Image Credit to NCKU News Center.Edited by Rainee Cheng.
 

The “Heart to Heart, Learning Emotions: 2026 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Carnival” was held on October 31 on the plaza in front of the Student Activity Center at National Cheng Kung University’s (NCKU) Kuang-Fu Campus. This event was dedicated to realizing the Ministry of Education’s vision of “Happy Education, Healthy Taiwan, Happy Schools, and Shared Flourishing for Teachers and Students,” fostering a warm, friendly campus environment, and strengthening mental health literacy among the general public. The event was held under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and organized by NCKU’s Office of Student Affairs. Centered on the theme “Understand Emotions, Learn Empathy, Create Happiness,” the carnival brought together distinctive exhibition booths from colleges and universities across Taiwan, immersive mindfulness workshops, student club performances, and food stalls. It drew enthusiastic participation from many teachers, students, parents, and Tainan residents, marking a warm beginning for emotional education.
 

Director-General Yi-Ching Tsai of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Student Affairs and Special Education, NCKU Executive Vice President Yuh-Neu Chen, Secretary-General Peng-Sheng Chen, Vice President for Student Affairs Liang-Yi Hung, Section Chief Hsiang-Ju Li of the Tainan City Government Education Bureau, and Student Affairs Administrators from colleges and universities pose for a group photo.
 

Universities and Colleges Across Regions Join Forces to Promote SEL, Building Happy Campuses and a Mental Health Safety Net
 

The opening ceremony was honored by Director-General Yi-Ching Tsai of the Department of Student Affairs and Special Education, Ministry of Education, who led her team in offering guidance. She co-hosted the opening with Peng-Sheng Chen, Secretary-General of NCKU, and Hsiang-Ju Li, Section Chief of the Student Counseling and Campus Safety Section at the Tainan City Government Education Bureau. With a streamer-tossing ceremony symbolizing connection and blessings, the carnival was officially launched.
 

Director-General Tsai said: “Emotions need to be recognized and regulated early. In an interconnected society, greater empathy and tolerance can resolve many interpersonal and psychological conflicts. Beginning in 2025, the Ministry of Education has been implementing a mid- to long-term Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) plan, with approximately NT$440 million allocated over five years to build a foundation from kindergartens through colleges and universities. The plan covers not only students but also frontline teachers. At the university level, we hope to bring together general education, student clubs, and dormitory life through cross-unit collaboration, putting SEL into everyday practice, cultivating psychological resilience in the face of setbacks, and working together to create a happier, more joyful campus.”
 

irector-General Yi-Ching Tsai of the Ministry of Education, Section Chief Hui-Wen Chang, NCKU Secretary-General Peng-Sheng Chen, Vice President for Student Affairs Liang-Yi Hung, and Section Chief Hsiang-Ju Li of the Tainan City Government Education Bureau toss streamers to kick off the event.
 

Secretary-General Chen of NCKU said: “We are deeply grateful to the Department of Student Affairs and Special Education of the Ministry of Education for its long-term support of NCKU and of events held by colleges and universities across Taiwan. Early this morning, I watched partners from each institution arrive one after another to set up their booths with great care, and the venue was full of energy and warmth. Through this carnival, we hope to scatter the seeds of emotional education to every corner of the campus and the community, taking root and growing upward, and to build a solid fortress of psychological support for everyone.” Secretary-General Chen then led the officials and the participating teachers and students in a loud cheer of “2026 Heart to Heart, Learning Emotions, Awesome!”, infusing the event with vitality and enthusiasm.
 

Section Chief Li of the Student Counseling and Campus Safety Section, Tainan City Government Education Bureau, said: “In today’s educational settings, frontline teachers face multiple pressures from teaching, interactions within the school, and communication with parents, and they are in real need of the support that SEL can offer. When handling campus conflicts and bullying cases, SEL's restorative justice and conflict-reconciliation techniques are key solutions. We thank the Ministry of Education for its funding and resources. At the elementary and junior high school levels, Tainan City has actively established seed schools and developed related curricula and teaching materials. We hope that, through today’s booth challenges and interactive experiences, everyone will come to a deeper understanding of emotional transformation.”
 

The organizer, NCKU, hopes to fulfill its university social responsibility by joining forces with the central government and participating institutions to bring understanding, inclusion, and positive psychological resilience to campuses and society.
 

Parents and children eagerly participate in interactive exhibition booths, learning emotional awareness through fun games.
 

Promoting the Philosophy of “Walk Slowly, Feel Mindfully”: Stamp-Collecting Challenges Help Participants Release Everyday Tension
 

The event adopted an “exploratory participation” approach to stamp collecting. The organizers emphasized that the point of collecting stamps is not to race against the clock, but to encourage participants to “walk slowly, pause at every stop, and feel mindfully.” After picking up an event passport, visitors wandered among booths set up by colleges, universities, and student clubs, as well as quiet mindfulness corners. Through immersive interaction, they experienced the ups and downs of emotions and how those emotions can be transformed. Those who complete the required checkpoints are eligible to redeem an exclusive SEL gift.
 

The interactive booths run by colleges and universities from different regions showcased remarkable creativity, turning the five core competencies of social and emotional learning into small everyday games. Whether practicing emotion recognition through card decks, nine-grid boards, essential oil blending, and marble games, or learning interpersonal empathy through interactive installations, students and members of the public lingered happily at each stop. The experience slowed down their hectic pace and let them feel the appeal of putting emotional education into practice.
 

Participants try out the “emotion ball-catching” activity.
 

In addition, the “Still Mind, Still Spirit: singing bowl healing experience” held in the Martial Arts Hall of the Student Activity Center at NCKU’s Kuang-Fu Campus; “Tabletop Adventurers: board games that deepen interpersonal skills and decision-making” in Meeting Rooms 1 and 2; and “Heart-Art Workshop: decoupage collage and Zen Doodling crafts” in Meeting Room 3, along with the outdoor, drop-in mini-games “Emotion Co-Creation Wall” and “Emotion Monopoly,” offered gentle corners of respite and self-awareness for modern people living hectic lives.
 

The NCKU Music Service Team performs at the opening.
 

Special Exhibitions and Lectures Help SEL Take Root on Campus
 

According to NCKU’s Office of Student Affairs, the series of activities includes a static, immersive special exhibition on the five core SEL competencies titled “Life Comes in Waves,” held in the LibRE area on the first floor of the Main Library at NCKU’s Cheng-kung Campus and running through November 15. The series also features SEL lectures delivered by several professional speakers, including psychology author Haitai Bear (Cheng Wei-Quan, counseling psychologist), with the aim of building systematic social and emotional learning on campus and embedding it in everyday campus life.