Bangkok--5 Jun--TK Park
Air Chief Marshal Prajin Jantong, Deputy Prime Minister, presided over the official opening of Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park at Mork Mai Building, Muang, Mae Hong Son, serving as another major knowledge provider to facilitate the reform of learning in Thailand. Here, young children and youth can learn and acquire knowledge and skills independently using appropriate management systems and information technology to support their learning in the 4.0 era. This knowledge park also offers a creative learning space and a variety of learning activities for Mae Hong Son people of all ages to develop their skills and capabilities and, as a result, they will become high quality people who make significant contributions to the development of the country in the future.
Mr. Rames Promyen, Acting Deputy Director of Office of Knowledge Management and Development and Director of Thailand Knowledge Park, said in the opening ceremony that Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park was the 22nd knowledge park fully operated under the concept of "Living Library". This project was a collaboration among 3 organizations, namely the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (Public Organization) with the Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) in charge, Mae Hong Son Municipality Office, and Mae Hong Son Community College. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on December 14, 2015, and, since then, the 3 organizations had been working together to create shared knowledge and resources for the benefits of local community and society at large.
"Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park" is a small-scale knowledge park developed from the Mae Hong Son ICT Skill Development and Learning Center building which belongs to the Mae Hong Son Municipality Office. As the old learning center has been turned into "Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park" under the concept of "Living Library", there is an additional space for creativity, imagination, recreation, music and activities. It is a modern-day learning center with the emphasis on information technology in conformity with the context of the isolated rural area surrounded by mountains, making it difficult and time-consuming to reach. The old learning center originally came with a good information technology system to enable quick access to learning resources. With TK Park's automated library management system, young children, youth and adults in Mae Hong Son have equal opportunities for knowledge and information search with those in the other regions.
TK Park has introduced the concept of "Living Library", offered counseling services regarding physical learning environment, provided books and learning media, installed library management system and information technology system, as well as organized trainings and workshops on hosting a variety of activities and events to promote reading habits and managing the knowledge park, for Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park to become a lifelong learning space for people of all ages and all walks of life. The main purpose of this project is to promote knowledge acquisition and sharing among young children, youth and adults in Mae Hong Son. As a result, they will become well-rounded individuals who can help improve the quality of education and life for people in Mae Hong Son in the future.
In addition, TK Park has recently created a set of 3 storybooks about the northern region of Thailand. First, "Three Seasons in Muang Sam Mok" is a picture book drawn by a famous artist, Thepsiri Suksopha. The second and third books are "Toh-On" and "A Town in the Valley". These first 3 books are available in Thai and English.
Mr.Pakorn Jeenakam, Mayor of Mae Hong Son, said that Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park at Mork Mai Building, Khunlumprapas Road, Chong Kham District, Muang, Mae Hong Son Province, is the 3-story building with 2,473.65 meter2 usable space. It is a small-scale knowledge park suitable for the social context of Mae Hong Son, which is a small province, developed from the previous Mae Hong Son ICT Skill Development and Learning Center building, which had been the beginning of information technology and access to computer and the Internet. The 2012 Training for ICT Skill Development for children and the youth has made Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park stand out for its information technology system. In the future, learning with technological systems and distance learning should be promoted to accord with Thailand 4.0 policy. It also shares E-learning knowledge with educational institutions in Mae Hong Son.
Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park is a 3-story building. On the first floor, the Reading Room is a living library containing over 3,000 books and learning materials as well as a variety of multimedia. The Kids Room allows young children and youth to participate in learning and skill development activities in an age-appropriate learning environment. As for the Studio Room, people who love to dance can get together and reserve the room for private dance sessions or they can attend the dance workout classes provided. The Study Room is a self-study space which can be used as a reading room, a tutoring room, a small lecture/workshop room, for 8-12 people. The Mork Mai Space is a meeting point for young children, youth, adults and people in the community to create and participate in recreational and academic activities as well as exhibitions.
On the second floor, a number of IT entrepreneurs in Mae Hong Son provide their services, such as advertisement design, graphic and web design, online marketing, packaging design, as well as label and logo design. In addition, offers design and software development services along with trainings for undergraduate students in Mae Hong Son. The company also has part-time jobs for undergraduate students.
On the third floor, the Good Net Room is equipped with computers, tablets, free secured Wi-Fi Internet access, and appropriate website access. The E-tech and Library contains learning materials and media in the forms of books, magazines and digital media. In this room, there are also a music corner and a space for movie screenings for young children, youth and adults. The Computer Training Room offers at least 2 IT training programs each month. Equipped with 40 computer stations, the room is also available for rent for trainings and workshops. In addition, the Smart Room is a small meeting room for 15 people and the ICT Caf? is at the corner serving food and beverages.
Mr.Suthep Nuchsuang, President of the Council of Mae Hong Son Community College, said that Mae Hong Son has a variety of remarkable features, especially climates, cultural diversity, and ethnic diversity. Therefore, the ICT system is crucial to connection and access to news information that is useful for the public. The knowledge park is determined to provide services, equal opportunities, and access to learning that meet national standards to a broad target group, including public and private sectors, ordinary people, young learners, university students, and the disadvantaged.
The effective collaboration among all related sectors has highlighted the promotion of knowledge about information technology under the supervision of Mae Hong Son ICT Skill Development and Learning Center with the integration of creativity, imagination, recreation, music and activities operated under the concept of "Living Library" by Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park). Therefore, Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park facilitates the improvement of the quality of life of Mae Hong Son people of all ages across all dimensions. The knowledge park expects to receive at least 1,000 visitors each month.
Everyone is cordially invited to take part in fun learning activities and develop various skills in this creative space of the 4.0 era at Mae Hong Son Knowledge Park which is opened daily from 8.30 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.