AEF Achievements for 2018

2019-05-20

1. Life Education Programs

DPAG Life Education School Tours

The Life Education School Tours are sponsored by AEF and organized by the Disabled Performing Arts Group (DPAG).

In 2018, a total of 14 life education tours were made, including six in elementary schools, seven in junior high schools, and one in a senior vocational school. Among them, eight of them were held at the request of the schools. The tour dates were:

April 3, Zhongtai Elementary School

April 27, Yifang Elementary School

May 10, Wuliao Elementary School

June 1, Xinmin Junior High School

June 26, Dongxin Elementary School

August 30, Wulun Junior High School

September 3, Xiyu Junior High School in Penghu

September 4, Huxi Junior High School in Penghu

September 5, Wenguang Junior High School in Penghu

October 8, Fongjhu Elementary and Junior School

November 20, Xinxing Elementary School

November 30, Jianshan Junior High School

December 5, Mudan Elementary School

December 19, Yujing Senior Vocational School of Technology and Commerce

2. Summer Camps and Cultural Exchange Programs

Nomadic Educational Tour on Tibetan Plateau

Co-organizer: Nomadic

Date: July 2 to 13, 2018

Locations:

Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Jiegu Town in Yushu City, Maozhuang Township in Nangchen County, Mijing Summer Ranch

Participants:

A total of 13 students were ed among those who had received scholarships from AEF or dedicated volunteers from our former camps. The participants included five students from Taiwan Police College, five students from National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, two students from a Chinese school in Germany and one American student.

ADLINK Travel Journey: The Tibetan Plateau 2

Foreword from AEF Chairperson, Ni Harn-fen

This is what I wrote on the last page of ADLINK Travel Journey: The Tibetan Plateau 1 in 2017:

“This is not the end of the story; it is only the beginning! This is our first time visiting the Tibetan Plateau. The landscapes we see and people we meet are so uninhibited and beautiful – exactly what we’ve been longing for. What’s more beautiful to me than the scenery are the people. We have learned from them that it is more blessed to give than to receive. From now on, we will meet on the plateau every summer – not only to explore and experience, but also to reunite with one another.”

And it is because of this promise, we were back on the plateau again this summer.

We came back, not merely because of the warm invitation from our friends on the plateau, but because of an urge to see if our connection with the people and the land here would be strong enough to generate enthusiasm and to motivate us to consistently bring more young or old friends here and explore the Tibetan Plateau.

The Nomadic team has our trust, support and recognition. With their itinerary, we were given a chance to get a basic understanding of the culture and traditions of the Tibetan Plateau during this brief trip - already a difficult task catering to a group of adults; what's more, the children also have different expectations for their rare and powerful tour.

Me and Chiu Ching-ya, editor of the book, are the only two AEF members that have joined the journey for two consecutive years. We eagerly wish to discover more about the Tibetan Plateau in both our journey and our second book. However, this is not a solo grand voyage but a group tour. Even with a similar itinerary, traveling with kids from various backgrounds would still generate new perspectives. I think only on the grassland, where the heavens and the earth are shackled, and by hollowing out your own heart and letting go of established constraints and prejudice, can the kids grow and mature with a clear mind in just a few days.

Doesn’t the so-called “exploration” mean to walk towards an unknown future bravely?

Maybe, a few years later when these kids launch into their adulthood, someone will show up or something might happen and they have to make a difficult choice. And the choice they make leads the world you and I live in to a better future. And maybe they suddenly realize that their experience on the Tibetan Plateau was why they made that choice.

And maybe this is the mission of ADLINK Education Foundation (AEF). It is the good faith and persistence in our hearts that urges us to teach young people great values, and to do something for them.

Fifth Annual ADLINK Beijing Opera Workshop

Date:

July 21 and 22, 2018 (No overnight stay)

Location:

National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, Neihu Campus

No.177, Section 2, Neihu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City

Origin: 

The primary purpose of this summer camp is to provide a caring atmosphere and facilitate artistic development. ADLINK Cross-Strait Summer Camp for Kids and Volunteer Pre-Camp Training are annual events at AEF. Employees of ADLINK Technology, children of the employees, students in New Taipei, and volunteers and campers from our former camps are invited to join the event.

We provide a wonderful opportunity for participants to bond with one another. Operatic arts workshops are offered with an aim to show the participants that this is not a one-time event, but rather AEF’s continuous effort to provide care and support for them.

