YAYASAN UNTUKMU SI KECIL (USK)

BACKGROUND

Yayasan Untukmu Si Kecil (USK), established in 1998 and located in Sumbersari, Jember, was founded to address the lack of educational and safe play opportunities for children from underprivileged families. With a mission to support the development of intelligent, creative, resilient, and patriotic youth, USK offers an alternative educational approach that combines learning with meaningful, culturally rooted activities. Its programs include arts, reading, writing, discussions, and traditional play, creating an environment where children can grow through both education and local cultural values. A standout feature of USK is its commitment to preserving traditional games like gobag sodor, engklek, dakon, and egrang, which promote teamwork, social cohesion, and cultural appreciation. This play-based, non-formal education model emerged in response to the low public awareness of early childhood education and aims to instill a love for culture while empowering children from disadvantaged backgrounds to become positive contributors to society.