2026 Spring
Living Lab Activities
Yonsei University,
South Korea
Course
Lecturer
Class Size
Career Exploration Mentoring:
University Students and Local Middle School Students Learning Together
Eunjung Lee
20
Career Exploration Mentoring
In the Spring semester of 2026, the Institute for Poverty Alleviation and International Development (IPAID) at Yonsei University launched the Career Exploration Mentoring for Middle School Students: Connecting Academic Majors and Personal Interests as an extracurricular program at Yonsei University Mirae Campus. The program connects university students with middle school students in Wonju and supports career exploration through the mentors’ academic knowledge, personal interests, and practical experience.
The program was designed as a mutual learning experience rather than a one-way transfer of career information from university students to younger students. The middle school students explored different academic fields and career paths through direct interaction with university mentors. The university students, in turn, strengthened their understanding of their own fields while learning how to communicate their knowledge and experience at a level appropriate for younger students.
Local youth-serving organizations helped recruit middle school students interested in the mentoring topics and connected them with the university teams. Through this collaboration, the university shared its educational resources with the local community, while university students gained opportunities to apply their knowledge and experience outside the campus. The middle school students received practical information and hands-on experiences that are not always available through school-based career education.
The program was successfully completed with active participation from both university students and middle school students. It also received a highly positive response from local youth and partner organizations. Based on these outcomes and continued interest from the community, IPAID plans to continue the program in the coming years.
Student-Led Program Design
A total of six university student teams participated in the program. Each team also created a distinctive and memorable name that reflected the theme and spirit of its mentoring project. Students developed mentoring topics based not only on their academic majors, but also on their hobbies, club activities, personal development activities, and other areas of interest. Each team prepared its own activity plan, including learning objectives, content, and teaching methods, while taking into account the age and interests of the participating middle school students.
Rather than delivering a standardized curriculum, the university students developed their own career education content. They used games, experiments, quizzes, creative projects, and digital tools to encourage the middle school students to participate actively.
Each university team was matched with a group of middle school students of a similar size, and the teams held three mentoring sessions. During the first session, mentors learned about the students’ interests and career concerns. In the following sessions, they introduced the content they had developed and adjusted its difficulty and delivery in response to the students’ feedback.
Before each mentoring session, the faculty supervisors reviewed the relevant guidelines and precautions with the university students. They also met with each team to review its preparations and the overall direction of its mentoring activities. Each team received KRW 600,000 (approximately USD 420) to cover mentoring materials, educational tools, materials for experiments, and other activity-related expenses. The teams developed their own spending plans and used the funds in accordance with university regulations.
Career Exploration Activities by Six Student Teams
Group 1
(1) Understanding Business and Economics
The Biznomics team introduced basic concepts in business and economics by connecting them with situations familiar to middle school students. Through examples and hands-on activities, the students explored principles that might otherwise seem abstract and learned about related university majors and career paths.
Group 2
(2) Marketing and Consumer Behavior
The Dream Bridge team introduced basic marketing concepts and real-world examples. Middle school students examined the relationship between products and consumers and developed their own marketing ideas. In the final session, they reviewed what they had learned through a quiz, presentations, and a question-and-answer session.
Group 3
(3) Travel Planning with Generative AI
The Future Link team introduced generative AI as a tool for learning and information gathering rather than simply a source of ready-made answers. The middle school students used AI to research destinations and create travel plans that included itineraries, transportation, and estimated costs. They also compared AI-generated information with other sources and presented their completed plans.
Group 4
(4) Exploring Social Issues and Environmental Careers
The Green Solution Lab team used games and discussions to explore social and environmental issues. Middle school students examined the causes and effects of selected problems and proposed their own solutions. The program combined icebreaking activities, a living lab exercise, and career counseling to connect environmental learning with problem-solving and career exploration.
Group 5
(5) SDGs and Sustainable Energy
The Demian team developed games and experiments related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), hydrogen energy, and sustainable nation-building. Middle school students learned about the SDGs through a board game and participated in a hydrogen production experiment. They also managed an imaginary country while considering the balance among economic growth, environmental protection, and energy policy. Based on the students’ responses, the mentors simplified the original game rules and made the activities more intuitive.
Group 6
(6) Digital Content Creation and Self-Management
The College-Bound with a Smartphone team used smartphones and AI as tools for career exploration and creative production. Middle school students created characters and digital content based on their interests and learned about personal branding. They also explored AI video production, study motivation and strategies, self-management tools, and career opportunities related to public institutions in Wonju Innovation City. The team compiled the activities into a career education booklet and a set of digital resources.
Mutual Learning between University and Middle School Students
Through games, experiments, AI-based activities, and content creation, the middle school students explored academic fields and career paths in practical ways. They had opportunities to express their interests and receive advice from university mentors about university life and future careers.
The university students gained experience in designing and delivering mentoring content. They reorganized familiar knowledge and learned how to explain it in ways that younger students could understand. When an activity proved too difficult or did not sufficiently engage the students, the mentors revised its content and delivery based on the students’ responses. Through this process, they developed skills in educational content design, teamwork, communication, scheduling, and budget management.
Connecting the University and the Local Community
The program brought together Yonsei University students and faculty members, local middle school students, and local youth-serving organizations. Partner organizations recruited middle school students interested in career exploration and connected them with the university.
The university students developed educational content based on their academic fields and personal interests, while the faculty supervisors monitored the process and supported each team in providing appropriate mentoring.
Through this program, IPAID extended the university’s educational role into the local community and provided local youth with opportunities to explore a wider range of academic and career possibilities. At the same time, the program created a framework through which university students could apply their knowledge in the community and grow together with the younger students they mentored.
