Helping children reach their dreams begins with opportunity and good nutrition.
That’s why Amway Korea provides Nutrilite vitamin supplements to hundreds of South Korean students along with educational experiences like science camp.
Amway Korea’s outreach is focused on supporting children who live with their grandparents or other relatives rather than their parents, according to Craig Kang, Senior PR Specialist for Amway Korea, who accompanied the children on the trip.
This year, Amway Korea gave five children an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the world beyond their rural homes with a visit to the U.S.
“I was excited,” said Si Hyun “Cindy” Yoo, through a translator about being picked for this rare experience. Adding to the specialness of the trip, Cindy celebrated her 10th birthday while on this adventure of a lifetime.
The trip is part of Amway Korea’s Children Dreaming High program, a localized version of Amway’s Nutrilite Power of 5 Campaign. The Power of 5 is Amway’s global initiative to fight childhood malnutrition and includes nutrition education, food provisions and essential vitamins and minerals for children.
“The Children Dreaming High program and the Power of 5 are part of Amway’s Corporate Social Responsibility program,” said Bryleigh Loughlin, Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist and Power of 5 Program Manager. “These are excellent examples of how Amway is helping improve the lives of children around the world.”
Along with nutritional supplements that nourish their bodies, Children Dreaming High gives children experiences that expand their minds. The group of three girls and two boys, ages 9 to 11, were selected from more than 300 children across South Korea based on letters of recommendation and a personal essay about their dreams.
Making ‘dreams come true’
“We aim to help children make their dreams come true. We launched this program last year so they can get a lot of experiences to help them reach their dreams,” said JuYeon Park, PR and Communications Director at Amway Korea.
She accompanied the children on the August 2018 trip. They attended a science camp hosted by Bella Vista Church in Lowell, where they built Lego robots with local children, made pottery and went horseback riding. They also went on field trips to Detroit, where they learned about U.S. history at the Henry Ford Museum and experienced the country’s favorite pastime in Chicago, attending a Cubs game.
Riding roller coasters at Michigan’s Adventure, an amusement park near the shores of Lake Michigan, was one of the children’s most thrilling activities, they said.
The students were fascinated by a special tour of Amway World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan. The tour included visits to labs and an opportunity to speak with Amway scientists about the research and testing that goes into developing the company’s best-selling nutritional supplements, cosmetics, and household goods.
In the Advanced Imaging Lab, known as AIM, the children were invited to slip their hands under a white tube that showed the tiny crevices of their skin up close on the computer screen. They giggled when they saw their psychedelic images in bright yellow, green, orange, and red taken with a thermal camera that measures moisture in skin.
Testing is an important part of Amway’s research because the company never makes a claim that isn’t backed up by facts, said Elizabeth Gyurke, an Assistant Research Scientist.
Meeting Amway scientists
Children walked through the company’s “Hall of Innovation,” where hundreds of patents are on display. They learned that Amway engineers invented many of the company’s best-in-class products that help customers become healthier and more confident and create better homes.
They also were given a rare peek into the 3-D Prototype lab, where models are made using two industrial-grade three-dimensional printers. The technology allows products to go from a sketch to final design without ever leaving the lab. The technology speeds up the time it takes to bring a new product to market, said Ryan Schamper, Senior Product Design Engineer.
The students were thrilled when Schamper gave each of them two small ornaments he made on the 3-D printer as mementos.
Cindy was amazed by her tour of Amway headquarters and hopes she can return again, she said through her translator.
With the success of the first U.S. trip, there may be more visits.
“We aim to help children make their dreams come true,” Park said.
