1st ASEZ STAR Character Education for Students

Teenagers, who develop their moral standards through learning, often indiscriminately accept information from the Internet and broadcast media, which can lead to poor judgment or make them more susceptible to negative influences. The Church of God supports students in building healthy values and making sound decisions at critical points in life through not only Bible education offered through worship services and gatherings but also a variety of programs, seminars, character educations.

On August 11, the 1st ASEZ STAR Character Education for Students was held at the New Jerusalem Pangyo Temple. Under the slogan, “STOP School Violence! Drugs Out!” the initiative aims to raise awareness of the severity of school violence and juvenile drug-related crimes, which scar young lives, and to prevent them. More than 1,800 people attended the education, including ASEZ STAR metropolitan area members, their parents, student guidance teachers, Lee Joon-bae of Seongnam City Council, Lee Myeong-suk of Guro-gu Council in Seoul, and Professor Kim Ok-seong of Myongji University.

At 12 p.m., the event began with greetings from the presider. The joint declaration was delivered by the representatives of ASEZ STAR members. Ten representatives from each region, encompassing around 17,000 members from over 3,200 middle and high schools nationwide, took the stage to pledge their commitment to addressing school violence and drug crime. They vowed to speak out and act decisively against these threats to the happiness and health of teenagers, working together to eradicate these issues from schools. Additionally, Kim Ok-seong, a professor at Myongji University; Yang Dae-woong, a professor at Seoul Media Institute of Technology; and Lee Joon-bae, a councilor from Seongnam City, signed their support for the activities of ASEZ STAR.

At the special lecture, Professor Lee Dae-hyeong from Gyeongin National University of Education delivered the first lecture. Professor Lee, who has been in the field of education for over 40 years, diagnosed the reality, seriousness, and causes of school violence from various angles, and emphasized the importance of character cultivation through home education and volunteer services to prevent school violence. Professor Lee formed a sympathy with the audience during the lecture, and encouraged the members to have a good influence on their peers and grow into talents who would create a bright future.

Next, Attorney Kim Hee-jun delivered a lecture on “All Questions About Youth Drugs.” Based on his experience as a drug crime expert during his time as a prosecutor, he used various audiovisual materials to explain the dangers of drug-related crimes and prevention methods in a way that was accessible to young people. Lastly, he answered questions directly with the audience through a Q&A session, raising awareness of the rapid increase in the number of youth drug crime.

The participants remarked that it was the time to realize the severity of school violence and drugs and to learn practical countermeasures. Middle school student Oh Chae-yeon from Seoul said, “I was surprised that there are many serious crimes even among students these days. I’m going to share what I learned through this education with my friends.” High school student Heo I-hwan from Pyeongtaek said, “It was refreshing for all the students from the first middle school to the third year of high school to gather together and listened the same education. Moreover, it was my first time to learn drug prevention, but it was easy to understand with the videos and presentations.” Parent Lee Jin-ju from Osan said, “As a parent, I was worried that there are a lot of content that is harmful to children these days. But I’ve gained the knowledge to protect my child, which puts my mind at ease through this education.”

ASEZ STAR started the “Shoulder to Shoulder” Campaign to prevent school violence from the 12th, the day after the character education until the end of September. This initiative aims to create a school where all students feel happy and included, ensuring that no one is left behind by fostering friendships and camaraderie. The members committed to spreading a positive culture in their school by speaking and acting together, as outlined in the joint declaration during the character education.

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