With Wings to Fly!

Since 2018, Holt donors have supported the Bluebird Program, which helps prepare youth who have grown up in orphanages in Korea for the transition to independent living once they age out of institutional care. Here’s an overview of the Bluebird Program — and several others — that you help support.

Growing up in an orphanage in Korea, Ji-an wanted desperately to live with her parents like other children.

“Because I could not live with my parents, I spent each day crying,” she shares.

Her days were sad and hard. But one day, her caregivers helped her find an outlet in sports.

“With the support of my orphanage, I was able to start playing sports and became passionate about soccer, eventually joining the A team. However, seeing the happy families of my teammates and the generous support of their parents made me feel incredibly small,” she says. “I spent five years working 12 hours a day in a factory, having given up on my dreams.”

That’s when Ji-an learned about Holt’s Run-Learn Challenge — and began to envision a new dream.

“Through the program, I received professional training, which allowed me to attain the qualifications to become a soccer coach and referee,” Ji-an says. “Recently, I was recognized for my contributions at a national soccer tournament and received a special award. Holt’s program encouraged me to overcome failures and meet challenges. I am now the master of my life, filling each day with purpose by working in areas where I am confident in skill.”

Over the past 70 years, an estimated two million children have grown up in orphanages in Korea, with more than 1,000 young adults aging out every year.  Even though many have living relatives, often single mothers, they are labeled “orphans” and face stigma and discrimination due to the strong value placed on bloodline in traditional Korean culture.

Over the past 70 years, an estimated two million children have grown up in orphanages in Korea, with more than 1,000 young adults aging out every year. Many aged-out orphans struggle to find jobs, and many face a lifetime of poverty.

Many aged-out orphans struggle to find jobs due to this stigma, and many face a lifetime of poverty. They are vulnerable to scammers and other predators as well as sex traffickers who prey on young adults without any family ties. Some aged-out orphans, out of desperation, end up turning to crime as a means of survival. But in most cases, they simply struggle to get by in a society that shames them at every turn. Even if they overcome the odds and earn a college degree, they will likely continue to face discrimination in the hiring process. In Korea, nearly all job applicants require a background check into their family history.  

Holt International has long been concerned about the welfare of children once they come of age and leave orphanage care. “In the 1960s, when Harry Holt was still alive, Holt began their first vocational training program for youth, understanding that something had to be done to prepare older kids for moving out on their own,” says Paul Kim, Holt’s Korea program director. “In many ways, Holt has been a pioneer not only in adoption, but also in terms of the welfare of children in institutional care.”

Since 2018, Holt donors have supported several programs that help young adults aging out of orphanage care to successfully transition to Korean society. Here is an overview of the Bluebird Program, the Dream Plus Program, the With You Community —  and the Run-Learn Challenge that empowered Ji-an to fill her days with purpose and become the master of her life.

Bluebird Program

Holt began its Bluebird Program in 2018 to help youth ages 15 to 18 prepare for the transition to independent living once they age out of orphanage care. According to Paul, there are two components to the program: career exploration and strengthening self-reliance. “Children who have spent their entire lives living in an orphanage have been provided with housing, food, clothing, medical care and everything else they need as part of their daily routine,” he says. So when they reach high school age, the Bluebird Program pairs them with mentors who help them define their life goals and take steps toward independence. “Children are asked questions like, ‘What is your future?  What do you want to do? Do you see yourself going to college? Do you see yourself working? What career interests you?’” Paul explains.

Participants in the Bluebird Program also receive support from two important donor-funded scholarships, for which they may apply. The Career Scholarship pays for after-school classes that prepare students for college and ensure their success once they are enrolled. The Self-Reliance Scholarship offers tools to help youth set up their own bank accounts, learn how to create a budget and manage their finances.

Bluebird Program participants are also coached by mentors who have formerly aged out of institutional care in activities and cultural experiences that help them develop self-reliance. Such activities may include visiting historic sites and museums, taking part in seasonal festivals and events, and traveling to other parts of Korea, such as Jeju Island. “Children living in orphanages don’t have the same experiences in terms of going out and experiencing life as those who have grown up in families,” says Paul. “They may not know as much about their country, their culture. But the mentors in the Holt-supported Bluebird Program help them set goals, take part in activities that build self-esteem and encourage them to move toward their dreams.”

