Twelve Taitung students will travel to Canada this summer for "Cultural Adventure in the Maple Land," a 26-day overseas learning program centered on Indigenous culture and run in partnership with Canada’s Coquitlam School District. It marks the first time the Taitung County Government has secured a place in the Ministry of Education’s Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative — part of a broader effort to cultivate young people with global perspectives, cross-cultural understanding, and a humanistic outlook. At a pre-departure briefing on June 13, Taitung County Magistrate April Yao said the program focuses on Indigenous cultural issues, and that the selected students will bring Taiwan’s precious Indigenous cultures to the world.
Yao noted that Taitung has a rich foundation of Indigenous cultures and is also the homeland of Austronesian culture. Before departure, the county government organized the “Dream Support Growth Camp” to help students build cultural identity and confidence. Through the perspective of young people, they will share Taiwan’s culture with the world and demonstrate the international outlook of a new generation.
The Department of Education explained that it signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with the Coquitlam School District in Canada on February 14, 2025, and has actively promoted the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative. The program provides project-based subsidies for groups in need, reducing learning barriers caused by environmental factors. It gives every young person with dreams and potential the opportunity to cross borders and pursue their goals with courage.
As part of the program, the four-day camp was held on April 25 and 26, and May 2 and 3. The curriculum covered Indigenous cultures in Taiwan and Canada, arts introduction, Indigenous issues, presentation skills, and English speaking training, helping students develop cross-cultural communication skills. After the final selection, 10 students were chosen to join 10 students from the Overseas Soaring Track. From July 15 to August 9, they will travel to Canada for the 26-day overseas learning program “Cultural Adventure in the Maple Land.”
Among the participants, 11 are students from National Taitung Senior High School, National Taitung Girls’ Senior High School, National Taitung Junior College, or Junyi School of Innovation, while one is a Taitung student currently studying in another county or city. The other participants come from Yilan, Hualien, Kinmen, and other counties and cities. The Canada visit combines academic exploration with cultural depth, focusing on Indigenous learning. Students will attend lectures, take part in exchanges, and write research reports at Thompson Rivers University, Pinetree Secondary School, and St. John’s Academy Shawnigan Lake. They will also visit the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University.
In addition, students will visit cultural sites including the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, the Royal BC Museum, the Duncan Totem Poles, Chemainus Mural Town, and Vancouver. They will stay with host families and in school dormitories, gaining firsthand experience of life in Canada and joining a one-day experience in an Indigenous community.
Yao emphasized that she hopes this international learning experience will help students strengthen their cross-cultural communication, teamwork, and international adaptability, while rethinking their own cultural identity from a global perspective. Looking ahead, the county government will continue to build platforms that connect young people with the world, allowing Taitung’s youth to set out from home to walk with the world.
