School: Kang Chiao International School Linkou Campus
    New Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taiwan

6 students, ages 13-14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 11, 2026. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2026

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Chiang Chi-cheng, Ms. Cindy (Chen-Ying Wang), Mr. Wu Chun-chieh

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://https://web.kcislk.ntpc.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

Our team is made up of six eighth-grade students from Kang Chiao International School, Linkou Campus. After watching the heroism of the “Shovel Heroes” on public TV, all of us were deeply inspired by these volunteers and felt the need to contribute to our country in our own ways. Although we each come from very different backgrounds, we were united by a shared goal: to share Taiwan’s volunteering spirit with the world and discover the reasons behind their selflessness. After coming together and sharing our everyday experiences in our communities, we also found that Taiwan’s unique culture of mutual help does not only include the volunteers displayed on TV, but also each ordinary citizen who is willing to give back to society with their own efforts. Since then, we have sent emails directly to the environmental protection agency, travelled to interact with neighborhood volunteers, and even interviewed the public TV news team in order to give our audience the most realistic perspective of our helping culture. Ultimately, our group wishes to use this CyberFair as an opportunity to display Taiwan’s volunteerism to the world; we hope that our website inspires individuals to contribute to their own communities and shows that even seemingly insignificant efforts can result in a huge change in society.

2. Summary of Our Project

The main focus of our project is split into two parts: the Ma'taian incident and everyday volunteers. On the afternoon of September 23rd, 2025, GuangFu Township, Hualien County, Taiwan faced one of the worst floods in a hundred years; severe downpours caused the dam to overflow and fail, floodwater destroyed the Ma'taian stream bridge, and flooded GuangFu Township, causing many families to suddenly lose their relatives and homes. Just then, a group of volunteers called 'Shovel Heroes' arrived at the scene. Thousands of people, spanning from high schoolers to elders, came to Hualien in the course of a few days. Through directly interviewing the public TV news team, we learned that this phenomenon is inspired greatly by Taiwan's education system and a shared awareness to protect the island's safety after years of frequent disasters. Additionally, by personally visiting and filming the volunteers in JianGuo Village, Taoyuan, we found that volunteers had already become a shared obligation amongst ordinary citizens as well.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

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

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

When creating our website, we experienced multiple obstacles, ranging from conducting research to interviewing volunteers and unifying our ideas into a final product, all of which required our collective effort to overcome. First, at the beginning of our project, we encountered issues regarding the focus of our website. Initially, when we were recruited by the group leader to join the project, we were confused about what our final goal was. For example, when conducting research or drafting interview questions, we often veered off topic, which led to delays and misunderstandings within our group. This greatly affected our efficiency and productivity, resulting in unfinished work or tasks piling up at the last minute due to time constraints. Additionally, we also faced significant challenges in acquiring first-hand knowledge from volunteers. Although we decided to shift our focus towards the Ma’taian “Shovel Heroes” after considering its impact, we were unable to travel to Hualien ourselves since the incident was already over, and we also had to go to school. This exacerbated our already delayed schedule and led to further conflicts within our team. To address this issue, our group leader organized weekly meetings to generate new ideas, which eventually led us to interview public television staff and neighborhood volunteers.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Taiwan’s rapid mobilization in the Ma’taian incident showcases a unique 'helping culture' that deserves global recognition. Through field research and interviews, we explored the roots of this selflessness to inspire community contribution. This project bridged classroom theory and real-world application, primarily through mastering communication. Engaging with volunteers helped us achieve authentic storytelling, gain confidence in public speaking, and professional outreach. Furthermore, we transcended traditional student projects by integrating professional UI/UX design and advertising. We mastered visual ratios, interactive content, and video production to effectively capture audience attention. Ultimately, fieldwork taught us vital problem-solving and composure. Handling unexpected situations during interviews sharpened our ability to stay calm and improvise, ensuring high-quality results under pressure. We haven't just documented history—we have actively participated in it.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

The CyberFair program helped us develop and learn valuable skills that translate to life beyond school. First, we mastered Communication by interacting with volunteers to ensure our report was authentic. We wrote letters and talked to volunteers in person, which helped us become more confident in public speaking. Additionally, CyberFair allowed us to learn about UI design and advertising. We carefully planned our content presentation and learned skills such as adjusting image ratios, creating interactive pages, and producing advertising trailers. Finally, the project taught us about problem-solving and composure. We learned to keep our calm under unexpected conditions and come up with quick solutions to get the best results.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We used school Wifi, laptops, iPhones, and iPads to hold online meetings and research information. Social media platforms such as LINE were used to recruit team members and communicate online. Browsers such as Chrome and Safari allowed us to collect data, while Gmail helped us reach out to teachers and volunteers. During interviews, we used microphones and cameras to record our interactions with the volunteers and news team for our website. Finally, we used Canva and Wix to make the site interactive and easy to navigate, and Capcut to make our design aesthetics and edit our promotional videos.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Advertising our work to the public involved making promotional trailers and shorts. First, we collected footage of volunteers and recorded our conversations by traveling to their neighborhoods and interacting with them in person. We also conducted personal interviews with the public TV (PTS) news team about the volunteers in Hualien. Then, we used these collected materials to create advertising videos using Canva. We condensed the trailers into shorts to present to others, taking into consideration people's limited concentration periods. Later, we showed our results to classmates and placed the videos on our website for the public to see.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Our project has the potential to impact social education, raise disaster awareness, and inspire the volunteerism of others. On the website, we documented volunteer work in Taiwan by posting real footage of neighborhood volunteers and first-hand information on the Hualien incident through our interview with public TV. In doing this, we use CyberFair as a springboard to spread knowledge about Taiwanese volunteers not only to local viewers but also to people all over the world. Through writing about Taiwan's frequent disasters, we aim to raise the audience's awareness of natural dangers and the devastating impact they bring without full participation from both the government and citizens. This helps them realize the need for unity and shared efforts to save as many lives as possible. By sharing stories of ordinary “Heroes,” we hope to encourage more people to contribute to their communities and expand the network of mutual aid displayed during the Ma’taian incident.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

In this CyberFair, our final website was made possible by individuals who were willing to participate and help us with our report. We were guided by several teachers and instructors from our school, which allowed us to develop more insightful and engaging content and helped our progress run smoothly. Furthermore, we owe our greatest appreciation to the volunteers who allowed us to interview them, not only for setting aside time for our questions but also for the efforts they contribute to society every day. The same gratitude extends to public television, whose staff connected us with their head director, helping us gain a deeper understanding of the actual situation at the disaster site and teaching us how to document volunteers in the most authentic and inspiring way. We would like to thank all those who supported us; your contributions will have a real impact on our success.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

The most important lesson we learned was the huge impact even a small contribution can have on others. Watching the Ma'taian incident, we realized how one person's will could inspire thousands to join a rescue effort, creating a ripple effect. This inspired us to participate in this program. On the other hand, we were surprised by the complexity of neighborhood recycling. Growing up in cities, we were unaware of the processes that daily trash goes through. However, during our interviews, we got a glimpse of recycling stations and spoke with their managers. This experience greatly enhanced our understanding of community processes and allowed us to give more detailed reports on our website.