In Hualien County in Taiwan, the Hong Yeh Elementary School provides a venue for preserving Truku indigenous culture and providing young students with environmental education. To support the school’s initiatives, geothermal developer Baseload Power Taiwan has set up an educational fund and made donations of the children’s book, “Our Hidden Powers.”
“As the first geothermal energy exploration and development site in Taiwan, we are committed to listening to and actively engaging in community activities, particularly with the Hong Yeh tribe in Hualien,” said Van Hoang, chairman and CEO of Baseload Power Taiwan.
“Our Hidden Powers”
“Through our sponsorship of Hong Yeh Elementary School, we aim to support the preservation of tribal culture. Additionally, by donating books and collaborating with the school’s environmental education courses, we hope to encourage children to explore nature and discover their own hidden powers.”
“Our Hidden Powers” tells the story of Ignis and her friends Sunny, Windy, Kai, and Terry as they explore geothermal energy and learn how collaboration can help save our planet. The book was written by Baseload Capital team members Kristina Hagström-Ilievska and Gabriella Skog. It was then published in Traditional Chinese as the first children’s book in Taiwan to introduce geothermal and renewable energy.
These books are seamlessly integrated into the school’s environmental education courses, where teachers guide students in reading and drawing, helping them learn about earth’s abundant natural resources and sparking their imaginations about the power of geothermal energy.
Embracing tribal culture
The donation of the books coincided with the school’s 90th anniversary celebrations. The school hosted a grand joint sports day, celebrating with the whole village. It was also a celebration of tribe culture, featuring traditional Truku music and dance.
“We are thankful to Baseload Power Taiwan for their continuous support of our traditional music and dance classes. We hope that, through these performances, our students can embrace and celebrate tribe culture, fostering confidence and enthusiasm for learning,” said Mrs. Yue-Zhu Chen, principal of Hong Yeh Elementary School.
“We also appreciate the company’s contribution of children’s books, which enrich our environmental education courses. Not only do they help students understand natural forces like geothermal, wind and solar energy, they also demonstrate how they can be harnessed for clean energy and contribute to a sustainable future for our community.”
Van Hoang further emphasized the goal of Baseload Power Taiwan to collaborate with local communities, government entities and stakeholders towards the development of geothermal power projects. “We firmly believe that the power plant will serve not only as an energy provider but also as a catalyst and good neighbor within the communities, driving diverse and sustainable development initiatives focused on culture, environment and energy.”
Source: Baseload Power Taiwan
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