More than 500 university students have pledged to help young school children in learning as a part of a nationwide voluntary tutoring project.

The Association of Student Volunteers launched a campaign called “Teacher for Korea,” with a ceremony in Seoul on Wednesday.

Officials from the government, including Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, and more than 500 students attended the ceremony.

The volunteer teaching project is designed to help children in elementary and middle schools learn more effectively and also develop their social skills, according to organizers.

As part of the “Teacher for Korea,” project, the volunteers will run classes with a wide range of subjects, including art, soccer, dance and music every Saturdays during the school term.

They will also run a three-day summer camp for school children starting this summer.

The program is supported by the state-run Korea Student Aid Foundation and also the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Creativity.

“Through teaching and working with the children, students can also learn a lot more from their colleagues and have the opportunities to understand each other’s differences,” an official from the ministry said.

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)