How can Corporations Contribute to the Community through Environmental Education? : Focusing on Partnerships between Corporations and Universities in Korea

Abstract

The goal of this study was twofold: first, to determine the effectiveness of providing environmental education in collaboration between a company and a university, and, second, to describe perspective that the environmental education community has developed through close communication with stakeholders in environmental education. For the study, we observed the "Green Keeper" project's collaborative progress and collected various quantitative and qualitative data on the project for three years. Participating students' knowledge of and concern for the environment significantly increased after participation in the project (p<.01). We discerned that changes in the children spread to the community as well. Green Keeper project participant satisfaction ranged from 3.52-4.32 over three years, indicating a consistently high level. Satisfaction rose each year because the project steadily evolved through collaboration between the university and the company with additional feedback from the community. This project found several advantages to collaborative environmental education, such as effective community environmental education, encouraging environmental education in schools, and investment in the future of the company.