RCE Tongyeong - 2018

Bridge To the World
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Bridge To the World
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Tongyeong
Contributing organization(s) : 
RCE Tongyeong
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Unji Lee
Organizational Affiliation: 
Team leader of educations sector in RCE Tongyeong
E-mail: 
tyrce.ujlee@gmail.com
Format of project: 
Powerpoint, Audiovisual
Language of project: 
Korean
Date of submission:
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Web link: 
www.btw.rce.or.kr
Additional resources: 
- 6 year report of Bridge to the World 2008-2013 (RCE Tongyeong, 2014)(English/Korean) http://www.rce.or.kr/6year.pdf
- 10th anniversary of Bride To the World report http://www.rce.or.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=datalist&wr_id=110&page=0&sca=&sfl=&stx=&sst=&sod=&spt=0&page=0
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
Tongyeong ordinance of cultivating human resources
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Local
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
Korea, South
Location(s): 
Tongyeong
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Sejahtera Forest 116 YongnamHaeanro, Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, Korea
Ecosystem(s):
Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Secondary
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Tongyeong is a regional cultural heritage sites and city of history where the Naval Headquarters of Three Provinces was located for 300 years. It’s geographically located in Southern part of Korea and famous as tourism as much as being selected tourism city of the year in 2016. It has more than 150 beautiful islands and designated as lifelong learning city by UNESCO. Also, Tongyeong City is the birthplace of great artists like composer Yun I-sang, novelist Park Kyong-li, poet Kim Choon-su, and painter Jeon Hyuck-lim, to name few. Besides, It’s renowned for quality natural oysters, pearls produced in the clean waters, as well as for a marine resort town for tourists as part of Marine National Park.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Tongyeong faced the challenge of industrial shift the traditional fishing industry to ship-building and tourism. 15 percent of population had worked in shipbuilding industry, however, almost of them currently lost their jobs due to depression of shipping industry. In addition, ratio of foreigners is relatively high in population compared to other cities and increased sharply, we should find a way to live together.

In the perspectives of youth, Tongyeong is relatively isolated from information and opportunity to have various educational and cultural educations compared to larger cities. So the decline in the youth population is another challenge we faced.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Rationale: 
It is the most innovative to conduct all process of programme by youth themselves for 10 months. RCE Tongyeong have given the principles of ESD and Global citizenship, and then, participants have tried to look for local problems and to make solutions based on youth perspectives and understanding by discussing with team members and meeting local, national and international experts and peers. Until now, the solution has been creative which adult never think about. Also, participants have visited other RCE cities so as to explore and learn the best practice with ESD experts and peers who have different background, race, and religions.
Objectives: 
Aim to give opportunity for a correct understanding of the career they will seek in the future by participating in ‘Bridge To the World’, planning and developing all projects by themselves.
Aim to share the experience and learning with local citizen to create a sustainable future together
Aim to become a global citizen by providing Global Citizenship education and communicating with others who has different background, language and culture.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Bridge to the World (BTW) is a flagship Youth Programme by RCE Tongyeong, South Korea. BTW is an ESD youth program which aims to build youth capacity and global citizenship since 2008. During the year-long program including study-trip to global RCEs, young people have a chance to learn how to live for the sustainable future. In the past 9 years from 2008 to 2016, there had been about 800 participants in the ‘Bridge to the World’ program, and there had been 42 RCE cities or sister cities of Tongyeong where participants visited as field trip.
Size of academic audience: 
Since 2008, about 800 youth in Tongyeong completed in this program, however, we believe that size of academic audience will be bigger than 800.
Results: 
The impact of BTW is difficult to measure statistically; however, this program has a huge impact on youth and it allows spreading ESD to Tongyeong. Theme of BTW 2013 focused on ‘how can high schools in Tongyeong keep local traditions alive?’ To develop this idea and to find practicable solutions, they chose Jogjakarta, Indonesia as their study trip. As every school in Jogjakarta have clubs to deal with tradition so as to promote and make it more student-friendly. During the study trip, participants recognized that in Jogjakarta schools, students were wearing school uniform made up of traditional fabrics. After returning back to Tongyeong, participants decided to preserve ‘Nubi’, which is a regional traditional fabric clothes in Tongyeong and have thought to change normal name of school uniform to Nubi name tag. This case was becoming big issue in Tongyeong and many media focused on this idea in their news.
Lessons learned: 
BTW is one-year program, therefore, there is a lack of continuity because sometimes it will take more than a year to solve local problems. To overcome such limitations, RCE clubs has been voluntarily made in school since 2015 to follow team project of Bridge To the World continuously. From 2016, RCE Tongyeong has managed and supported their activities. In addition, during period of BTW, participants experience many trial and error because the youth must plan and proceed with everything from beginning to end. It has been good for youth to grow capacities, however, sometimes some youth did not overcome many trial and error and lost their motivation to do this project. To solve this problem, we started to call for coordinators who completed BTW. They offer guidance and advises for them to conduct their project more efficiently.
Key messages: 
Bridge to the World is an ESD youth program which aims to build youth capacity and global citizenship, while collaborating with friends in search of their future dream since 2008. Participants select their own sustainability themes according to local issue, and conduct research at a local, national, and international level.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
Every year, we selects 20 students among 100 participants for field trip to other RCE cities or sister cities of Tongyeong. Until now, we was going to visit 43 RCE cities including RCE Okayama, Japan, RCE Penang, Malaysia, RCE Goa, India, and so on. In that RCE City, they learned ESD and best practices. For example, the Renaissance team who visited RCE Greater Western Sydney in 2016 learned guerrilla gardening there. After back to Korea, they continuously conduct the gardening with department of environment, Tongyeong City hall.
Funding: 
5,000 USD from Tongyeong Youth Talent Fund- accumulated via individual donations and Tongyeong municipal city.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon RCE Tongyeong 1.JPG (61.34 KB) Field trip to Sydney, Australia RCE Tongyeong
Image icon RCE Tongyeong 2.JPG (61.38 KB) Run booth for spreading ESD RCE Tongyeong
Image icon RCE Tongyeong 3.JPG (51.8 KB) Discussion with team members RCE Tongyeong
Image icon RCE Tongyeong 4.JPG (95.9 KB) Field trip to Jogjakarta, Indonesia RCE Tongyeong
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Indirect
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Indirect
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Indirect
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Indirect
Theme
Disaster Risk Reduction 
Indirect
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Indirect
Arts 
Indirect
Curriculum Development 
Indirect
Ecotourism 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Indirect
Update: 
No