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2024 Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour Arrives in Tainan, NCKU Invites 1,200 Teachers and Students to Participate
The 2024 "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour" is touring Taiwan from October 21 to 26, stopping at 32 train stations across the island. The event aims to plant the seeds of scientific inquiry from a young age and bridge the educational gap between urban and rural areas. In Tainan, the event is co-organized by the Science Education Center of the College of Science, NCKU. The tour reached Tainan Station today (23rd), where it was warmly welcomed by local teachers and students. The tour will continue its journey to Kaohsiung.
The "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour," organized by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) since 2016, invites fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students from all over Taiwan to participate in hands-on science experiments on the train. Science booths are set up at each stop, featuring activities such as constellation exploration, color-changing fish eggs, magnetorheological fluids, balloon rockets, surface tension experiments, and more. These activities transform complex scientific concepts into easy-to-understand demonstrations, sparking curiosity and a spirit of exploration in young students.
Students from Tainan's Tzu Chi Senior High School—You-Yu Chen,Zi-Xuan He, Jie-Yu Wu, and Ji-Rong Yang—served as station guides, preparing over 150 science props to explain the principles of "pinhole imaging." They were pleased by the positive response from the children, who quickly claimed the props. "It was a rewarding experience, and we hope to participate again next time," they said.
Students from National Tainan First Senior High School—Xuan-Heng Zhu, Chen-Shuo Xu, and Wei-Cheng Jian—focused on explaining acid-base properties using color-changing fish eggs. Initially, the children's reactions were shy, but as the students adjusted their presentation, the atmosphere became more lively. "It’s exciting to see the results of our two- to three-week preparation and have the children enjoy it," they shared.
Director of NCKU's Science Education Center, Xu-Zheng Xu, expressed his pleasure at meeting everyone in Tainan. "The Science Education Center has been serving Tainan for many years, and since last year, we’ve also expanded to Xinying Station. We hope to reach more teachers and students across Tainan and encourage them to step out of the classroom and participate in the activities."
Wang-Long Lee, Director of the Science Education and International Cooperation Department at NSTC, emphasized the ongoing efforts to promote science education, noting that this year marks the addition of a bilingual carriage. This initiative encourages students to learn science in English, challenging them to explore scientific concepts in another language. Nearly 1,200 teachers and students from schools such as NCKU Affiliated Senior High School, Tainan First Senior High School, Tzu Chi High School, and Shanhua High School actively participated in Tainan.
Vice President of NCKU, Hong-Zhen Chen, remarked, "The most important asset in Taiwan is talent, and the key to that is scientific literacy." He explained that science is not just for exams or research; it can improve lives and benefit society. "This is the ninth year of the Science Train, and we hope to provide a more diverse learning environment for students, enriching their experience and promoting science literacy."
Deputy Director Kun-Yuan Wang of the Tainan City Education Bureau thanked NCKU for its support. This year, in addition to Tainan’s high schools, various organizations—including the Fo Guang Shan Educational Foundation, NSTC’s Southern Science Park Management Bureau, Lianhua Electronics, the Ministry of the Environment’s Resource Recycling Agency, and the Tainan Nanying Science Education Center—set up booths to offer students hands-on experiences in a wide range of scientific fields.
This year’s event also integrates AI elements, allowing students to experience cutting-edge technology and understand how AI is transforming everyday life and future scientific development. Activities cover topics such as resource recycling, semiconductors, astronomy, light and shadow magic boxes, smart manufacturing, and more, further sparking interest in science and strengthening students' understanding of its impact on the world.
For more information on participating schools and activities, please visit the Science Train website.
The "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour," organized by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) since 2016, invites fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students from all over Taiwan to participate in hands-on science experiments on the train. Science booths are set up at each stop, featuring activities such as constellation exploration, color-changing fish eggs, magnetorheological fluids, balloon rockets, surface tension experiments, and more. These activities transform complex scientific concepts into easy-to-understand demonstrations, sparking curiosity and a spirit of exploration in young students.
