Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope
Supporting youth to stand on their own
Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope helps youth transitioning out of care prepare for independent living in a stable environment by providing individual living spaces. The program also offers job training and employment support to help them achieve true self-reliance.
A tower of strength for adolescents
Adolescents living in children’s care facilities or foster homes are required to leave child protective services upon turning 18, whether they are prepared or not. To lessen the financial, residential and career-related burdens on these young adults, Samsung stand alongside them to provide support. The Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope Center provides individual living spaces for youth transitioning out of care for up to two years. The center offers necessary life skills training, including cooking, cleaning and organizing. Moreover, youth can participate in fundamental financial education, covering topics like financial literacy, asset management and navigating lease agreements.
Started with Samsung employees’ donations
Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope is a CSR initiative launched in 2013. To mark the 20th anniversary of Samsung Electronics’ New Management Initiative, employees received special incentives and voluntarily chose to donate 10% of them to start the program. To find the most meaningful cause for these funds (totaling KRW 25 billion), employees submitted and voted on ideas for corporate citizenship programs. Over 23,000 employees voted, and one of the winning ideas was a self-reliance support program for youth transitioning out of care, which eventually developed into Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope. Since opening the first center in Busan in 2015, Samsung now operates 15 Stepping Stone of Hope Centers across 12 localities (Busan, Daegu, Gangwon, Gwangju, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Gyeonggi, Jeonnam, Daejeon and Chungbuk), supporting the independence of 38,000 young adults.
Moving forward together
To support the economic independence of these young adults, Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope goes one step further. By leveraging Samsung’s educational infrastructure and expertise, as well as its network of affiliates and partners, the program provides practical skills training to help youth secure employment. In collaboration with Samsung affiliates, the program operates nine educational courses, including electronics and IT manufacturing technician, semiconductor precision piping engineer, confectionery and baking technician, and nail art beautician. Samsung Stepping Stone of Hope covers all tuition fees and provides accommodation as well as educational allowances so that the youth can focus solely on their training.
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