ABOUT US
Our Mission
Guided by the belief that all children have equal value, Open Arms provides English education to children in South Korean welfare homes.
Our strong community of support empowers them to realise their self-worth and reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. In addition to providing a personalised learning program throughout their childhood, our dedicated team of diverse volunteers also connects the children to a more global world view.
Our Vision
Our vision is a community where children are accepted, valued and unconditionally loved so they can grow into adults who will contribute positively to our society.
Out of respect to the children we serve, Open Arms will no longer use the stigmatizing verbiage of ‘abandoned’, ‘orphan’ and ‘orphanage’.
However, it does not change the reality that the relinquished children live in residential care institutions. They are representative of the type of out-of-home care in the Korean child welfare system.
Our Values
Our values are driven by our mission to allow children to realize their self-worth and reach their full potential. We believe that our values will guide us to find better ways to empower the children.
INDIVIDUALITY
We are committed to the whole child. Our community creates a sense of belonging which fosters our core belief in self-respect. This is reflected in our 1:1 teaching and learning activities which is based on the developmental stage of each child.
TRANSPARENCY
We aim for complete transparency in management, program development, communication, decision-making, and governance. This strengthens accountability and provides opportunities to identify areas for improvement and growth.
INCLUSIVITY
We respect and value all children. We believe in creating a community that embraces all children and staff and provides a sense of belonging and empowerment.
PARTNERSHIP
We believe in the strength of partnerships as we can accomplish more by complementing the existing resources available in our community rather than duplicating them. Partnerships allow us to dream bigger.