Born in Meinong, Kaohsiung, Ku Jin-song (古錦松) is the recipient of the Top Ten Outstanding Youth Award. In addition, he serves as secretary-general of the Meinong Doctoral Scholars Association, a director of the Zhang Rongfa Charitable Foundation, and a member of the Executive Yuan's National Action Plan for Open Government Promotion Subcommittee. This job is all about helping new immigrant families and their kids, as well as taking care of the kids in the community.
Ku Jin-song gives back to his community and uses education to help the children of new immigrants transform their life.Photo provided by Ku Jin-song (古錦松)
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Ku Jin-song (古錦松), who came from a low-income peasant background, studied electric welding technology at an early age in order to provide for his family. He earned a master's degree from the Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science of National Sun Yat-sen University after completing his coursework through work-study.
Because of his own experience in a poor family, Ku returned to his hometown of Meinong and saw many new immigrant families who lacked resources and were in difficult living conditions, so he was determined to help new immigrant families and children from impoverished families in Taiwan.
Ku Jin-song gives back to his community and uses education to help the children of new immigrants transform their life.Photo provided by Ku Jin-song (古錦松)
Meinong is situated in a somewhat rural, hilly region, according to Ku Jin-song. With the exception of rural regions, Meinong Library has the second-lowest borrowing rate in Kaohsiung City, despite being known for its paper umbrella, Hakka culture, and reputation as the "hometown of doctors". Ku Jin-song is aware of the widespread problem of intergenerational raising as well as the fact that many new immigrant families are relatively impoverished, and that education is the only way for both parents and children to change this.
Ku Jin-song gives back to his community and uses education to help the children of new immigrants transform their life.Photo provided by Ku Jin-song (古錦松)
In order to achieve this, Ku Jin-song (古錦松) organized between thirty and forty exceptional teachers to use the winter, summer, and weekend breaks to open after-school tutoring classes for the second-generation immigrant of students from low-income families. The Institute of Education National Sun Yat-sen University and the Teacher Training Center were part of this effort.
Ku Jin-song gives back to his community and uses education to help the children of new immigrants transform their life.Photo provided by Ku Jin-song (古錦松)
Ku Jin-song (古錦松) also organized calligraphy, writing, painting, and other competitions in addition to establishing scholarships and bursaries through the Meinong Doctoral Scholars Association to motivate more students to actively study.
Ku Jin-song gives back to his community and uses education to help the children of new immigrants transform their life.Photo provided by Ku Jin-song (古錦松)
Additionally, Ku Jin-song expects that resource allocation can be implemented throughout Taiwan, that rural regions will receive more resources and community services, and that Taiwan will be able to accommodate the large influx of new immigrants from Southeast Asia who wish to pursue academic degrees or certifications.
