Taiwan Tech, with its long-standing focus on technical and vocational education, is dedicated to helping high school and vocational school teachers and students keep pace with cutting-edge technology while actively cultivating future AI talent. Together with National Taipei University of Technology, National Chengchi University, and Taipei Medical University, Taiwan Tech has promoted the “AI for Good - Artificial Intelligence Empowered Science Education for High School Students” project, supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). This initiative has successfully established a vital platform for advancing AI education in high schools and vocational schools. A highlight achievement of the project came in June 2025, with the First National AI Innovation Application Competition for High School and Vocational School Students (AI for a Better Future), where a student team from National Hualien Commercial High School, a remote-area institution, stood out from the competition and proudly claimed the Tether Gold Award.

Students from National Chiayi Girls’ Senior High School joined an AI hands-on workshop, receiving mentorship from industry experts to refine their project proposals.

Students from National Hualien Commercial High School joined an AI hands-on workshop, receiving mentorship from industry experts to refine their project proposals.

The four-member student team, consisting of Jhih-Hsiang Luo, Shao-Fu Chen, Hung-Tse Lin, and Yun-Hao Wu, showcased the outstanding hands-on skills of vocational high school students. “Artificial intelligence is changing the world. We don’t just want to be users of AI technology; we also hope to improve people’s lives with AI in the future,” said Jhih-Hsiang Luo. Teammates Shao-Fu Chen and Hung-Tse Lin added, “Throughout the competition, we kept practicing and adjusting. We grew tremendously. This was not just a contest, but a learning journey.”

Their remarkable achievement as a rural team was made possible through the “AI for Good -Artificial Intelligence Empowered Science Education for High School Students” program. To ensure AI education takes root among high school and vocational students, the Graduate Institute of Digital Learning and Education and the Teacher Education Center of Taiwan Tech co-organized a two-day, 12-hour AI Seed Teacher Workshop at National Taipei University of Technology. The program, delivered in both in-person and online formats, attracted over 100 enthusiastic teachers nationwide. Certified by Taiwan Tech’s Teacher Education Center, these “AI Seed Teachers” are now qualified to guide students in the upcoming 2025 “AI for a Better Future” National AI Innovation Competition for Senior High and Vocational Students, creating a talent pipeline for the future.

The workshop emphasized interdisciplinary integration, enabling teachers from non-computer science fields such as Chinese literature, business, and design to understand and apply AI. Miao-Er Chen, a teacher from National Yuli Senior High School in Hualien, noted: “I never expected AI could be applied to marketing planning. This workshop allows me to bring that knowledge back to Hualien.” Chen-Yi Ke, a Chinese literature teacher, also shared: “The course covered AI evolution and its application in business theory. It inspired me to explore whether ChatGPT could assist in grading essays to create a more objective system and reduce inconsistencies in teacher feedback.” Although many teachers admitted that AI has yet to be formally integrated into the curriculum, they expressed their commitment to leveraging their role as Seed Teachers to transform new knowledge into learning opportunities for students.

“During the AI Seed Teacher Workshop, participants actively raised questions and engaged in discussions.”

At the outset of the “AI for Good - Artificial Intelligence Empowered Science Education for High School Students” program, many rural schools expressed concerns about limited resources and students’ lack of confidence. To address this, Professor Cathy Weng and teacher trainees from Taiwan Tech’s Teacher Education Center traveled to Hualien to guide students through AI project proposals and presentation rehearsals, gradually helping them overcome their challenges. Although students from National Yuli Senior High School did not advance to the finals, the empowerment process enabled them to later qualify for other competitions. This journey not only revealed the students’ potential but also proved a vital lesson: with access to opportunities and resources, rural students can shine just as brightly in the AI era.

High school and vocational school teachers from across Taiwan attended in-person training to become “AI Seed Teachers.”

The competition also received strong support from enterprises including Tether, Tai-Tech Advanced Electronics Co., Ltd., Systex Corporation, Profet AI Technology Co., Ltd., and Taiwan AI Academy, which provided scholarships to encourage student innovation. Looking ahead, with continued support from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the program will be extended by the four universities to reach more rural areas and further promote the democratization of AI education.

Taiwan Tech also sincerely invites more enterprises to join in advancing AI education by supporting outreach teaching, teacher training, and student scholarships. Through a dual approach of strengthening teacher development and enhancing student practice, the initiative aims to ensure that every student in Taiwan - whether in urban or rural areas—can acquire the core competencies needed for the AI era.

Professor Cathy Weng of Taiwan Tech’s Teacher Education Center led her graduate students to rural schools to guide students on how to use AI for proposal writing and presentations.