Sleman_Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Yogyakarta continues to carry out Community Service Lectures (KKN) for students even during the Covid-19 epidemic pandemic. However, the KKN implementation this time is slightly different from usual. The campus no longer places the students in the designated area, but the Community Service Program is held at the place of domicile of each student.

The Head of LPPM UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta, Dr. Hendro Wijanarko, SE., MM, explained that the students could download the technical instructions regarding Covid-19 Thematic KKN on the page http://lppm.upnyk.ac.id. The technical instructions have been explained in detail of KKN implementation, the program, and the program implementation.

The Head of LPPM UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta stated that the Covid-19 Thematic Community Service Program was carried out within 1 month with an estimated implementation time between June-July 2020. To this date, there have been around 1,266 students who have registered as Thematic KKN participants in the Covid-19 pandemic period. The registration of participants had been opened previously on 5-19 June 2020 followed by the announcement of group distribution on 20 June 2020. Before carrying out KKN activities, the students are required to attend an online debriefing conducted by the KKN & TTG Central Team. The debriefing was carried out 4 sessions a day. After that, the students have coordination with the field supervisor (DPL) to design a program that will be implemented. The students are provided with materials such as Education of Work from Home, Education of Study from Home, Public Awareness about the Dangers of Co-19, Education of Health Programs in Preventing Covid-19 Dissemination, and Strengthening Community Economy before they go directly to the community.

"Even though the Thematic KKN implementation of Covid-19 is carried out in the domicile of each student, the students must still coordinate with local officials, the Covid-19 group, and their group colleagues. This KKN implementation is expected to be able to hone the students’ soft skills to be able to build partnerships, interdisciplinary scientific team collaboration, and student leadership in managing Covid-19 transmission and prevention programs in their regions or villages, "added the Head of LPPM UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta.

The Head of LPPM UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta advised that the students would be able to mingle with the residents and village officials to carry out educational activities, socialization to understand Covid-19, its dangers, prevention, transmission, break the chain of the spread of Covid-19, understand the protocol of interaction during the Covid outbreak -19, and increase the public awareness to comply with the government rules or appeals. Besides, it is hoped that the students will also be required to be actively involved in making efforts to improve economic, food, social, education and cultural resilience in the community and to utilize and develop the potential of human and natural resources in the village to become a resilient village in fighting the Covid disaster -19 and an independent village even during the Covid-19 epidemic. PR / D