Empowering Refugee Children: Taipei Tech and Centre for World Citizens Unite for Innovation
Crossing borders to bring hope to more children! At the invitation of Chen Hsiu-yi, a teacher at Taipei’s Xinsheng Elementary School, the team of Taipei Tech’s Wood Culture Rooting Innovation USR Project partnered with the Centre for World Citizens for the very first time. Together, they designed woodcraft courses for Syrian refugee children at the summer camp in Turkey. Through these courses, the team hopes to share the art of woodcraft globally and inspire children 7,000 kilometers away.
Project leader Associate Professor Chang Ro-han of Taipei Tech’s Department of Industrial Design stated that a spinning top construction kit named “Ever-changing” was devised by Song Jen-ping, a design manager at the Center of Woodwork Technology and Innovation, for this project. This construction kit simplifies and reimagines the way a woodturner is used. The first training session of this kit took place from July 20 to August 10. Trained volunteers—including university staff, non-Taipei Tech instructors, students, and NGO/NPO team members—later brought the construction kit to the Centre for World Citizens, teaching about 100 refugee children during the summer camp.
Since it is nearly impossible to ship everything internationally and local resources are pretty limited, Song developed a “single piece” design. All components are laser-cut onto a thin wooden board, allowing children to break apart and reassemble the pieces during lessons. This approach eliminates the need for woodworking machinery and teaches assembly principles in a hands-on way.
The woodcraft courses simulate real-world woodturning and wood painting. Besides teaching how to assemble a woodturning table, they teach children how to paint while spinning the tops, introducing drawing methods, color mixing principles, and visual persistence concepts. This offers local children new cultural and craft perspectives, experiencing the meaning and skills of using wood.
“Spinning tops are a universal toy found in many cultures. We hope that through this beloved game, we can help Syrian children explore woodcraft techniques and beauty that can accompany them throughout their childhood,” said Song. Centre for World Citizens reported that Syrian children especially loved the woodturning and coloring parts of the spinning top education, enjoying watching their colored tops spin and feeling a sense of calm. Two terms of this woodcraft course have been conducted, with continued efforts planned at the Centre for World Citizens.
Chen Hsiu-yi, the teacher from Xinsheng Elementary School, said that last year, Song guided students in painting spinning tops, inspiring her to encourage students to donate their hand-painted tops to Syrian refugees in Turkey. She thanked Song and the Center of Woodwork Technology and Innovation for their support, allowing the children’s goodwill and quality courses to extend abroad. After graduating, the two students who donated toys continued enthusiastically engaging in online exchanges with Syrian children, saying, “We didn’t expect the toys we donated to have such a big impact; we feel very touched!”
Project leader Associate Professor Chang Ro-han of Taipei Tech’s Department of Industrial Design stated that a spinning top construction kit named “Ever-changing” was devised by Song Jen-ping, a design manager at the Center of Woodwork Technology and Innovation, for this project. This construction kit simplifies and reimagines the way a woodturner is used. The first training session of this kit took place from July 20 to August 10. Trained volunteers—including university staff, non-Taipei Tech instructors, students, and NGO/NPO team members—later brought the construction kit to the Centre for World Citizens, teaching about 100 refugee children during the summer camp.
Since it is nearly impossible to ship everything internationally and local resources are pretty limited, Song developed a “single piece” design. All components are laser-cut onto a thin wooden board, allowing children to break apart and reassemble the pieces during lessons. This approach eliminates the need for woodworking machinery and teaches assembly principles in a hands-on way.
The woodcraft courses simulate real-world woodturning and wood painting. Besides teaching how to assemble a woodturning table, they teach children how to paint while spinning the tops, introducing drawing methods, color mixing principles, and visual persistence concepts. This offers local children new cultural and craft perspectives, experiencing the meaning and skills of using wood.
“Spinning tops are a universal toy found in many cultures. We hope that through this beloved game, we can help Syrian children explore woodcraft techniques and beauty that can accompany them throughout their childhood,” said Song. Centre for World Citizens reported that Syrian children especially loved the woodturning and coloring parts of the spinning top education, enjoying watching their colored tops spin and feeling a sense of calm. Two terms of this woodcraft course have been conducted, with continued efforts planned at the Centre for World Citizens.
Chen Hsiu-yi, the teacher from Xinsheng Elementary School, said that last year, Song guided students in painting spinning tops, inspiring her to encourage students to donate their hand-painted tops to Syrian refugees in Turkey. She thanked Song and the Center of Woodwork Technology and Innovation for their support, allowing the children’s goodwill and quality courses to extend abroad. After graduating, the two students who donated toys continued enthusiastically engaging in online exchanges with Syrian children, saying, “We didn’t expect the toys we donated to have such a big impact; we feel very touched!”