Citizens invited to donate musical instruments to students

A poster of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education shows its project in which people can donate their musical instruments to students. /Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Office Education

By Bahk Eun-ji

Seoul's education authority has started a project to provide second-hand musical instruments to students for free after receiving donations from citizens no longer using them.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) said, Monday, that it is carrying out the project to nurture creativity in young people and encourage the circulation of educational resources.

The donation process will be made in cooperation with 30 Beautiful Store chains, a nonprofit organization and charity shop located in Seoul, and Nakwon Musical Instrument Arcade in Jongno.

People who have musical instruments that they do not use anymore, can send them to the stores or the Nakwon arcade for two months from April 15.

The SMOE will send donated musical instruments to the arcade for repairs and tuning, and then provide them to students and schools. The instruments will be provided first to those who have applied to join music courses offered by local community centers including two Seoul Creativity and Art Education Centers in Eunpyung-gu and Seongdong-gu.

Young people who do not attend school are also eligible to participate in the courses.

Nakwon arcade and SMOE have been working together since 2017 after signing a memorandum of understanding on sharing regional businesses.

“The ultimate goal is to nurture young people to become adults who can play at least one musical instrument,” said Cho Hee-yeon, the superintendent of SMOE, said in a statement.

Cho visited Nakwon arcade on Monday and donated his own acoustic guitar as the first donor of the program.