Smart Mobility Experience Program
“Want to see what I made?”
In September 2024, elementary school students smiled brightly as they proudly show off the results of their hard work at the ‘Smart Mobility Experience Expo(Flex Fair)’ held at ‘Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang.’
‘Smart Mobility Experience Program’ is a creative coding program organized by Hyundai AutoEver, where university students serve as mentors for children at local children’s centers. Each year, this initiative by Hyundai AutoEver goes beyond simple education by allowing ‘Smart Mobility Experience Program’ participants to showcase their creations and experience a sense of accomplishment.
Providing Education to Over 400 Children Since 2018
The goal of Hyundai AutoEver’s ‘Smart Mobility Experience Program’ is to provide quality education to children who would not normally have access to these sorts of educational opportunities. This aligns with one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.’
As of 2024, over 400 children have participated since the program’s inception in 2018, and responses from local children’s centers have been positive. Staff at the children’s centers recognize the importance of coding education in the current digital age and welcome the structured curriculum provided, acknowledging their own limitations when trying to teach coding on their own.
Children Grow Together with the University Students Who Serve as Mentors
The university students selected as mentors by Hyundai AutoEver take on the role of coding teachers for children participating in the ‘Smart Mobility Experience Program.’ Every year, 20 mentors go through an orientation before starting their work with the children, receiving scholarships and activity fees for their participation. To support the growth of these mentors, Hyundai AutoEver not only trains them in coding, but also in effective mentoring methods. Through this, it provides opportunities for both the children and mentors to grow into talented IT professionals.
“
I am proud to use my major to help nurture the next generation of outstanding professionals. I also feel that taking on the role of a mentor allows opportunities for my own personal growth through metacognitive learning, making this a meaningful experience for me.
Kim Yu-na, Mentor
Ongoing Education, Ever-Growing Skills
The ‘Smart Mobility Experience Program’ consists of 8 sessions where 3 mentors visit each center. The theme for the 2024 curriculum is ‘Smart Mobility City,’ where children use Spike Prime to assemble smart Lego cars and make them run through block coding. The curriculum is designed to allow the children to learn coding theory in an easy and fun way.
“
At first, the coding and assembly were kind of hard, but the teachers were really nice and explained everything, and by working hard with my partner, I think we were able to make a lot of progress quickly. It’s so amazing and fun to make the car I imagined a reality by assembling it with Lego and making it follow the commands I input to move around.
Program Participant
An Expo for Exchanging Creative Ideas
Hyundai AutoEver gathers the participants together in one place and hosts the ‘Smart Mobility Experience Expo(Flex Fair)’ to wrap up the program. At this event, the children show off the skills they learned during the program, exchange creative ideas, and gain new inspiration. They also take time to reflect on how they have grown through the mentoring experience, and the bond formed with their mentors throughout the program.
In this way, the ‘Smart Mobility Experience Program’ is not just an experience, but a program that empowers children to code their own futures and design their own dreams. Through this educational program, Hyundai AutoEver encourages children to take the lead in shaping the future and helps them grow into talented individuals that can change the world.
“
I joined this program because I wanted to help children grow, but it turned out that I, as a mentor, learned and grew even more than they did. I hope the experience of solving trial and error together while coding will be a great help in the children’s future.
Jung Min-ji, Mentor
