Two programs earn Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy recognition as outstanding environmental education programs
'Trash Out! Treasure In!' and 'Eco K-pop' selected for blending play and popular culture with environmental learning
Five programs designated since 2024, expanding lifelong environmental education
Seoul's Jungnang-gu is drawing attention for its unconventional approach to environmental education — using play-based activities for toddlers and K-pop culture for teenagers.
Jungnang-gu announced that two environmental education programs developed and operated by its Environmental Education Center have been newly designated as outstanding environmental education programs for the second showing of 2026 by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy.
The two selected programs are "Trash Out! Treasure In!" for young children and "Eco K-pop" for middle and high school students. Both weave play and popular culture into environmental learning, tailored to the interests and comprehension levels of each age group.
"Trash Out! Treasure In!" guides young children to discover the hidden value in everyday waste through sensory play. Participants learn about the garbage generated in a single day and the environmental problems it causes, then absorb proper waste-sorting methods and the importance of resource recycling through activities engaging their hearing, touch and physical movement.
"Eco K-pop" connects K-pop culture familiar to teenagers with environmental issues. Students explore the relationship between the K-pop industry and environmental challenges, study examples of the industry's shift toward greener practices, and then plan and creatively express eco-friendly activities they can carry out as fans.
Both programs move away from conventional one-way delivery of environmental information, instead using subjects that participants find genuinely engaging to guide them toward real-world environmental action.
With these two additions, the Jungnang-gu Environmental Education Center now operates five programs designated as outstanding by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy — one in 2024, two in 2025 and two more this year.
The outstanding environmental education program designation system is a national-level certification through which the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy evaluates programs on their environmental soundness, educational quality and safety.
"It is important to deliver environmental education in a way that matches the characteristics and interests of the audience," Jungnang-gu District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi said. "We will consistently expand our tailored education programs so that people of all ages — from young children to teenagers and adults — can understand environmental issues and practice resource recycling and environmental protection in their daily lives."
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