Objectives:

1. To develop abilities that are essential for the participants’ future, such as cooperation, flexibility, and imagination and creativity through educational courses in arts, culture and performing arts.
2. To promote arts education and humanities through the platform of traditional performing arts, and to use the traditional performing arts to build a connection between industry, society and education.
3. To provide our former campers and volunteers an opportunity to cultivate artistic competency and a platform for information exchange and expressions of compassion.
4. To introduce participants to the beauty of the performing arts and the development of traditional culture via participation and experience.
5. To offer a general course as an introduction to traditional performing arts in Taiwan, and establish a positive teaching philosophy.
6. To enhance participants’ appreciation for the skills used in traditional Chinese opera and performing arts and to develop their personality traits along with their aesthetic awareness.

Overview:

1. The camp provides a range of courses through various performing arts workshops to teach traditional xiqu dances, Taiwanese fold opera, acrobatics, Taiko drumming, Chinese opera arts, Jingju make-up and costumes.
2. Eligibility and Fees: Employees and children of employees of ADLINK Technology, volunteers and campers of ADLINK Cross-Strait Summer Camp for Kids can join free of charge.

Eighth Annual ADLINK Cross-Strait Summer Camp for Kids and Volunteer Pre-Camp Training

Date:

August 10-12, 2018 Volunteer Pre-Camp Training

August 13-17, 2017 ADLINK Cross-Strait Summer Camp for Kids

Location:

ADLINK Technology Shanghai

300 Fangchun Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai

Overview:

Twenty students with disadvantaged backgrounds were ed to participate in the 2018 Cross-Strait Summer Camp. In Taiwan, four participants were recruited by the National Taiwan College of Performing Arts and eight were recommended by Boyo Social Welfare Foundation; in Shanghai, eight participants were chosen from Wanliao Elementary School.

Students from juniors in senior high school to sophomores in university have been recruited as camp counselors since 2013, and a three-day volunteer pre-camp training is held for them. The training took place from August 10-12 in 2018, with the assistance from Mowgli International Volunteer Association in volunteer training and curriculum design.

Ni Ying-ying, a camper from the first year of the ADLINK Cross-Strait Summer Camp for Kids, was admitted to Tsinghua University and has returned as a camp counselor this year, serving kids with a similar background as her. “The last time I visited Shanghai was eight years ago, and back then I was just a short and unsophisticated 10-year-old,” said Ni. “Time flies. Eight years later, here I am, standing in where I was before. Those memories start to pop up in my head. It’s just amazing. It’s not easy to lead a group of kids from different backgrounds. The unexpected happens every day, so it’s kind of like playing a game - you defeat the monsters from one level to another. My days at the camp started with exercise in the morning, and then there were activities throughout the day and it didn’t finish until after the debriefing session. I was very busy all day long and never got to go to bed before midnight. It was exhausting, but totally worth it; because I knew I might be making a difference in a kid’s life. I’m really grateful to ADLINK Education Foundation for giving me a chance to learn. I’d also like to thank all the teachers and volunteers at the camp. I look forward to seeing them again.

3. Scholarships and Awards Ceremony

AEF Scholarship 2018

The purpose of the AEF Scholarship is to encourage diligent students by recognizing their outstanding academic performance.

Amount Awarded:

1. High school students (including students in their first three years of junior college): NT$10,000 per recipient
2. University students (including students in their last two years of junior college): NT$20,000 per recipient

The award amounts of special cases will be reviewed and determined by the Board of Directors.

Eligibility:

Applicants must be employees of ADLINK Technology (contract staff not included) or children of employees, AEF staff, AEF volunteers or children of AEF employees or volunteers. Qualified applicants who meet the following requirements are eligible to apply:

1. Applicants must be currently enrolled full-time students in senior high school or university, with the exception of government-funded students and late graduates.
2. Applicants must have a 75% average or above in their academic grade and conduct grade for both semesters in the 2017-2018 academic year.
3. Application is retrospective. For instance, a university freshman is eligible to apply using his/her high school senior-year grade; a university graduate is allowed to use his/her university fourth-year grade reports.
4. Preference will be given to applicants who have participated in AEF charity events or who have volunteer experience. Relevant proof, such as a Certificate of Completion, photos or participation feedback will need to be presented.

Applicants with outstanding achievements in fields like volunteer services, science and technology, arts, music, physical education, languages, etc. will receive priority consideration. Award certificates, academic certificates, photos, or audio or video files will be required to be used as proof.

In 2018, a total amount of NT$200,000 was awarded by the AEF Scholarship, including four junior high school students and eight university students.

Eleventh Annual Ni Zhong-xian Scholarship

The Ni Zhong-xian Scholarship was established in the will of Ni Zhong-xian to award students who have demonstrated a high degree of scholastic persistence and performance.

