Katie ’27 is bringing the healing power of greenery to factory workers in South Korea by creating an indoor garden at Hyundai Canvas, inspired by her own improved well-being through time spent in Deerfield’s greenhouse.
During my time serving in the greenhouse as my winter co-curricular activity for the past two years, I’ve noticed a drastic shift in my daily physical and mental well-being throughout the winter term, or as some refer to it, the time of seasonal depression. Regardless of the frigidity and blankets of snow outside, I was able to maintain good balance, healthy nutrition, and surprisingly, more motivation for academic and social success compared to the fall and spring terms. While I was wondering about the causes of my improved health, I came across an article about commentaries from employees in the Google Headquarters about how the transition from working in a grayscale environment to a colorful, eco-friendly one significantly impacted their efficiency, productivity, and pride. That’s when I realized it was the greenness of the plants and the earthy smell enveloping the greenhouse that positively enhanced my will to learn and drove me to be grateful for my surroundings. I decided to help others feel these fulfilling emotions, too.
According to a 2024 survey by Statista, nearly 7 out of 10 factory workers between 20 and 59 years old reported feeling stressed at work due to long working hours and the pressure to meet work demands. The high-stress environment greatly contributes to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, with additional studies showing that precarious workers, or those in temporary or non-standard employment, are at a higher risk of experiencing depressive symptoms compared to regular workers. Given that workers in micro-expertises, particularly in manufacturing, face a higher risk of exposure to various physical, chemical, and psychological hazards, I felt the necessity to bring an eco-friendly, visibly-appealing space to better their well-being, drive to work, and pride of being part of a company. This led me to contact Hyundai Canvas, a picture frame manufacturing company in Yangju, South Korea.
Before visiting the factory, I had the opportunity to virtually converse with Mr. Doo-hyung Yoon, the president of Hyundai Canvas. I talked about the psychological hardships that factory workers typically face due to colorless, grayscale workplaces and suggested establishing a plant-based, eco-friendly space in his factory. He immediately agreed to the idea and generously emptied a corner space in his factory that I could work in. In the following week, I was able to visit the factory with all the items required for making a garden. With help from the factory workers there and Mr. Yoon himself, the garden was successfully set in place in about five hours. Besides talking to the factory workers, including workers from foreign countries, while setting the garden, I felt the most satisfaction when I saw the entire factory staff smiling at the garden with contentment and fulfillment.
I will be visiting Hyundai Canvas again in two weeks to ask the faculty workers if they have felt any physical, mental, or psychological change since the garden was set up. I’ve already been receiving several messages from Mr. Yoon saying how the garden is an attraction now for the factory workers, so I’m extremely excited to see what everyone has to say once I get to meet them again soon!
