An event presenting the results of the Ministry of Education’s Design Movement on Campus project was held by the ministry June 2 at Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei City, highlighting the government’s commitment to creating an aesthetic learning environment for the next generation of students.
Hosted by Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, the event featured 21 successful cases from around Taiwan. Their themes ranged from “openness and locality,” “creative stage” and “support and care” to “diversified exploration” and “teacher growth.”
Among them is a glass exhibition room renovated by Hsinchu Fuli Junior High School in the northern city. Dynamic colors, lights and spatial layout were used to create an immersive viewing experience and stoke student interest in traditional skills.
Kaohsiung Municipal Fongshan Junior High School in the southern city set up a mini theater for emotional education featuring curved walls and black curtains, while Hsinhu Elementary School in Taipei built individual and group counseling rooms with arcs and soft colors, as well as a calming stress-release area, to create a safe and friendly support environment.
National Hengchun Vocational High School in the southern county of Pingtung transformed a disused space into an outdoor venue for coffee-making and ecological courses in addition to interactive community activities. Jinsyue Elementary School in the southern city of Tainan designed a training base for special education teachers incorporating movable furniture and adjustable curtains to flexibly accommodate activities for up to 100 people.
Speaking at the event, Cheng said the Design Movement on Campus initiative seeks to turn the campuses into open environments that boost the creativity, emotional expression, local identity and social connection of students. An exhibition of the project’s achievements is also underway until July 27 at the park, according to the MOE.
Launched in 2010, the initiative is implemented by Taipei-based Taiwan Design Research Institute. It aims to help schools at all levels work with professional design teams to implement aesthetic campus transformations, with 112 schools completing renovations to date. (YCH-E)
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