news source: Hualien News Flash>

Following the 0923 landslide dam overflow disaster at Mataian Elementary School in Guangfu Township, Hualien City, Xifu Elementary School faced the challenge of rebuilding the students' emotional well-being. In October, Professor Hsu Hsiu-Chu from the College of Arts at National Dong Hwa University personally visited Xifu Elementary School to promote a cross-disciplinary aesthetic education initiative centered on "SDGs: Turning Waste Materials into Art." This project not only transformed environmental issues into creative and emotionally resonant art lessons but also, through the healing power of art, accompanied children in rediscovering hope and gratitude through their creative process.

Xifu Elementary School has only 31 students, 16 of whom come from families in the disaster-stricken area. Some families suffered severe damage in the floods; some homes had their first floors submerged, some family members broke through roofs to climb out, and some children even waited for rescue in the floodwaters. After experiencing fear and anxiety, the children, guided by the curriculum, rediscovered value in waste materials, giving them new life and meaning. Through artistic creation, they became aware of their own feelings and expressed gratitude: thanking the "shovel superheroes" and kind-hearted people who lent a helping hand after the disaster, thanking the excavators and reconstruction teams for their efforts, and also thanking life itself for its resilience and rebirth.

Professor Hsu Hsiu-chu's teaching program is divided into four phases, implementing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 "Sustainable Urban and Rural Areas," 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production," and 13 "Climate Action":

Phase 1 (October 15): Conduct lectures and guidance with the teacher team of grades 1-6 of Xifu Elementary School on "Integrating SEL and SDGs Issues into STEAM Cross-Disciplinary Aesthetic Teaching" to establish the core concept of sustainable education of social-emotional learning (SEL) and SDGs.

Phase Two (October 20th and 27th): Establish a teacher teaching community, prepare online courses together every week, and assist teachers of different grades in using waste materials to deeply integrate environmental education, art creation, SDGs issues and local culture.

Phase 3 (October 31): Professor Hsu led six students from National Dong Hwa University (including faculty members) and teachers and students from Xifu Elementary School to carry out a "Turning Waste into Art" hands-on course. The students collected waste materials from their homes, school, and the Guangfu Disaster Area, and transformed them into creative art works, practicing the sustainable spirit of "turning waste into treasure, turning waste into art, and turning waste into heart" for co-creation and mutual benefit.

Phase Four (November 5th): A presentation and exhibition of the students' work will be held, where they will express their feelings and convey their blessings for themselves, for Guangfu, and for Hualien. The school will invite the principal, the director, and environmental artists to serve as judges and commentators, witnessing the students' growth and transformation.

Principal Liu Fengying of Xifu Elementary School expressed her gratitude to Professor Xu Xiuju for her assistance and guidance, stating, "This course allowed us to witness the children's creativity and resilience. Through art, they rediscovered their smiles, and the seeds of sustainable education sprouted and flourished on campus." Professor Xu Xiuju also thanked the school for its support and the teachers and students for their enthusiastic collaboration, sharing, "Art is not just about creation, but also a healing and connecting force. When children transform waste into art, giving new life to discarded materials, they see the beauty and hope of rebirth, and practice the true meaning of sustainability in their creations."