There are representative suburban overseas volunteering groups. First, there is the LS Corp.ʼs University Students’ Overseas Volunteering Group. They offer a 12-day tour to developing countries with underprivileged children. Volunteer activities include science education, art/music education for creativity cultivation, painting school buildings,  painting murals, and choir performances while exploring the local natural phenomena. They are looking for people who can lead the future society through the practice of service and consideration, not only unilateral kindnesses. Second, there is International Mind Education Institute (IMEI) Overseas Volunteer Group. The above volunteer group will go to Kazakhstan and other places for Korean cultural exchange. Currently, recruitment has been suspended for a while, but volunteers who can solve life and social problems independently based on correct reason and thinking are preferred. In addition, there are Good Newsco Overseas Volunteer Group, ST Overseas Volunteer Group, etc. Therefore, please check the dispatch area, qualification requirements, and service details carefully and students should offer their support to organizations that suit their preferences.

  On campus, there are representative on-campus overseas volunteering groups. First, there is the CBNU Overseas Volunteering Group. They went on a week-long journey to Nepal in 2023. Educational services (music, art, Korean, and computers, etc.), major-linked services (medical support, health education, and architecture, etc.), and cultural exchange services (Korean traditional culture education, and K-POP dance, etc.) are performed. Students with professional abilities are sought as volunteers and certificates, award-winning experiences, and club affiliation related to the service sector to be supported are preferred. Second, there is the CBNU overseas education volunteering group. Students from the College of Education and the Dept. of Nursing Science work together to plan and implement short-term overseas service. They went on a one-month journey to Indonesia in 2023 and conducted volunteer activities with students from the Dept. of Chemistry Education at Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia. It also conducted classes such as math, science, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, infectious disease management, first aid, and smoking cessation to local high school students, and introduced Korean culture such as gongginori, four-sided play, and jegichagi. Students in the relevant departments may be interested. In addition, there is a system to plan programs directly, such as Self-Designed Global Training for Students, so please check the notices on the CBNU website carefully.

  In addition, in order to solve the questions of college student readers, interviews were conducted on the preparation process and necessary competencies for CBNU students who had experience in overseas service.

  Through an interview with Ahn Su-bin, a student in the Dept. of Management Information System, who was a member of the Korean Culture Exchange Volunteer Group IMEI, the preparation process for overseas service was investigated.

  I applied at the recommendation of an acquaintance of IMEI officials, but I tried to get accurate information, such as what kind of service I would probably do, in the hope that it would be a meaningful service experience. I chose the specific organization because I liked the fact that the country I would visit provided class services in various fields such as Korean, Taekwondo, and K-POP. The preparation stage of the selection is the process of finding detailed information about the groupʼs activities and the reviews of the previous participants. If you want to choose a more reliable organization, I think it is a good way to examine how long they have been doing business locally and whether there have been any negative or moral problems in the process.

  IMEI provides services in various fields, but its main activity is to teach Korean or Taekwondo to orphans. Therefore, you should make and submit a class plan in advance to the person in charge of the country you want to participate in. You should not just make a cool plan, but also thoroughly prepare and review the plan so that you can implement it well, and improve your skills to the point where you can teach someone. Also, you need to submit a letter of self-introduction. Rather than simply writing “I want to go volunteer abroad,” I tried to differentiate myself by focusing on “the reason why I have to go to the country and do the service” and “what can only be done by IMEI.”

  When they heard that the volunteers came from Korea, local people talked a lot about K-POP. Just in case, I brought Taekwondo uniforms, Taegeukgi T-shirts, and idol goods, and as I expected, local people showed a lot of interest. I felt that it was a good idea to enhance my volunteer work with the things I brought from Korea. I also regretted not bringing some gifts. Moreover, to understand cultural differences in advance, I watched a lot of travel YouTube channel such as KwakTube and Wonjiʼs Travel. It is important to thoroughly accumulate prior knowledge, but I think it is also good to prepare an attitude to accept it generously, as there are many things that are different from what you may expect.

  In addition, Park Da-won, the Dept. of Nursing Science graduate who was a member of the overseas education volunteer group Koin at CBNU, was interviewed to find out the competencies that overseas volunteers should have.

  Before doing the volunteer work, I searched for reviews on the Internet and prepared the necessary items to minimize the inconvenience in other environments. My skin is on the sensitive side, so I brought a shower filter and sunscreen as a necessity. Also, I tried to maintain a regular sleep pattern locally. Due to the new environment, my sleep pattern was fragile, so I tried to follow a regular schedule, whether I had a class or not. If you know where you are vulnerable in health care and take countermeasures, you will be able to recover quickly even if you do not feeling well.

  I think it is important not to panic in any situation. At first, there was difficulty in allocating time while preparing for classes. After deciding on sleep as the theme, I prepared classes in the order of theory-activity-quiz, but the class time was shorter than expected, so it was difficult to cover everything. Also, since the class was conducted in English, not in my native language, I realized in the first class that the theory portion should not be too long in order to maintain the studentsʼ attention. To compensate for this, I drastically reduced the theory part and adjusted the strategy to conduct classes focusing on activities and quizzes. Thanks to this, studentsʼ concentration improved from the next class, and I think I was able to have more fun with the class.

  I think it is a good idea to focus on “what can I learn?” rather than “give something away.” Volunteering is usually understood as helping others, but I think we can actually gain a lot from it ourselves. When I focus only on helping others, I feel anxious and pressured whenever I reveal my shortcomings. I wondered whether I could provide true service to the person without such confidence. I think that if you have a positive attitude and passion to grow beyond your limits through overseas volunteer work, your sincerity will be naturally conveyed and you can create more meaningful experiences.

By Seo Ah-hyun

tjdkgus666@chungbuk.ac.kr