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1. Description of Our Community
Taiwan is a small island nation in East Asia, known for its rich culture, advanced technology, and beautiful natural scenery. It has a strong education system and values academic achievement. Students in Taiwan are hardworking and motivated, but they also face growing challenges from academic pressure, digital distractions, and social changes after the pandemic. Mental health becomes more important than ever. Whether globally or in Taiwan, emotional outbursts, depression, conflicts at school or home, and difficulties in children’s relationships are all linked to long-neglected non-cognitive skills. In 2025 spring, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education in Taiwan announced to work together to promote Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and officially integrate it into the national curriculum. However, the implementation has faced challenges such as limited class time, insufficient teacher training, and unclear guidance for classroom practice. Many schools and teachers are unsure how to balance SEL with academic demands, highlighting the need for practical resources and professional support to support students’ emotional well-being.
2. Summary of Our Project
In this project, we are introducing an organization called SEL in Taiwan, formed by a group of passionate educators who are dedicated to promoting social and emotional learning (SEL) in families and schools in Taiwan. They held training workshops for schools and institutes, made lesson plans and teaching resources, and wrote magazine/blog articles to help teachers, parents, and students understand the purpose and the application of SEL. They aim to cultivate future responsible decision makers and improve people’s well-being. We hope to raise awareness of why SEL is important for students today, especially in a digital and fast-changing world. Inspired by SEL in Taiwan’s efforts, we are taking action in our elementary school and community to promote SEL skills. To achieve this, we developed action plans such as designing SEL activities, creating short videos to explain SEL concepts, and sharing these ideas with younger students. We also learned from SEL in Taiwan’s teaching resources and used them to guide our projects. Through these effort, we want to encourage students, teachers, and parents to value emotional health and build a more supportive, caring environment for everyone.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20
B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6
C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection
D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
Currently, our school provides a fulfilling e-learning setting with a variety of resources accessible to students and staff. We have access to computer labs, and each teacher is equipped with a personal desktop computer. Moreover, the entire school is Wi-Fi enabled. Students in the fifth and sixth grades who are involved in CyberFair participate in e-learning sessions that utilize Chromebooks for various educational activities such as classroom lessons, assignments, and projects. Accessing the wireless internet across the school campus poses no challenges, and we can save our work on the school-wide server. Additionally, we can carry out research tasks and share our discoveries with our peers using online resources.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
During our SEL project, we faced several challenges, but we solved them together as a team. First, our SEL project involved students from all grade levels, including very young learners such as first and second graders whose language and thinking skills are still developing. We quickly realized that the same teaching methods would not work for all ages. To solve this problem, we had to adapt our workshops into age-appropriate activities so younger students could better understand SEL concepts. Second, we wanted to create a kind of reflection sheet that focused on students’ behavior while taking care of their emotions instead of only pointing out mistakes. Our goal was to make reflection feel supportive rather than like a punishment. We struggled to design guiding questions with appropriate wording that encouraged honest reflection without causing negative feelings. After consulting Ms. Lu from SEL in Taiwan and Ms. Alejandro, our teacher with SEL experience, we redesigned the sheet into a small journal that helps students feel comfortable to truly reflect on the decisions they made. Third, to make SEL more “school-immersive,” we created a special space called the “Emotion Station.” Since we are not SEL experts or counselors, this was challenging. We needed to carefully plan what to include so the room would feel welcoming and helpful. To overcome this, our club members not only referred to activities suggested by SEL in Taiwan but also researched and designed suitable booths and hands-on activities. After opening the Emotion Station, we received positive feedback from students, showing that our hard work made a difference. Overcoming these challenges helped us grow as learners and as a team. Through these action plans, we learned to be more patient, empathetic, and responsible. These experiences helped us understand others’ feelings, communicate more thoughtfully, and apply Social and Emotional Learning in real life.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
Participating in the International School CyberFair brought our students, school, and families together to collaborate in building a happier, healthier community while promoting Social Emotional Learning through teamwork, empathy, and positive communication.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
Our CyberFair project is directly aligned with the Ministry of Education’s 2025–2029 'Happy Education, Healthy Taiwan' plan. This national initiative emphasizes Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) as a key to student well-being. By focusing on the five core competencies—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making—our project serves as a practical application of the government’s vision for a more empathetic school culture. We specifically integrated these goals into the 108 Curriculum, which values 'Holistic Education' and 'Communication and Interaction.' Our 'Emotion Station' transformed abstract standards into a physical reality, mirroring the Ministry’s recommendation for 'Emotion Corners' in classrooms. Through over 20 workshops, we moved SEL from a textbook concept into daily practice, helping students develop the self-understanding and empathy required by the national curriculum. Our research also bridged the gap between global trends and local needs. While our school’s overseas educational trips highlighted SEL’s success in Western systems, our interviews with local experts and teachers revealed that Taiwan is currently moving toward a more systematic approach. We discovered that our project plays a vital role in this transition, acting as a bridge that translates academic theory into student-led action. Finally, we found that digital tools like Gemini AI and Canva made learning more effective than traditional methods. These technologies allowed us to visualize abstract emotions. By combining digital literacy with SEL, we met the 108 Curriculum’s focus on 'Learning Autonomy,' creating a modern, engaging way for our community to grow together.
