization called ‘Chungnam education institute’ is focusing on the youths who are isolated from high education opportunities. The host organization believes that local is one of the critical factors supporting Korea’s society. Every year, they open summer school for a local youth in order to teach them the value of local and nature.
Work:
Participants will join in the summer camp as assistants so that they will create new dynamics in the programs by introducing international cultures. Participants simply organize and join in every activities of the summer school such as sports days, role play, and international food days with about 40 young Korean youth. The programs in the summer school are focusing on local community, culture exchange, eco-friendly activities. Participants should be active to be mingled with youth as assistants and also need to introduce their own cultures such as foods, dance and songs. You will learn how to run a youth project, how to work in a large team.
Accommodation and food:
Rooms in the education center / Meals are provided and Self-catering.
Leisure Activities:
Visiting historic place in Gongju.
Location & Terminal:
Gongju, Chungcheongnamdo / Gongju bus terminal.
Requirements:
Very active participation in outdoor activities. Highly interest to be engaged with Youth.
« I can say that the best things about the workcamp and this whole experience were the chance of making a real difference to the lives of very needy children. This is an extremely valuable project where volunteers can have a massive impact. Also the possibility of learning a huge amount about a country so different from our own. I learnt ten times as much by carrying out a workcamp than I would ever do backpacking. »