{"id":156477,"date":"2026-07-07T09:12:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/?p=156477"},"modified":"2026-07-07T09:12:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-07T00:12:14","slug":"good-csr-is-like-farming-a-case-study-of-our-handball-program-for-students-with-developmental-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/156477","title":{"rendered":"Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Some CSR programs are easy to photograph, but some are harder to see. A tree planted, a meal served, a check handed over \u2014 the impact is immediate and visible. But some of the most important forms of social contribution take shape slowly, through consistency, trust, and human connection. Our \u201c<strong>Happy Dream Handball Classes<\/strong>,\u201d a special program for children with developmental disabilities, is one of those efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" class=\"gb-media-e211c3c6\" alt=\"\" title=\"Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities_001\" src=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001-1244x700.jpg 1244w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_001-1536x864.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><sup>\u25b2 SK Enmove employees and SK Sugar Gliders players joined a Happy Dream Handball Class at a special school in Seoul in November 2024.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/156477\/#_A_Blind_Spot_Worth_Addressing\" >| A Blind Spot Worth Addressing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-5'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/156477\/#_Cultivate_Bloom_Harvest\" >| Cultivate. Bloom. Harvest.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h5 class=\"gb-text\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_A_Blind_Spot_Worth_Addressing\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:#ffffff\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">|<\/mark><\/strong> <strong><strong><strong><strong>A Blind Spot Worth Addressing<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Adapted physical activity \u2014 structured, expertise-driven sports education for children with developmental disabilities \u2014 has long been a blind spot in corporate CSR. In South Korea, where special schools face chronic shortages of staff and PE infrastructure, that gap is especially pronounced. That&#8217;s exactly what we found when we started looking for a place where our resources could make a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two years ago, we asked a simple question: <em>What if a company with a professional handball team and thousands of employees who could&nbsp;potentially&nbsp;play the role of special private coaches used that asset to do something that actually mattered?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not a donation or a one-day event. A real, recurring program \u2014 built around students with developmental disabilities who wanted to move, play, be challenged, and connect with new people, but rarely got the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we decided to build the program properly \u2014 with educators, researchers, and long-term commitment from the beginning. We partnered with Korea National Sport University&#8217;s Department of Adapted Physical Education to design a curriculum that was safe, structured, and actually suited to each student. We brought in an NGO to handle coordination. And we asked our own people \u2014 employees and handball players alike \u2014 to show up, week after week, at two special schools in Seoul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"gb-text\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"_Cultivate_Bloom_Harvest\"><\/span><strong><mark style=\"background-color:#ffffff\" class=\"has-inline-color has-accent-color\">|<\/mark><\/strong> <strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>Cultivate. Bloom. Harvest.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>We were honored when Professor Gunhwan Bae of Korea National Sport University chose to make our Happy Dream Handball Classes the subject of his research \u2014 and even more so because his role went far beyond observation. For two years, Professor Bae showed up at every session as the program&#8217;s lead instructor: designing the curriculum, running the classes, and personally training our volunteers before each session. He was, in every sense, a participant in what we were building together. In May 2026, he published his findings in Frontiers in Psychology \u2014 a peer-reviewed international journal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"550\" class=\"gb-media-1810aa54\" alt=\"\" title=\"Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities_002\" src=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_002.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_002.png 1000w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_002-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_002-768x422.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><sup>\u25b2 Professor Gunhwan Bae of Korea National Sport University explains the Happy Dream Handball Cass curriculum to SK Innovation employee volunteers.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Bae structures his findings around a single metaphor: <strong>farming.<\/strong> First you cultivate the ground. Then the flowers bloom. Then you harvest the fruit. It&#8217;s a metaphor that resonates with us \u2014 because long before this study, it was already how we thought about this work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His findings tell three stories at once. <strong>Students<\/strong> with developmental disabilities grew more confident, more communicative, and more willing to try \u2014 learning not just handball skills, but how to build routines, follow new rules, and connect with unfamiliar people. <strong>Teachers and parents<\/strong> began seeing new sides of their students \u2014 watching capabilities emerge that the classroom alone had never been able to unlock. And our <strong>volunteers<\/strong> left with a deeper understanding of disability, a renewed sense of pride in what their company stands for, and a stronger bond with the colleagues who showed up alongside them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"550\" class=\"gb-media-2891bb7f\" alt=\"\" title=\"Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities_003\" src=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_003.