Yonsei has introduced a new community-based social service model called the “Yon-In Project” (Help Close at Hand). The new project involves an annual participation of some 4,000 Yonsei students in a large-scale academic guidance and mentoring program. On November 20th, Yonsei University signed an agreement for the project with Incheon Metropolitan City and the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education at Yonsei’s Songdo International Campus. The name of the project – “Yon-In” – takes the first syllable of ‘Yonsei’ and ‘Incheon.’ Under the “Yon-In” Project, students at Yonsei’s Songdo Campus will mentor students at 482 elementary, middle and high schools in the region. Yonsei students will take part in a various mentoring programs providing one-on-one or small group tutoring and guidance sessions after classes. Yonsei will be responsible for the human resources part of the project encouraging and inducing participation from its students. Incheon Metropolitan City will fund the project and seek effective models of educational volunteer work. The Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education will coordinate local schools, teachers and student mentors taking part in the program. President Jeong Kap-young said that, “The project goes hand-in-hand with Yonsei’s education philosophy of “service leadership” and will help our students mature into true leaders with a sense of social responsibility and a warm heart. I am grateful to the Incheon Metropolitan City and the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education for their support and involvement in the project and Yonsei will in turn actively contribute to educational development in Incheon.” Incheon mayor Song Young-gil voiced high hopes that the community-based social service “Yon-In” Project will improve the educational atmosphere and academic achievement of students in the region. He asked that, “Yonsei University students be life-long mentors for these young students and help them realize their dreams.” All the schools in Incheon will be surveyed to find out the level of demand by the end of the year and volunteers will be recruited early next year. A ceremony commemorating the official launch of the project will be held in March 2013.