Giving Back to the Public—Practicing Servant Leadership Yonsei started activities to facilitate closer ties to local communities and to strengthen its public service. The action is an embodiment of Yonsei's commitment to 'servant leadership,' one of the school visions, to train future elites with warm heart who will serve their neighbors and the nation. 'Dream Start,' a program which provides care to children of lower income families in Seodaemun-gu area who are in elementary school and middle school, is a part of Yonsei's local community campaign. Yonsei students actively participate in the program. Yonsei was provided a list of 50 elementary and middle school students from low income families from Seodaemun-gu Office, and currently female Yonsei students are spending 9 hours per week, providing help in academic and cultural service through a one-on-one mentoring program. Unlike other mentoring programs, Dream Start has a well-prepared support system for mentors and mentees with a supervising group composed of 4 graduate level supervisors from education majors. President Kim Han-joong promised to present a policy for restoring local community. “I will take a leading role in restoring grassroots community in Korea with policies such as selecting talented students from different provinces. We learned recently that globalization cannot be achieved without restoration of local communities.” Yonsei's admission is also distinguished by its concern for local community. Through Yonsei Hanmaeum admission category, certain numbers of students from the locations of each campus are given special opportunity. Seodaemun-gu (Shinchon campsu) will have 4 students, Wonju city (Wonju campus) and Yeonsu-gu (Songdo campus) will both have 2 students from local communities admitted through this channel. The admission will be processed with students with recommendations of local authorities. Such programs are all part of Yonsei's “Happiness Marketing.” It aims to create brighter atmosphere, starting from the inside of Yonsei, and reaching out to the entire society in the long term. Following the founding spirit of Dr. Underwood, Yonsei is focusing on education with “servant leadership.” It is a bold move to employ Philip Kotler's concept of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) into education. Yonsei also established lectures conducted as Community Based Learning from 2007. Participants of the lectures improved living environment of the elder people living alone near campus, visited care center for children with disability, consulted marketing for local small business owners, and conducted a project on developing websites about children around the world who need help from NGOs such as UNICEF. About 1,100 students are participating in 40 community-based learning lectures at the moment. There are other active volunteer activities around the Yonsei community. Last year, Yonsei Society of Dental Service provided various dental services to people in need. In last December, “Yonsei Volunteering Community” became an official department, and “Volunteering Center” was opened to provide services to help volunteer activities. The original purpose of the center is to encourage the spirit of “consideration and warm care” and to integrate networks of alumni and parents of students. It also aims to spread Yonsei's influence in local society. Many student groups are also acting vigorously in a wide variety of fields. On every Wednesday, there is a volunteering singing group’s performance at the lobby of Severance Hospital for patients. About 8,000 university faculty, staffs and students are helping children in Shinchon area with after-school mentoring activity, 22 classes are also dedicated to various volunteer activities, and 2,276 students are participating in the lectures. The lectures are linked to volunteer credit program. Some students are taking the lectures every semester. Other than the domestic volunteer activities, there are active volunteer activities overseas by Yonsei students. The university sent short-term volunteer teams to Ethiopia, Mongolia and China in 2007. There is a plan to develop “Volunteer Belt,” which will include 5 regions in Asia such as Mongolia and Vietnam. Yonsei is also planning to expand support programs for children living in countryside to encourage their academic efforts. At Wonju campus, 300 freshmen in the Residential College started “online e-learning education” since April. The program aims to help 120 children living in and around the military camps in the region who lack educational support. Through the e-learning education program, two participating students made a pair with one child, offering scholastic tutorial and mentoring.