From Creativity to Action: ASE Youth Sustainability Innovation Competition Summer Camp Empowers Youth with Sustainable Action Capabilities

The ASE Environmental Sustainability Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the "Foundation") hosted the summer camp for the "2026 ASE Youth Sustainability Innovation Competition," from July 6 to July 10 at the Jihe Campus of Ming Chuan University. The event brought together ten shortlisted senior and vocational high school teams across northern, central, and southern Taiwan for five days of intensive training. The curriculum covered sustainability science, SDGs board games, design thinking, sustainable design, entrepreneurship, presentation skills, and field visits. The program guided students step-by-step from identifying problems and analyzing issues to validating ideas and delivering final presentations – while strengthening their interdisciplinary thinking, teamwork, and ability to turn sustainability ideas into action.

Through interactive scenarios, students explored sustainability challenges and, through ongoing discussions and refinement, learnt to see waste in a new light — transforming "trash" into "resources" and turning creative concepts into more practical solutions. The program also included a field visit to the Taoyuan Sustainable Resource Center was arranged, where students gained a deeper understanding of circular economy, resource recycling, and waste reuse through guided exhibition tours, and participated in a marine debris redesign workshop. By on-site observation and hands-on learning, students experienced firsthand how circular design principles can be applied in everyday life, making sustainability education more tangible and actionable.

The Foundation emphasized that the Youth Sustainability Innovation Competition is more than a contest, but a learning journey that supports youth as they explore, learn, and grow. Through the camp’s field visits, interdisciplinary courses, and expert mentorship, the initiative aims to help young people turn everyday observations into concrete action while developing collaboration, problem-solving, and practical sustainability skills. Moving forward, the Foundation will continue to connect educational, industrial, and professional resources to help youth in transforming creativity into action. By extending sustainability education beyond the competition and into schools, everyday life, and the wider community, the Foundation aims to nurture a new generation with the innovative thinking and practical skills needed to shape a more sustainable future.

For more Chinese information, please visit: https://www.aseepsfund.org.tw/news-detail/237__52/