The "Time Travel" Life Project is co-organized by the Association of Public Welfare Artists of the Republic of China and the Wu Maiwen Educational Foundation. The aim is to foster intergenerational dialogue by having students from the rural Xinzhuang Elementary School collaborate with elderly individuals to create and publish stories. This innovative project has successfully been shortlisted for the Finland HundrED Global Innovation in Education Award, drawing international attention.
In this project, students interview elderly individuals who missed out on education in their youth but returned to school after retirement. The students then combine their current and past photos, culminating in a published book. This project is not only an intergenerational dialogue but also a practical lesson in interviewing, photography, and digital composition.
The project involves students interviewing elderly individuals who missed out on education in their youth and returned to school after retirement. Their current and past photos are then combined and published in a book. (Photo / Screenshot from the internet)
Using education to transform rural areas and promote intergenerational dialogue, President Zhang Zhuyi stated that the project aims to inspire rural students to appreciate the value of learning and break the stereotype of elderly individuals being limited to singing and dancing by showcasing their life stories.
The project plans to compile over thirty life stories of elderly individuals into a book, hoping this model will be adopted by more schools and elderly people, thus promoting dialogue between generations. The successful shortlisting of the "Grandparents Life Story Project" for the World Innovation in Education Award has brought international recognition to Xinzhuang Elementary School in Kaohsiung.
The "Time Travel" project has also received sponsorship from the Yuanta Cultural and Educational Foundation's "Dream Big" program. This is not the first time the association has created opportunities for rural students; in 2018, they helped students gain admission to National Taiwan University through a publishing project, achieving their goal of transforming rural education. Zhang Zhuyi emphasized that the association has been deeply involved in rural areas since the 88 flood, hoping to bring infinite possibilities to the students in these regions.
