All students deserve a good quality of education. However, there are some regions that lack various educational devices and opportunities. For students living in those areas, education volunteering club members from different universities are willing to provide free educational sources, teachers, and knowledge. One of the most famous clubs is U.R.S. at Chonnam National University.
Founded in 2019, U.R.S. is a national union club, and its name stands for “the National Union for Realization in the Society of Science and Technology.” Its main activities are teaching science to children and students, by conducting various experiments with them. Every vacation, they have a seasonal science class for teenagers, where U.R.S. members at other universities also gather and have a scientific educational campaign for five days in rural areas. Kang Hyeong-geun (Senior, School of Mechanical Engineering) said, “Last summer, not only did we conduct a class including several experiments and theories in the Summer Science Class program but also listened to students’ worries and their innermost feelings. Giving them intimate advice about their life and future was one of the most fulfilling memories while being involved in club activities.”
This club went through tough times in 2020. Before COVID-19, they used to volunteer not only for educational purposes but also for children-caring activities. But they could barely do any activities last year. It was impossible to have more than four people gather together, so almost all of their ideas about activities got rejected. So, they came up with a science class program called KKumjarang after much consideration. In the science class, club members were divided into several groups as mentors and each group chose what and how to teach their mentees. Last year, U.R.S. also provided science and experiment kits and videos to six local children centers in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Ahn Ju-yeon (Sophomore, Dept. of Physics Education) said, “I wanted to deliver a lecture about ultraviolet rays since it is a topic closely related to real-life. Making a toothbrush sterilizer must have been a good memory for the children.”
We might think that almost all of the students in U.R.S. may be from education colleges, but that is not strictly true. Its members are students from different backgrounds and various colleges including the humanities and the arts. As this club is a national union club, people at the headquarters of U.R.S. host workshops once or twice every year. At the workshop held in Daegu last year, Vice Superintendent of Education in Daegu Bae Seong-geun delivered a lecture about the future of science education in the COVID-19 era. Ahn said, “Since I want to be a teacher in the future, the lecture was helpful to get knowledge about the future of education. The workshop also gave me an opportunity to meet many friends from other universities and share opinions with them.”
By having a year-end event called Gamgyulje, all members of this club keep bonding together and keep talking about how they have contributed to society in a good way. Being a good influence through volunteering while stacking up scientific knowledge sounds perfect to university students. If anyone is interested in contributing to society with your talent, U.R.S. can be your chance to change the world!
By Hong Ji-u, Tribune Reporter