Here’s what one participant had to say about the program:

“I was selected as a Bluebird student to pursue my dream of becoming a visual designer. This program was like an airport control tower to me. The control tower plays an important role in ensuring that the plane flies in the right direction throughout the entire process, from takeoff to landing. The program guided me on the right path toward my dreams and gave me the opportunity to fly anywhere. I was able to discover who I am and understand what I want. I started to dream and hope for the future.”

Dream Plus Program

Once children have aged out of orphanage care and are enrolled in college or a technical training school, they are supported by the Dream Plus Program, which began in 2022. Through this program, Holt sponsors and donors provide financial assistance for tuition, school materials, dormitory fees, living expenses, including food and clothing, and career building and self-improvement activities. “The program supports students not only in academic and career exploration, but it also helps them grow as well-rounded individuals,” says Paul.  

Here’s what one participant had to say about the program:

“When I applied to the Dream Plus program, I asked myself, ‘What do I want to do? What activities bring me joy?’ I questioned myself one by one. This is how I began to walk toward my career with Dream Plus. After just 10 months of learning, I became proficient in five design and video programs and currently hold 13 certifications. People around me admired my achievements and said I was living a godly, productive life. I became someone who accomplished many things on my own. Could I have achieved this before? Absolutely not! Think about this: An individual who thought he could not do or become anything now has people around him admiring him for what he has achieved.”

Run-Learn Challenge

Once students have earned a college degree or achieved technical training, the Run-Learn Challenge, established in 2021, is there to support them as they enter the workforce and begin their first jobs. Mentors help answer questions about a youth’s job, employer and situations they may encounter on a daily basis. Meanwhile, Holt sponsors and donors offer financial assistance toward continuing education classes, professional lectures and living expenses.

In addition, the program provides young people living on their own with the emotional support they need through individual counseling, health improvement activities and structured support groups, as well as the practical support required to pay bills and manage their money. “The goal of the Run-Learn Challenge is to help youth grow as individuals, successfully interact in a group work environment and become part of a larger community,” Paul explains.

With You Community

In 2023, Holt created the With You Community program to build social networks among youth who are living and working on their own outside of orphanage care. “Korea is a communal society — people do not live in a vacuum on their own,” says Paul. “In fact, in Korea it’s said that no one is as lonely as a person without a family, without a network, without a community. What this program does is help bring that community together, build that support network and create togetherness in a society where togetherness is everything.”

In Korea, bluebirds represent dreams. Thanks to the support of Holt sponsors and donors, young adults who have aged out of orphanage care now have the chance to experience new dreams every day.

One of the key components of the Holt-supported With You Community program is to provide group activities designed to eliminate isolation. Participants might go camping together, for example, or spend a holiday with one another, such as Lunar New Year or Chuseok, a mid-autumn harvest celebration. “Some of the individuals who have aged out of orphanage care have shared memories of being alone on Lunar New Year, in an apartment with the lights turned off because there was just no brightness in their day,” says Paul. “Sitting alone, hearing others celebrate, made them feel like life just had no meaning.” But being part of the With You Community gives aged-out orphans the sense that they’re not alone, and that there’s always someone they can turn to. Apart from group activities, the program provides emergency financial support as well as group and individual counseling, particularly in crisis situations.

Participants in the With You Community also create fundraising projects to give back to other youth who are preparing to leave their orphanages. Recently, a group of young people worked with a manufacturer to make personalized grips for cell phones, which are commonly used in Korea. They sold the decorative phone grips to the public, and with the funds they raised, they were able to provide kits containing first aid supplies and personal care items to other youth preparing to live independently. This experience allowed them the opportunity to give back to those aging out of orphanage care and transition to the role of a mentor, Paul explains.

Since 2018, these programs have impacted the lives of more than 2,000 youth in Korea, helping them to transition from a life of total dependence to one of independence and personal and professional growth. In Korea, bluebirds represent dreams, and thanks to the support of Holt sponsors and donors, young adults who have aged out of orphanage care now have the chance to experience new dreams every day.