Hsinchu County launches all-ages emotional education program to help manage diverse pressures

Hsinchu County is rolling out a sweeping emotional education initiative aimed at helping residents of all ages navigate the pressures of modern life. The program, launched by the county's education bureau, seeks to foster emotional awareness, interpersonal empathy, and psychological resilience across schools and families.

This year, the initiative expands on a blueprint established last year, focusing on three key areas: "Comprehensive School-Based Implementation," "Building a Professional Support System," and "Age-Specific Support." In the "Comprehensive School-Based Implementation" aspect, the education bureau is collaborating with schools from kindergartens to high schools. They plan to subsidize 70 schools to host 105 emotional education lectures and workshops, expecting at least 2,500 participants. These activities are tailored to student development, including "Emotional Education Lectures," "Parenting Effectiveness Activities" focused on stress management, and "Happy Family Workshops" for hands-on weekend experiences.

The "Building a Professional Support System" component involves establishing a "Social Emotional Learning Promotion Team" at Zhongzheng Elementary School as a resource hub, with demonstration seed schools in Jiafeng Elementary School (Zhubei District) and Zhongshan Elementary School (Zhudong District). Training for seed instructors and teacher communities will be conducted by Puhe Elementary School, Yuandong Junior High School, and Baoshan Junior High School. An expansion of SEL enhancement workshops for junior and senior high school counselors is planned for October, aiming to train 150 individuals.

Under "Age-Specific Support," the Hsinchu County Family Education Center offers diverse online lectures for different family stages. New parents can access a four-part online course, "New Parent's Happy Parenting Magic," while singles, engaged couples, and newlyweds can participate in lectures on emotional education, reading groups on intimate relationships, and marriage workshops. The county government emphasizes that the program's core is to guide parents, teachers, and students to "coexist peacefully with emotions" rather than suppress them.