Department of Forest Resources Has Provided Forest Welfare Services for Emotional Recovery to Local Children and Youth for 16 Consecutive Years

Supported by the Korea Forest Service, Korea Forest Welfare Institute, and the Lottery Commission to Strengthen Forest-Based Recovery Education

Distinguished Operational Model Combines University Expertise, Young Forest Education Specialists, and Volunteer Service

Creating a Virtuous Cycle of Public Welfare and Forest Education Through Lottery-Funded Programs

[May 28, 2026]

YU (President CHOI Oe-chool) Department of Forest Resources will continue operating the Waldorf Forest School Forest Experience Education Program for local youth and vulnerable populations in 2026. The program is funded through the lottery fund with support from the Korea Forest Service, the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, and the Lottery Commission, with YU’s Department of Forest Resources serving as the implementing organization.

The Department of Forest Resources has continuously operated the forest experience education program for 16 years, from 2011 through 2026. During this period, it has contributed to expanding forest welfare services in local communities by providing free forest experiences, forest interpretation programs, forest healing activities, forest recreation programs, and nature immersion activities to youth in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region, children attending community child centers, vulnerable groups, and users of youth counseling and welfare institutions.

 In particular, the 2026 Waldorf Forest School focuses on helping at-risk youth recover emotionally and rebuild social relationships. At the request of an alternative education institution in Daejeon, the program dispatches certified forest interpreters to conduct activities for at-risk youth.

 It also collaborates with community child centers, youth cultural centers, and youth counseling and welfare centers in Gyeongsan and Daegu to provide a variety of forest experience education programs on both weekdays and weekends.

 Today’s youth face a range of challenges, including academic stress, difficulties in peer relationships, excessive dependence on digital media, and emotional isolation. Going beyond simple nature observation or one-time outdoor activities, YU Waldorf Forest School promotes forest-based recovery education, enabling young people to move their bodies, cooperate with peers, and restore their senses through direct engagement with nature.

 The program is grounded in the sensory and experiential educational philosophy of Germany’s Waldorf education system.

 It combines forest interpretation, forest healing, adventure-based forest activities, forest recreation, and nature immersion programs. Through activities utilizing trees, soil, forest trails, terrain, and natural materials, participants experience challenge and achievement while taking time away from smartphones and indoor environments to restore both their physical and emotional well-being.

 One of the program’s greatest strengths is its university-based professional management system. A professor from the Department of Forest Resources specializing in forest management and forest welfare oversees the entire project and personally participates in every session to evaluate safety, educational effectiveness, and therapeutic outcomes. Faculty members are also directly involved in instructor management and program design, ensuring that the initiative functions not as a simple outsourced program but as a professional forest welfare service grounded in the university’s research and educational expertise.

 Another distinguishing feature is the active involvement of young forest education professionals. YU Waldorf Forest School actively employs forest education specialists in their twenties to develop dynamic and creative programs tailored to the interests and needs of young participants. This approach moves beyond traditional forest interpretation programs and creates vibrant educational experiences that integrate movement, play, challenge, cooperation, and recovery.

 YU students also participate through the national 1365 Volunte er Portal. Student volunteers assist with program activities and help participants feel comfortable and engaged in unfamiliar forest environments. Their involvement provides meaningful mentoring experiences for youth while offering university students valuable practical training in forest education and forest welfare services.

The achievements of YU Waldorf Forest School have also received national recognition. The program, organized by the Department of Forest Resources, was selected as an outstanding institution in evaluations of forest experience education providers nationwide.

 It has been recognized as a successful model that combines the university’s expertise in forest education and forest healing with strong field-based operational capabilities.

 The 2026 program is particularly meaningful because it demonstrates the public value of lottery funds at the community level. Lottery-funded support expands opportunities for at-risk youth and vulnerable populations to experience forests while promoting emotional stability, healthy development, and the expansion of forest welfare services throughout local communities.

 Professor LEE Ju-hyung, who oversees the program, said, “Forest experience education is no longer simply an outdoor activity.

 It has evolved into an important public welfare service that helps young people experiencing digital overdependence and emotional difficulties restore balance in both body and mind.” He added, “YU Waldorf Forest School will combine the university’s expertise, the energy and creativity of young forest education professionals, and the warm participation of student volunteers to provide meaningful recovery experiences for at-risk youth.” Professor LEE continued, “We will continue developing this lottery-funded initiative into a virtuous cycle that provides local youth with opportunities for recovery and growth through forests while simultaneously fostering the next generation of forest education professionals and offering valuable field-based learning opportunities for university students.”