Students from Tainan's Tzu Chi Senior High School—You-Yu Chen,Zi-Xuan He, Jie-Yu Wu, and Ji-Rong Yang—served as station guides, preparing over 150 science props to explain the principles of "pinhole imaging." They were pleased by the positive response from the children, who quickly claimed the props. "It was a rewarding experience, and we hope to participate again next time," they said.
Students from National Tainan First Senior High School—Xuan-Heng Zhu, Chen-Shuo Xu, and Wei-Cheng Jian—focused on explaining acid-base properties using color-changing fish eggs. Initially, the children's reactions were shy, but as the students adjusted their presentation, the atmosphere became more lively. "It’s exciting to see the results of our two- to three-week preparation and have the children enjoy it," they shared.
Director of NCKU's Science Education Center, Xu-Zheng Xu, expressed his pleasure at meeting everyone in Tainan. "The Science Education Center has been serving Tainan for many years, and since last year, we’ve also expanded to Xinying Station. We hope to reach more teachers and students across Tainan and encourage them to step out of the classroom and participate in the activities."
Wang-Long Lee, Director of the Science Education and International Cooperation Department at NSTC, emphasized the ongoing efforts to promote science education, noting that this year marks the addition of a bilingual carriage. This initiative encourages students to learn science in English, challenging them to explore scientific concepts in another language. Nearly 1,200 teachers and students from schools such as NCKU Affiliated Senior High School, Tainan First Senior High School, Tzu Chi High School, and Shanhua High School actively participated in Tainan.
Vice President of NCKU, Hong-Zhen Chen, remarked, "The most important asset in Taiwan is talent, and the key to that is scientific literacy." He explained that science is not just for exams or research; it can improve lives and benefit society. "This is the ninth year of the Science Train, and we hope to provide a more diverse learning environment for students, enriching their experience and promoting science literacy."
Deputy Director Kun-Yuan Wang of the Tainan City Education Bureau thanked NCKU for its support. This year, in addition to Tainan’s high schools, various organizations—including the Fo Guang Shan Educational Foundation, NSTC’s Southern Science Park Management Bureau, Lianhua Electronics, the Ministry of the Environment’s Resource Recycling Agency, and the Tainan Nanying Science Education Center—set up booths to offer students hands-on experiences in a wide range of scientific fields.
This year’s event also integrates AI elements, allowing students to experience cutting-edge technology and understand how AI is transforming everyday life and future scientific development. Activities cover topics such as resource recycling, semiconductors, astronomy, light and shadow magic boxes, smart manufacturing, and more, further sparking interest in science and strengthening students' understanding of its impact on the world.
For more information on participating schools and activities, please visit the Science Train website.
The 2024 "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour" Arrives at Tainan Station Today (23rd).
The "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour" has been held annually since 2016, inviting fifth and sixth-grade elementary school students from across Taiwan to participate in science experiments on board the train. At each stop, science booths are set up to engage the public in hands-on learning.
The science booths aim to simplify complex scientific concepts into easy-to-understand content, with the goal of inspiring curiosity and a spirit of exploration in elementary school students.
At Tainan Station, students from four local schools—Nantian Senior High School, Tainan First Senior High School, Tzu Chi High School, and Shanhua High School—collaborated in the event, attracting nearly 1,200 teachers and students to actively participate.
Director Xu-Zheng Xu of the NCKU Science and Education Center stated that last year, the event expanded to Xinying Station, covering both the northern and southern parts of the Chianan area. He hopes this initiative will encourage more teachers and students in Tainan to step out of the classroom and engage in hands-on learning.
Director Wang-Long Lee of the Science Education and International Cooperation Department, National Science and Technology Council, mentioned that this year, for the first time, a bilingual carriage has been added to the event. This aims to encourage students to learn science in English and challenge themselves to study scientific concepts in the language.
In his speech, Deputy Director Kun-Yuan Wang of the Tainan City Government’s Education Bureau expressed special gratitude to NCKU for its support.
Vice President Hong-Zhen Chen of National Cheng Kung University emphasized that the most important asset for Taiwan is its talent, and the key to this is scientific literacy.
The "Taiwan Science Popularization Island Tour" was warmly welcomed by teachers and students in Tainan and will continue its journey to Kaohsiung.
