- Plans to turn artistic talents of students with autism spectrum disorders into marketable items like cards, postcards,
mugs and T-shirts to be sold via various channels
- Aims to lay a solid foundation for autistic students to actively take part in the society through profit return and reinvestment
Seoul, Korea, June 13, 2012 — SK Planet today announced that it joined hands with the Ewha University-Industry
Collaboration Foundation to launch the ESTAR (Ewha-SK Planet Talent and Rehabilitation) project. It is a social
contribution project aimed at increasing participation of students with autism spectrum disorders in social and
economic activities by helping them identify and develop their special talents.
SK Planet will work closely with Professor Lee So-Hyun (Special Education, Ewha Womans University) to turn
students’ talents into marketable products to be exhibited and sold via diverse distribution channels including
websites, thereby laying a solid foundation for students with autism spectrum disorders to actively take part
in the society.
Recently, there is a growing social interest in autism as the number of people suffering from this disorder
has been rising affected by increased average age of women having their first child and environmental pollution.
In 2008, the United Nations declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day to highlight the need to help improve
the lives of children and adults who suffer from the disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives. Moreover,
the Special Olympics World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013 will be held for the first time in Korea for athletes
with intellectual disabilities.
As the first program under the ESTAR project, SK Planet plans to select autistic students with exceptional talent
in art; provide them with necessary education and training; and make products like cards, postcards, mugs and
T-shirts based on their work of art to be sold at the EASTAR Shop. All net profit from sales will go to the student
who owns the copyright of the design and the recovered cost will be reinvested in future productions.
SK Planet today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on industry-academia cooperation with Ewha Womans
University. The signing ceremony took place at Ewha Womans University with the attendance of Lee Jin-woo,
SK Planet’s Head of Corporate Cooperation Office, and Choi Kyung-hee, Director of Ewha University-Industry
Collaboration Foundation.
“The ESTAR project represents a new concept as it tests the possibility of whether these kinds of activities can be
sustained, improved and expanded,” said Lee Jin-woo, SK Planet’s Head of Corporate Cooperation Office. “We will
work closely with Ewha Womans University to help create valuable opportunities for students with autism spectrum
disorders by introducing their incredible talents to the society, and extend our full support to increase their participation
in social and economic activities.”
The ESTAR project is the first of its kind in Korea that promotes independent living of autistic people by giving
them useful support under industry-academia cooperation. In fact, prototypes of mugs and T-shirts illustrated by
autistic student have been well sold at an international conference on autism spectrum disorders held at Ewha
Womans University on June 2 2012.
Under close collaboration with the Ewha University-Industry Collaboration Foundation, SK Planet plans to expand
the ESTAR projects to include art, music and movies. The company will also provide students with useful support
so that they can actively sell their work at the online marketplace 11st. Its ultimate goal is to allow the ESTAR Shop
to take root as a good business model that leads to the establishment of a social enterprise that performs valuable
social responsibilities and roles.