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1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
To complete our CyberFair project, we integrated a diverse array of hardware and physical resources found both at home and across our school campus. Our primary toolkit included Chromebooks and smartphones, which were essential for conducting in-depth research and capturing media during our workshops. To facilitate our presentations, the school provided laptops, televisions, and audio equipment, while the library granted us access to specialized Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) literature. Furthermore, we transformed our 'Emotion Station' into a tactile, welcoming environment by incorporating donated dolls and toys, ensuring our physical space was as engaging as our digital one. Our digital workflow relied heavily on the Google Workspace ecosystem for organization and data collection. We used Google Docs and Sheets to manage our research and project timelines, while Google Forms allowed us to gather critical insights from parents and student self-assessments regarding emotional regulation. For visual storytelling, we utilized Canva to design posters and videos, and Google Slides for our workshop lectures. A standout innovation in our process was the use of Gemini AI, which allowed us to transform hand-drawn sketches into polished, professional illustrations for our SEL storybooks and scenario guides. While software provided the framework, our most valuable information-gathering method was direct engagement with experts. We conducted oral interviews with Professor Wu Yihsuan at National Taiwan Normal University and Ms. Lu, the co-founder of SEL in Taiwan. Whether meeting in person or via Google Meet, these experts provided valuable feedback on our action plans that surpassed the information available through general internet searches. By combining centralized storage in Google Drive with high-level design tools and expert insights, we were able to execute a project that was both technologically advanced and academically rigorous.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
As ambassadors for our CyberFair project, we represented our school’s Social Emotional Learning (SEL) vision through both online platforms and direct community engagement. We served as spokespersons by introducing our project, sharing SEL concepts, and demonstrating how emotional learning can be practiced in everyday school life. Online, we created multimedia resources to promote emotional literacy, including instructional videos on accountable talk to model respectful and constructive communication, as well as a digital audiobook that guided students in exploring and understanding emotions. Through our website and digital content, we reached teachers, parents, and students beyond our school. In person, we established the Emotion Station, a classroom transformed into an interactive SEL learning space. During daily “Big Break” sessions held for over a month, we guided visitors through hands-on activities such as board games, reflection tools, and emotion zones designed to support emotional awareness and stress management. One interesting outcome was that several students enjoyed the board games so much that they began visiting every morning, invited friends to join, and eventually hosted the games independently. Another memorable experience occurred when we introduced emotion vocabulary to younger students. They shared that they had never known there were “small anger (annoyed)” and “big anger (furious),” as well as “small happiness (pleased)” and “big happiness (exhilarated),” showing how emotions can escalate in intensity. Many students said this helped them better understand and express their feelings after the workshop.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Our project significantly strengthened awareness of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and fostered collaboration within our school and local community. By connecting students, teachers, parents, and experts, we built meaningful relationships that supported emotional education. We began by interviewing Professor Wu and Ms. Lu from SEL in Taiwan and observing an SEL workshop during summer vacation, which helped us bring professional knowledge into our school. We also interviewed school administrators and teachers to better understand their perspectives and the current situation of SEL implementation. Through our advocacy, we encouraged the school to pay greater attention to SEL, which led to the organization of SEL workshops for teachers. These workshops helped teachers understand core SEL concepts and plan ways to integrate SEL into future classroom instruction. In addition, we introduced SEL concepts to parents during parent-teacher conferences and conducted surveys about SEL practices at home. We also shared our accountable talk videos with teachers to promote positive communication strategies across the school. Furthermore, we created the Emotion Station as a space for students to visit and relax during morning big breaks, afternoons, and the final two weeks of the semester. We conducted over 20 hands-on workshops using handmade tools, games, stories, brochures, and interactive activities. These sessions helped students recognize and manage their emotions in a supportive environment. By recruiting classmates as Emotion Station helpers, we expanded the project into a student-led community effort. Feedback letters from participants, peers, and teachers showed strong appreciation for the workshops and the welcoming space we created. Our project not only increased SEL awareness but also strengthened connections throughout the school community.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
Most CyberFair teams need a great deal of advice and support to complete their projects, and our team was no exception. Our project involved many helpers and volunteers from both our school and the wider community. Within our club, Ms. Patty and Ms. Alice played key roles in guiding our overall plan and leading each workshop. They regularly checked our progress and helped us refine our promotion strategies. Ms. Emma assisted by coordinating administrative affairs and documenting our workshops through photography. To gain professional expertise, we interviewed Professor Wu, who shared valuable knowledge about promoting SEL. We also connected with Ms. Lu from SEL in Taiwan, who provided helpful insights and feedback on our action plans. At school, our librarian supported us by finding storybooks for the Emotion Station. Teachers from the IT office helped set up devices such as TVs, speakers, and computers. School administrators and homeroom teachers participated in interviews and shared important perspectives. Teachers also attended our accountable talk presentation. Parents supported us by attending presentations and completing SEL surveys during parent-teacher conferences. Student volunteers helped run Emotion Station workshops, while many visitors actively participated in activities. In addition, our school counselors, Ms. Alejandro, and the DSA coordinator, Mr. Fly, provided constructive feedback on our posters and SEL journals. This strong collaboration among students, teachers, parents, experts, and volunteers showed us the power of community teamwork. Their support made our project more effective and meaningful than we could have achieved on our own.
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View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 8816)
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