Ashoka Korea

Since its official launch in March 2013, Ashoka Korea has been selecting and supporting 15 Fellows in the field of education, human rights, civic participation, and health care. It also has been spreading their innovative solutions through Ashoka’s global networks. By helping all walks of life such as youth organizations, universities, and companies to become leading problem solvers, Ashoka Korea is trying to contribute to Korea’s development into a society where everyone is a changemaker.

Our Programs

Venture & Fellowship

Ashoka Korea’s approach to V/F aligns with its foundational nature to all Ashoka’s work, providing innovations, resources, partnerships, and funding. Since its official launch in March 2013, Ashoka Korea has elected and supported 15 Fellows from diverse fields ranging from education and community regeneration to human rights and health in order to bring change to Korean society in an innovative way.

Next Now/ New Longevity

This new Ashoka Global initiative aims to catalyze a new approach to Ashoka’s collective changemaking towards framework change, starting with four pressing global challenges: New Longevity, Gender, Planet & Climate, and Tech & Humanity. Ashoka Korea formed a special team to contribute to Next Now, especially by proactively leading the progress in the Aging field.

Next Now

Youth Years

Time to Open the Future (sponsored by Brian Kim, Chairman and Founder, Kakao), an initiative for educational innovators from Korea and abroad to connect and collaborate, provides networking opportunities to various players in and out of public education. The goal is to effectively shift the focus of education from rote learning to problem-solving and competencies building.

In the nine previous Time to Open the Future forums held between 2016 and 2019, future education topics including empathy education, education gap and university innovation were addressed. Over 800 local and international education innovators and stakeholders of the local education system participated, expanding the common vision of shifting the educational paradigm and sharing insights and emerging solutions.

Ashoka Space

‘Ashoka Space’ is a museum for leading social innovators run by Ashoka Korea. With an aim for the public to understand Ashoka’s main concepts such as ‘social innovation’ and ‘problem solving’ in an easy and fun way, the stories and activities of Ashoka Fellows around the world, the icons of Changemaker, are presented through art and media exhibitions. Clearly being aware that we are going through the historic moment of exponential changes and complex social problems, a series of exhibitions are trying to show that not just an individual hero, but anyone can be a changemaker.

Changemakers

‘Changemakers’ is a place for social innovators and changemakers to feel at home and meet each other. Small and big events in the social impact sector are hosted here. It is also a space for Ashoka Fellow-centered activities, providing a free and high-quality space for signature programs and new pilots initiated and led by Fellows and their organizations. Sponsored by Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, Ashoka Korea’s founding partner since 2013.

Our Milestones

2013

Official Launch of Ashoka Korea in partnership with Hyundai Insurance, Hyundai Department Store and Root Impact
First Selection of Ashoka Fellow: Myung-sook Seo(Jeju Olle), Yuhyun Park(DQ Institute), Jong Ki Kim (Blue Tree Foundation)
2013 Ashoka Korea Fellow Induction
Community Event : Book & Movie Talk “Discover Changemaker”

2014

Selection of Ashoka Fellows: Sung-Jin Myoung (Youth Embracing the World), Hye-shin Chung (Gonggamin)
Community Event: The 1st and 2nd “Ashoka Inside & Insight”
Launch of “Making More Health” Initiative in Partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Korea
2014 Ashoka Fellow Access Dinner

2015

Selection of Ashoka Fellow: In-soo Song(Spring of Education), Myung-Sook Cho (Dawn School)
2015 Fellow Retreat in Jeju Island
Changemaker co-creation Workshop
Community Event: “See Differently, Do Differently”

2016

Selection of Ashoka Fellow: Chanpil Jung(The Future Class Network), Hannah Song(Liberty in North Korea), Junho Lee(Promisope)
‘Youth Venture’ Launch and Commemoration Forum: “Why, Now, Changemaker Education?”
Launch of ‘Time to Open the Future’ Initiative with Sponsorship of Brian Kim (Kakao Chairperson)
The 1st to 3rd ‘Time to Open the Future’ Forum
Co-leading the launch of ‘Google Impact Challenge Korea’ with Google.org
2016 Ashoka Korea Fellow Induction: “Future For All”

2017

Selection of Ashoka Fellow: Sooinn Lee (Enuma)
Publication of ‘Youth Venture Curriculum’ as open source
4th to 5th ‘Time to Open the Future’ Forum
Opening the community space “Changemakers”
2017 Ashoka Korea Fellow Induction: “Future For All”
2017 Fellow Retreat in Seoul

2018

Selection of Hanyang University as Ashoka U Changemaker Campus
6th to 7th ‘Time to Open the Future’ Forum
Ashoka Korea's 5th Anniversary Exhibition: "The Glory and Tears"

2019

Selection of Ashoka Fellow: Deagon Yi(Hae-ri book village), Jinkyeong Cho(Stand Up Against Against Sex Trafficking of Minors, “10 Up”)
2019 Ashoka Korea Fellow Induction: “Change the Norm, Change the Society”
Production of the Educational Innovation Documentary “TEN : 10 Clues for Future of Education” and Its Screening Events
Publication of Revised Korean Translation of the book How to Change the World: written by David Bornstein (Journalist and Ashoka US Fellow)
Launch of the “Roots of Empathy”(of Ashoka Canada Fellow Mary Gorden) into Korea
8th to 9th ‘Time to Open the Future’ Forum
Launch of Partnership with CHANEL KOREA ‘Beautiful Action’

2020

Selection of Ashoka Fellow: Jeesun Lee(Seoul Rehabilitation Hospital), Jihwang Yoo (Farmfra)
2020 Virtual Ashoka Fellow Induction
2020 Ashoka Fellow Retreat in Pochun, Gyeonggi-do
Virtual Roundtables with 9 Ashoka Fellows for Next Now: ‘New Longevity’
Publication of ‘SangSuRi Book’, Ashoka Fellow Myung-sook Seo’s changemaking journey
Release of a mobile app “Changemaker Library”

2021

Opening the Social Innovation Museum “Ashoka Space”
Opening Commemorative Exhibition: <Green Connect: The Journey of My Doll> (2021.03~06)
Second Exhibition : <Generation Connect: Time & Gradation> (2021.08~)
Winning the Minister of Education Award at 'The 16th Parent's Choice Education Brand Award', held by the Women's News in South Korea

Our Team

Ashoka is a team of people working together from 38 country offices around the world to advance a world in which Everyone is a Changemaker. Ashoka staff members are team players who are entrepreneurial and are driven to make powerful ideas real.

Contact

Ashoka Korea

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (82)02-737-6977

Address: Ashoka Korea #801, 161, Yanghwa-ro Mapo-gu Seoul 03995 South Korea