TAIPEI – Nine finalists came head to head in the Second Innovation in High Schools Competition. The contest is hosted by the Tang Prize Foundation biennially in aim of encouraging high school students to be “Makers,” reaching out of the classrooms and beyond school curriculums. The project theme has to be related to the Tang Prize four categories: Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology and Rule of Law. Each team receives NT$100,000 sponsorship and half a year to realize their proposals.
The Gold went to Tainan First High School, who used every cent to its maximum and came out with a board game. The game combined Chinese medicine and literature, corresponding to the Biopharmaceutical Science and Sinology of Tang Prize. Players become the doctors and make diagnosis, prescription according to the syndromes described in traditional Chinese literature.
The entire class, 30 energetic teenagers, attended the final. When the Gold was announced by Professor Ovid J. L. Tzeng, Chancellor of University System of Taiwan, the room echoed with their roaring. Even their competitors said “they really did a great job.” Panelist Professor Ming-Ray Lin suggested modern scientific support of the effects of Traditional Chinese medicine may be incorporated.
Zhongxing High School nailed the Silver. They spent time with the elderlies in the community and raised awareness of common fraud tactics. If unfortunately falling into victims, they also provided information about how to minimize the harm and take legal action combating this type of crime. Their project theme corresponded to the Rule of Law of Tang Prize.
Hsinchu High School took the Bronze home with “How Are You, Farming Village? What Farmers Taught Us.” Farmlands has been compromised for industrial estate to boost economic growth. Students visited local farmers who are reluctant to yield and rolled up the sleeves to help in one season of rice farming. They came to understand the ties bound between people and the land when their feet were caked with mud, a strong hold that should not be removed from our life. This project reflected the values of Sustainable Development of Tang Prize.
These students managed well under limited budget and resource, delivering exciting proposals and successful execution. They fully embodied the spirit of Tang Prize in which innovation may come in any shape and size and anyone can be the maker of change.