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_003.png 1000w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_003-300x165.png 300w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Good-CSR-Is-Like-Farming-\u2014-A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_003-768x422.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><sup>\u25b2 SK Innovation employee volunteers serve as one-on-one coaches during a Happy Dream Handball Class led by Professor Gunhwan Bae.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For us, what the study documents is something we already believed \u2014 that the most meaningful CSR isn&#8217;t about writing a check. <strong>It&#8217;s about putting your actual assets, expertise, and people<\/strong> <strong>into a problem that matters. We build programs to last, not just to look good.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope our special handball classes for children with developmental disabilities are just the beginning \u2014 of more programs, more partnerships, and more fields worth tending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udcd6 Read the full open-access study: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/psychology\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1817674\/full\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/psychology\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1817674\/full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/journals\/psychology\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1817674\/full\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"460\" class=\"gb-media-d21cac15\" alt=\"\" title=\"A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities_004\" src=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_004.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_004.png 1000w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_004-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/A-Case-Study-of-Our-Handball-Program-for-Students-with-Developmental-Disabilities_004-768x353.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><sup>\u25b2 Professor Gunhwan Bae (front row, far left), who led and studied the program, joins SK Innovation employee volunteers and students for a group photo at a Happy Dream Handball Class.<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"400\" class=\"gb-media-94ad0725\" alt=\"\" title=\"Research Professor(Gunhwan, Bae)\" src=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Research-ProfessorGunhwan-Bae.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Research-ProfessorGunhwan-Bae.png 1000w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Research-ProfessorGunhwan-Bae-300x120.png 300w, https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/Research-ProfessorGunhwan-Bae-768x307.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-preformatted\">\u25a0 <strong>Related articles<\/strong><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154626\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154626\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">- <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/19532\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/19532\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">[Recap] SK Innovation affiliates\u2019 social contributions in H2 2024: \u201cStanding together, make it better!\u201d \u2013 A journey of creating shared value as One Team<\/a><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154480\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154480\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">- <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/21273\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/21273\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">[Recap] SK Innovation Affiliates\u2019 Social Contributions in H1 2025: Racing Together for Positive Change<\/a><br><br><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154164\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154164\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">- <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154723\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/154723\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">[Recap] SK Innovation Affiliates\u2019 Volunteer Week in H1 2026: One Team Spirit, 7,300 Hours \u2013 A Record of Giving<\/a><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Some CSR programs are easy to photograph, but some are harder to see. A tree planted, a meal served, a check handed over \u2014 the impact is immediate and visible. But some of the most important forms of social contribution take shape slowly, through consistency, trust, and human connection. Our \u201cHappy Dream Handball Classes,\u201d a &#8230; <a title=\"Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/archives\/156477\" aria-label=\"Read more about Good CSR Is Like Farming \u2014 A Case Study of Our Handball Program for Students with Developmental Disabilities\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":612,"featured_media":156489,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1911,1913,1914,1917],"tags":[126,218,2047,2044,2045,15,2048,2035,2046],"class_list":["post-156477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inno-focus","category-myenergystory","category-presspress","category-csr-news","tag-csr","tag-csr-program","tag-frontiers-in-psychology","tag-handball","tag-happy-dream","tag-sk-innovation","tag-sk-sugar-gliders","tag-social-contribution","tag-ssci"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/612"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156477"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156499,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156477\/revisions\/156499"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/askinno.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}