TSMC Charity Foundation Helps Rural Students Explore a New World with First "Science Train" to South Taiwan

Brad Peng

Mario Wu

Albee Lee

The TSMC Charity Foundation joins hands with the National Science Council to promote the "science train", enabling children to take the train and learn about science through play.

In the well-designed carriage, children experience the principle of sound transmission through fun interactions.

The TSMC Charity Foundation facilitates the first run of the science train in the southern loop section to deepen science education in rural areas.

TSMC Charity Foundation Chairperson Sophie Chang (right) and TSMC's Intelligent Manufacturing Center Director Span Lu (left) lead a volunteer team to participate in the "science train" activity.

The TSMC Charity Foundation has long supported educational empowerment, providing a wide variety of learning resources to stimulate students' potential. In 2025, The Foundation and TSMC's Intelligent Manufacturing Center (IMC) joined the National Science and Technology Council's "South of the Border - Yingxi Science Train" program, helping to connect the educational resources of Pingtung County and Taitung County Government and bring the Science Train to the Southern Loop of Taiwan's rail network for the first time. With schools in the Pingtung and Taitung regions now included on the route, students in rural areas gained the opportunity to board the train and experience specially-designed science games. At the same time, the Charity Foundation also helped to promote special "science markets" set up at Fangliao Station in Pingtung County, as well as Jinlun Station and Taitung Station in Taitung County to deepen children's innovative thinking and scientific literacy through entertainment. Nearly 1,000 students from nine primary schools in Pingtung with Taitung participated in this event, injecting new vitality into popular science education in Taiwan's rural areas.

The TSMC Charity Foundation connects enterprises, schools and local governments to promote the integration of popular science education resources in rural areas, further support children's diverse learning and exploration, and help them embark on a broader path of growth.

Zhou Chunmi,County Magistrate of Pingtung County

The popular science activities not only inspire children's interest in learning, but also deepens their identification with indigenous culture. The TSMC Charity Foundation facilitated the science train to run on the Southern Loop, providing a valuable opportunity for rural students to explore science and culture.

Rao Qingling,County Magistrate of Taitung County

Transforming the Carriage into a Laboratory and Discovering the Mystery of Acoustics

Rural schools have limited access to learning resources due to their small scale and remote locations. To shorten the gap between urban and rural education and encourage rural students to explore the mysteries of science, the TSMC Charity Foundation partnered with the IMC, which has been supporting after-school classes in rural areas of Pingtung and Taitung Counties. IMC staff created an acoustic-themed "Playing with the Science of Plumbing" experiment game for the science train, enabling children to use water pipes to experience the basic principles of sound transmission in a fun interaction. After the game, the teacher and TSMC volunteer colleagues explained the difference between solid and gas sound conduction, deepening the children's understanding and interest in learning.

Highlights of the "South of the Border - Yingxi Science Train"

Connect Rural Teaching Resources

The science train traveled the Southern Loop of Taiwan's rail network for the first time, integrating the educational resources of Pingtung County and Taitung County Governments to increase students' opportunities for learning popular science

Games to Make Learning Fun

Specially designed science experiment games in the train carriage deepen the learning experience of children through hands-on operation and interactive processes

Science Popularization Integrated with Indigenous Culture

The train stations set up a "science market" that integrates the cultures of the Paiwan, Amis and Beinan indigenous tribes to inspire students to think innovatively

The science train is like a ray of light, shining on the imagination and hope of science for children in rural areas. In this journey, the leadership of the TSMC Charity Foundation and the enthusiasm of TSMC volunteers have brought touching stories and extraordinary encounters into this journey of public welfare.

Span Lu,Director of Intelligent Manufacturing Department Center at TSMC

At school I can only do experiments in the classroom, but this time I was able to do experiments on the train, which I found very interesting and learned a lot of new knowledge!

Pingtung County Taiwu Elementary School Student

The TSMC Charity Foundation will continue to invest resources to support the promotion of science education in rural areas, and spark children's curiosity and enthusiasm for science through innovative forms, explore unknown knowledge, and create more diverse choices for future growth and development.

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