Co-organizer: Taiwan Police College

Eligibility:

Students must meet the following requirements in order to apply for the scholarship:

1. Applicants must be currently enrolled full-time students in Taiwan Police College.
2. Applicants must have a minimum average of 85% in academic and conduct grades for both semesters in the 2017-2018 school year.
3. Preference will be given to applicants who have participated in AEF charity events or who have volunteer experience. Relevant proof such as a Certificate of Completion, photos or participation feedback will need to be presented.

Applicants with outstanding achievements in fields like volunteer services, science and technology, arts, music, physical education, languages, extracurricular activities, etc. will receive priority consideration. Award certificates, academic certificates, photos, or audio or video files will be required to be used as proof.

In 2018, AEF awarded 17 Zhong-Xian Ni Scholarships – each worth NT$20,000 – to students attending Taiwan Police College. The Foundation awarded grants totaling NT$340,000.

Fifth Annual Huang Yue-e Art Scholarship

The Huang Yue-e Art Scholarship is a scholarship that keeps the spirit of Huang Yue-e, AEF’s former consultant, and her commitment to charity work alive. The scholarship fund was created from AEF’s annual consultation budget and the scholarship is open to students at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts who demonstrate artistic merit and academic excellence.

Co-organizer: National Taiwan College of Performing Arts

Eligibility and Amounts Awarded:

Current students at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts from the junior high and the senior high school divisions as well as the Department of Jing Ju, the Department of Acrobatics, the Department of Xi Qu Music and the Department of Taiwanese Folk Opera in the college division are eligible for this scholarship. An amount of NT5,000 is to be rewarded to each recipient enrolled in the junior high school division, NT$10,000 to each recipient in the senior high school division, and NT$20,000 to each recipient in the college division.

To receive this scholarship, an applicant must also meet the eligibility criteria applicable:

1. Complete and submit the application form with ID photo attached. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
2. Applicants from the above-mentioned divisions must have a 75% average or above in their academic grade and an 80% average or above in their conduct grade, and have no record of disciplinary offences as of both semesters in 2017-2018 academic year.
3. Submit a copy of the applicant’s grade report and a video (5-10 minutes long) of the applicant giving a performance that demonstrates the applicant’s professional skills acquired from their department, specifying characters and contents of the performance for the purpose of review.

Applicants are required to submit feedback of how they have overcome the challenges they faced during their learning process.

In 2018, AEF awarded totaling NT$300,000 in Huang Yue-e Art Scholarships to ten junior high school students, nine senior high school students, and eight college students at National Taiwan College of Performing Arts.

ADLINK Education Foundation Scholarships Ceremony

Date:

Saturday, December 29, 2018

1:30 pm Reception and Refreshments; 2:00-4:00 pm Presentation of Awards

Location:

National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, Zhongzheng Auditorium on Neihu Campus

No.177, Section 2, Neihu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City

Liu Jun, Chairman of ADLINK Technology, Wei Ti-kun, President of Taiwan Police College, Zhang Rui-bin, President of National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, and Ni Harn-fen, Chairperson of ADLINK Education Foundation attended the awards ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of the students. The scholarship recipients were invited to speak and perform so as to share their joy with the honorable guests.

4. Organization Partnership Programs

Boyo Social Welfare Foundation’s Inclusive Education Program

A sponsorship amounting to NT$1,000,000 was provided to the Boyo Social Welfare Foundation (BSWF) in support of their Inclusive Education Program this year.

Gaorong Social Care Association’s After School Tutoring Programs

This year, AEF financially supported Gaorong Social Care Association by donating a total amount of NT$600,000 to their after school tutoring programs for elementary and junior high school students.

Taiwan Curio Art Association

AEF funded NT$300,000 for the Taiwan Curio Art Association in 2018.

Please see the attached file for a detailed annual report of AEF.

5. Publications

ADLINK Travel Journey: The Tibetan Plateau 2

In Chinese, the name for the Tibetan Plateau is “qingzang gaoyuan”, and the character “zang” could also mean hidden. In ADLINK Travel Journey: The Tibetan Plateau 1 the culture of the Tibetan Plateau was refreshingly new and beautiful to us. This time, the mysterious hidden culture, traditions and our self-identity will be unveiled in ADLINK Travel Journey: The Tibetan Plateau 2.

Thirteen college students with different backgrounds and skills are on their way, to a twelve -day nomadic experience, looking for something that will touch their hearts and unlock their true potential.