HÀ NỘI – Vietnamese children will benefit from the Growing with Music project, being funded by South Korea’s S.M. Entertainment for three years.

The entertainment company will pour US$450,000 into the project, which will be carried out by the UNICEF. Korean celebrities will participate in the project, which will include capacity development of managers, teachers and parents, both at national and sub-national levels, to ensure that the development of music programmes and events in schools is strengthened.

It will also emphasise on the positive impact of music on the development of life skills and values for children, starting from early childhood.

“We are happy to support music education for children in Việt Nam,” Kim Young-min, CEO of S.M. Entertainment, said at a press conference held in Hà Nội on Monday.

“We hope this programme provides opportunities to children in Việt Nam to receive organised music education, find their talent and develop their ability to express their talent,” the CEO said.

The three-year project will involve well-known music institutions as well as recognised artists to promote the basis that early childhood education and other levels of education with music can lead to the development of highly talented students.

"The financial contribution from S.M. Entertainment will have multiplying effects because when children are offered equal opportunities to reach their full potential in school, families are supportive and caring, communities are thriving, and countries are growing," Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, UNICEF representative in Việt Nam, said.

S.M. Entertainment is a private entertainment company established in 1995 in Korea that operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company and event management and concert production company, as well as music publishing house for several prominent artists.

A memorandum of understanding was signed by the UNICEF and S.M. Entertainment company for the appearance of K-pop artists such as Park Sun-young, Jeong Yu-no and Lee Tae-young. -- VNS