New Book Explores Next Steps in Career Education Amid Regional Decline

A new book questions whether a person can be fully nurtured through traditional school-based education alone, especially in the face of significant structural challenges like regional decline and a decreasing school-age population.

Co-authored by Han Min-jeong, head of the AI Education Innovation Center at Hallym University, and Lee Yu-rim, an admissions officer at the University of Seoul, "The Region is the School" empirically argues that restoring the organic connection between schools and local communities, termed 'local educational power,' is essential for enhancing career education and driving balanced regional development.

The book begins with an analysis of four types of school education innovation and three directions for change. The second part presents five case studies drawn from the authors' 18 years of experience in teaching and career education.

These case studies include: a self-governing private high school in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province; youth career hubs under the Seoul Metropolitan Government; public education policy experiments such as the Free Semester Program, Innovation Schools, Transition Year System, and High School Credit System; a public university in Seoul; and a glocal university in a regional area, Hallym University. Together, they encompass a broad range of practical records involving high school students, out-of-school youth, and university students across Seoul and Gangwon.

Notably, the book highlights Hallym University's 'M-Campus' program, which has been operational in nine cities and counties in Gangwon Province since its designation as a glocal university in 2024. It focuses on project-based learning (PBL) courses, hackathons, and the G-Lab collaboration model, showcasing a new higher education innovation model that extends learning beyond campus boundaries and promotes youth settlement in the region.

The authors state, "Career development is not merely about information gathering; it grows within the relationships where people and lives intersect. We wanted to convey that complete education is achieved only when the rich community and everyday adults outside of school are involved."