The Sports Administration (SA) has been promoting the Mountain Education Promotion and Implementation Plan since 2013, encouraging schools to promote mountain education, and providing a platform for school experience exchange. On November 16th, the "2024 Mountain Education Experience Exchange and Achievements Sharing Meeting" was held at National Taiwan Sport University. The event recognized schools excelling in promoting mountain education in 2024 and featured experience-sharing sessions by experts, scholars, and schools. Awards were presented in two categories: "Mountaineering Education Activist Award" and "Quality Mountaineering Education and Mountain Education Video Award". This year, 24 schools participated, submitting 29 entries, with 18 receiving awards.
The Mountain Education Promotion and Implementation Plan has been selecting outstanding teaching materials, lesson plans, and videos since 2017, encouraging the exchange of high-quality course resources. In alignment with the Executive Yuan's "Salute to the Mountains" open mountain forest policy launched in 2019, the plan emphasizes "Mountaineering Education and Popularization" as well as "Responsibility and Awareness Dissemination". These efforts aim to enhance mountaineering safety and education across all school levels. The "Mountaineering Education Activist Award" was introduced in 2021 to inspire greater participation and further integrate mountaineering education into schools. In addition to promoting safety, the initiative also seeks to deepen the core literacies of the Curriculum Guidelines of 12-year Basic Education through mountain education in all schools.
This year, the "Mountaineering Education Activist Award" featured two categories: "Excellent Mountain Climbing Award" and "Mountain Activist Award." For the selection themes, schools up to senior high school focused primarily on mountaineering education, supplemented by environmental or exploration education. Meanwhile, college and university mountaineering clubs emphasized mountaineering education alongside mountain forest conservation, research, social services, or innovative management.
The SA stated that it hopes to encourage schools to record the process of promoting mountaineering education and use it as material for future education promotion by selecting "excellent mountaineering education and mountain education videos". This year's selection categories are divided into "videos on mountain education achievements”, “Mountain Education Micro Film" and "Mountain Education Teaching Short Film". Schools could choose appropriate shooting and editing video formats according to curriculum arrangements, so that valuable experiences can be spread and shared.
Taipei City Fanghe Experimental High School, winner of Silver Award in the "Excellent Mountain Climbing Award" and the Honorable Mention Award in the "Mountain Education Achievements Video" categories for two consecutive years, was transformed into Taipei's first publicly operated experimental school in the 107 academic year. Adopting an exploratory learning school model, the school has integrated mountain education into its curriculum as a distinctive, school-based program. This includes training in mountain skills, professional competencies, and team leadership. The school has led students on expeditions to locations such as Qilai Mountain, Nanhua Mountain, Jiaming Lake, Pingfeng Mountain, Jialuo Lake, and the Daba Peaks. Through these outdoor courses, students learn to take responsibility for their decisions, honor their commitments to themselves and their teams, and develop their character by connecting with the mountains and nature. These activities align with the core literacy goals of Taiwan’s Curriculum Guidelines of 12-year Basic Education.
This year's Mountain Education Experience Exchange and Achievement Sharing Meeting, themed "My Connection with the Mountains", featured static exhibitions and experiential activities. Special guests included Professor Wu Chong-chi from National Taiwan Normal University and Associate Professor Cheng An-si from National Taichung University of Education, who shared insights on topics such as the history and future of outdoor exploration education in Taiwan and mountain disaster statistics. Additionally, Hsianhsi Junior High School, Ludong Elementary School, and Chungpu Junior High School presented their achievements in promoting mountain education courses. Through these courses, students gain outdoor survival skills and ecological responsibility, integrating environmental and exploration education.
The SA will continue merging mountain, exploration, and environmental education through the Mountain Education and Outdoor Exploration Programs. By fostering collaboration and sharing resources, the SA aims to inspire students to connect with nature, respect the mountains, and safely explore forests while learning stewardship of the natural world.