K12: Redefining Public Education in the AI Era

Adapting to the changing SW education policies, K12 is expanding rapidly into the public education sector! 🚀 Especially recently, it has garnered significant attention by successfully providing step-by-step SW·AI education to over 2,000 elementary and middle school students.

In less than a year, K12 has grown fivefold in terms of organizational size. What vision and goals do the members of K12 have as they grow? We sat down with Suwook, the Head of K12 with 20 years of experience in the education industry, and Sunjoo, the leader of the education development team, to have an open conversation.

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## Q. Please introduce yourselves briefly!

Suwook Hello. I’m Suwook Lee, the leader of the K12 division. I play a supporting role in enabling the passionate squad members in their twenties at K12 to drive digital transformation in various areas of education, spanning from early childhood to high school.

Sunjoo Hello! I’m Sunjoo Jo, responsible for education development at K12. My role involves developing the education needed to provide programming classes to elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as managing and training instructors to ensure quality lessons.

Q. What kind of business is K12 engaged in?

Suwook K12 is a compound word formed by combining “K” from kindergarten, which represents preschool education, and “12” representing the 12 years of education from elementary school to high school. It encompasses students from preschool to high school, and the K12 headquarters is actively promoting the digital transformation in the education market by providing programming education to students of all ages and creating successful examples in the market.

Sunjoo Our K12 division is rapidly expanding into the public education sector, in line with the changing SW education policies of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and ICT. We are involved in education, teacher training, and organizing information Olympiads in various cities and provinces.

Q. What kind of team members make up K12?

Sunjoo Our organization consists of members with various job roles, and you can think of it as a TF (task force) team. Within the department, roles are divided into business development (leading government projects and inquiries), education development (developing education content and managing instructors), and education operations.

Since all department members collaborate in a lean manner, each person can focus on their expertise and efficiently handle their tasks. With Suwook’s deep understanding and expertise in the K12 market, we are all working together seamlessly to move forward without hesitation!

Q. What has K12 been like so far, and what can we expect in the future?

Suwook You could say we’re like a “start-up within a start-up.” We’re experiencing tremendous growth that surpasses imagination, and our days are currently very busy. The demand for our services has been rapidly increasing, so there are challenging and demanding aspects, but our passionate team members are always thinking about how we can continue to succeed without getting tired.

Even now, the business areas that each squad is responsible for are gaining recognition in the market at a rapid pace, and the growth of each squad member is also remarkably fast. Perhaps a year from now, each of them will be responsible for even larger organizations and projects? To K12 members, I say, “I love you!” 🥰

Sunjoo When I visited schools for the Digital Sprout Camp project, and I listened to the voices of teachers on the ground, I felt truly proud. I’ve heard stories from teachers like, “I wanted to teach programming, but I didn’t know how, and thanks to Elice, we were able to conduct education proactively.” And when I heard that a student who had no interest in studying but became interested in programming decided to pursue a computer-related field in college, I was ecstatic.

Q. Can you share your proudest experience at work?

Suwook I think my proudest moment was during the summer of last year. I consider that summer to be a turning point for K12’s growth. We planned a 1Day camp for students and, in just a month, we prepared and conducted an AI camp for over 100 students from September to October.

It was more of a pilot test for a new challenge than an immediate boost in revenue. Our entire department came together with great enthusiasm, and it ended very successfully. I think it was around that time when we realized we could achieve anything with the right mindset.
If you’ve seen the movie ‘The Intern,’ you’ll recall the harmony between young employees in their twenties and Robert De Niro, the intern in his seventies, who had already retired. They support and uplift each other, contributing to their individual growth. I feel that I play a similar role as an intern like Robert De Niro did at K12.
When I provide support and encouragement to K12’s squad members in their twenties and witness both team and individual growth, I feel a sense of pride.

Sunjoo I felt extremely proud when I visited schools for the Digital Sprout Camp project! It was a moment I cherish. I have heard teachers say, “I wanted to teach programming, but I didn’t know how, and I’m grateful to Elice for taking the lead in providing education.” There was also a time when a student who had no interest in studying and used to lie down all the time suddenly became passionate about programming and expressed a desire to pursue a computer-related field in college. That was truly thrilling and exciting.

Q. Could you please share a word of advice for candidates interested in K12?

Suwook I worked in well-known education companies and institutions for 20 years, and now I’m taking on a final challenge by combining the expertise I’ve accumulated in the education industry with Elice’ powerful technology. 😃

Elice is leading the digital transformation of the education industry and is creating a world where many children can receive the right education in the AI era. If you want to be at the forefront of innovating education with technology, apply now!

Sunjoo Elice K12 provides digital education to students in their teenage years and is innovating in this field. The adolescent growth period is the most important in one’s lifetime. Influencing the expansion of these students’ thinking is a truly attractive and valuable endeavor.

Our K12 team members are all bright and fun individuals who, when faced with a problem, actively think of solutions and improvements. Wouldn’t you like to work with such passionate teammates? Are you curious? Join us now! 🏄‍♀️

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This interview with experts from various fields within K12, from online/offline experts to policy experts and education specialists for teacher training, promises explosive synergy, and the future looks even more promising. 😃

If the vision of K12, which is pioneering new horizons in education as a technology, excites you, apply right away! K12 is waiting for passionate colleagues to share a rewarding experience.

👉 Check out the positions currently open for recruitment: https://elice.careers/

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