<YU School of Architecture students who have been donating their talents for the seventh straight year>
The ‘talent donation’ volunteer activities of students of the YU School of Architecture that has been ongoing for seven years became known. Students received citations and awards from the government and local authorities for their volunteer services. They were recognized for their efforts to improve vulnerable resident environments such as rural areas by utilizing their specialties learned from their majors in architecture.
The Dasom House Welfare Foundation and the Korea Institute of Rural Architecture has been engaged in college student volunteer activities called ‘Fixing Rural Homes’ since 2008. The YU School of Architecture also started in 2012 at Uiseong-gun, followed by Ulleung-gun in 2013, Yeongyang-gun in 2014, Yeongju-I in 2015, Goesan-gun in 2016, and Muju-gun in 2017, and this year, they are offering their services in Gyeongsan-si of Gyeongbuk for the seventh year. Every summer break, students stay at rural villages from a week to about two weeks as they work hard to renovate old homes for persons with poorly maintained homes.
Last summer, volunteer activities were offered for six homes in Sinweol-ri in Apnyang-myeon, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongbuk. Professor Do Hyeon-hak and 20 students from the YU School of Architecture participated. The students visited each of the homes that would be renovated in advance for inspection, and they met with the village foreman and residents to listen to their opinions to make repair plans. The students drew the blueprints of the homes they would repair and come up with actual construction plans to begin their volunteer activities. They manually removed and repaired old parts, painted, performed pipework and tiling of the homes, while also upgrading old bathrooms into modern bathrooms, as well as other tasks requiring professional skills. They used what they learned in school, while also referring to the internet and professional books to complete the job.
Kim Joon-gi (25), a fifth-year student at the School of Architecture who headed the volunteers, said, “This is my fourth year taking part in volunteer activities. Volunteering is very fulfilling, but also, it is also advantageous in that I can use what I learned from my major and gain on-site experience.” He added, “Volunteer activities have been ongoing for the seventh year, and so it naturally became an annual event for our school.”
Yoon Mi-gyeong (24, 5th year student), who participated in the volunteer activities for the first time, “I was unable to participate in the volunteer activities before because I always had other schedules to tend to. I regret not being able to participate in the volunteer activities earlier. I hope that my juniors at school will actively take part in this.” Kim Young-il (25, fourth year student) said, “It was tough because we had to stay up all night and work towards the end of the volunteer activity schedule, but I felt a sense of pride after seeing the elders like their newly repaired homes and being thanked by them. I have some regret because I think we could have done a better job. I have now gained experience so next year I hope to participate as a team leader to engage in the volunteer activities with my juniors.”
Meanwhile, at the 2018 Rural Home Fixing volunteer activities performance report held in November of last year, nine YU students in the School of Architecture received citations.Kim Joon-gi received the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs medal, Kim Young-il and Kim Ji-ho received the Governor of Gyeongsangbuk-do medal, Lee Seok-min and Kim Ji-yoon received the Korea Rural Community Corporation President’s Medal, Park Soo-cheol and Woo A-rah received the Chairman of the Korea Institute of Rural Architecture medal, and Yoon Mi-gyeong and Park Ha-eon received the President of the Dasom House Welfare Foundation medal.
