Starbucks opened this month its first community store in out Korea, as part of its global commitment to provide opportunities for young people. The store is located in Seoul’s Daehakro neighborhood. It is Starbucks’ eighth community store globally and the second community store in Asia.
A portion of every purchase from the community store directly supports education and career training programs through Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea (GUCFK). Under the scheme, KRW300 (USD0.30) from every purchase directly goes to GUCFK to support youth development skills for the youth through the Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program, a first-of-its-kind program in Korea that offers academic scholarships.
“Korea has one of the highest college tuition costs around the globe and the ratio for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend college is low. The Starbucks Comprehensive Youth Leadership Program empowers and engages young people in encouraging and meaningful ways to create a positive change in their lives through education,” said Lee Je-Hoon, President, Green Umbrella ChildFund Korea.
Since 2006, Starbucks Korea and GUCFK have collaborated to help address social and community needs across the country, with a strong focus on investing in young people that are seeking opportunities to participate in the economy. From the annual Green Santa Barista event, to Grow the Tree of Hope campaign, to skills development programs for youth, the two organizations have worked together to make a positive difference for young people in the community.
S.K. Lee, president, Starbucks Korea, said the investment from the new community store in Daehakro will give customers an opportunity to join Starbucks in directly supporting local programs for young people to build lifelong skills.
Daehakro is also located in the education and arts district of Seoul and is planned to be a social hub for the local community celebrating opportunities to create a positive change through an interactive community board and a unique art wall, created by local university students.
Over time, the store will host workshops and seminars facilitated by business and community leaders to create dialogue and engagement on important topics impacting the community.