Chung Hwa Pulp (CHP) has long been dedicated to community care and science education in rural regions across Hualien and Taitung, partnering with Tamkang University’s "Chemistry On the Go" team to bring the joy of hands-on scientific experiments into rural schools. Following CHP volunteers' active participation in the Hualien tour at Wanrong and Fonglin Junior High Schools in late July, the mobile chemistry lab expanded its footprint to offshore islands in August. Crossing the Pacific to Taitung County's Green Island Junior High School, the team delivered an extraordinary science event for primary and secondary students across the island.
The Green Island tour successfully overcame significant offshore logistics and space constraints. As Green Island Junior High School is currently undergoing seismic retrofitting, the entire school was temporarily relocated to the gymnasium, leaving limited experimental space. Through cross-school coordination by the school's academic director, the mobile chemistry lab was parked in front of Green Island Elementary School's dormitory. This setup transformed the activity from a school-level workshop into a vibrant island-wide community event accessible to all local students.
The morning session kicked off with "Marie Curie Storytime," illustrating how the renowned scientist pursued knowledge despite challenging environments and inspiring all students present. This was followed by three interactive, life-oriented experiments: "Seven-Colored Tadpoles" (sodium alginate experiment), "Delicious ABC" (pH indicator painting), and "Carbon Black Buzz Wire" (conductive carbon black application). The students demonstrated remarkable enthusiasm and creativity, painting unique mazes and crafting colorful artworks using household staples like citric acid and baking soda.
The event reached its climax in the afternoon with the "Chemistry Magic Show." As building shadows offered welcome shade, local parents arrived on scooters with young children, joining all teachers and students from Green Island Junior High. From the interactive "Six-Color Rainbow Bridge" equipment showcase to surprising indicator color-changing demonstrations, the roadside performance drew enthusiastic cheers and applause.
CHP stated that whether in the mountain communities of Wanrong and Fonglin or on the offshore Pacific island of Green Island, rural educational resources require sustained long-term corporate investment. Moving forward, CHP will continue leveraging its core corporate resources to support diverse science outreach and rural education initiatives, sowing seeds of curiosity and exploration to inspire future scientific talent.
