By Vivian Hark | Admin and Operations Coordinator
For many children in South Korea, the school day doesn't end when the final bell rings. After school, students attend private academies called hagwons for additional academic support or to develop skills in sports, music, and other interests.
For children growing up in children's homes, these opportunities can be much harder to access.
More Than Falling Behind
Minwoo is a composite story based on experiences we have seen among children in KKOOM's partner children's homes.
Minwoo loves soccer. But while many of his classmates head to hagwons or soccer academies after school, he often goes to the field alone to practice. His friends are training with coaches, improving their skills, and spending time together. Minwoo is missing out on all three.
The same gap can appear in the classroom.
While his classmates receive additional academic support after school, Minwoo struggles to keep up with increasingly difficult material. As he falls further behind, he becomes less confident and less engaged. He begins to wonder whether school is simply not for him. Students who struggle academically can also become the butt of jokes in the classroom, making it even harder to feel confident and connected.
The Social Cost
The impact isn't only academic.
When Minwoo's friends leave school together for hagwon, he has to go his own way. He misses the camaraderie that comes from spending time together after school and can feel increasingly separated from his peers.
Our partner children's homes have also shared that many students like to attend hagwons because their friends often go there, as well. Beyond academics, these programs give children opportunities to spend time with their peers, share interests, and build friendships. Being able to participate in these activities can help children growing up in care feel included in the same experiences as their classmates.
Your Support Creates Opportunities
KKOOM's Hagwon Scholarship Program helps children growing up in our partner children's homes access educational opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. A scholarship can help a student receive the academic support they need, participate alongside their peers, and develop interests they might otherwise have to pursue alone.
For a child like Minwoo, that could mean understanding what is being taught in class, training with a soccer coach, and having the chance to spend time with friends after school. These opportunities can help children not only catch up, but regain confidence in their abilities and see new possibilities for their future.
Thank you for helping ensure that growing up in a children's home doesn't mean growing up without the same opportunities as everyone else.
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