Seongdong-gu's Saturday family eco-education program draws enthusiastic response from residents

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[The Herald Business = Senior Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu in Seoul said its "Saturday Family Eco-Education" program, running twice a month since February this year, has drawn an enthusiastic response from residents.

The program is designed to let families spend weekends learning about the environment together through hands-on activities. Sessions are structured so children can grasp environmental concepts in a fun, accessible way and naturally develop carbon-neutral habits in their daily lives through a variety of craft-based activities.

Open to families with children ages 5 to 10 living in Seongdong-gu, each session runs about one hour starting at 1 p.m. on Saturdays at the Seongdong-gu Environmental Education Center inside Seoul Upcycling Plaza.

Every session introduces a new theme, earning high marks from both children and parents. Since launching with a sock-yarn doorbell craft in February, the program has offered a range of eco-friendly activities including paprika soap making, personalized keyring crafting and Scandinavian moss frame making. June sessions are scheduled to feature cinnamon garland making and succulent upcycled planter crafting.

After each session, families can extend their learning by joining guided tours of Seoul Upcycling Plaza and the Sewer Science Museum, offered in conjunction with the program.

Participating families said the sessions were "a rewarding experience where children could learn about the environment in an easy-to-understand way and get hands-on at the same time," adding that they hoped "a variety of family environmental education programs like this will keep running."

Registration is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through the express reservation system on the Seongdong-gu district office website, with six families accepted per session. Spots fill up quickly each month, reflecting the program's popularity among residents.