Purpose of this curriculum
This curriculum is an innovative training mechanism that was developed to address knowledge gaps in society and policy communication difficulties encountered while promoting energy transition policies in Chinese Taipei.
Topics related to energy involve highly specialized content. Traditional communication methods, such as informational meetings and lectures, cannot provide the in-depth interactions needed to effectively shape policy comprehension. Surveys on energy knowledge conducted over the years have also revealed that the public has a limited understanding of energy mixing and net-zero strategies, indicating a need to develop more interactive and audience-tailored communication methods. Since 2017, this project has developed a variety of innovative communication tools, which have been deployed through with seed training and outreach mechanisms to spread energy knowledge among the public. This has lowered the barriers for participating in conversations on energy related topics.
The mechanism was designed with the following goals in mind:
1. Increase the public’s energy knowledge and lower barriers to understanding energy transition policies through the use of innovative communication tools.
2. Establish a systematic seed training mechanism to transform educators, volunteers, youths, and women into seed teachers and bridges for energy knowledge.
3. Introduce gender mainstreaming perspectives and expand the foundation for youths and families to participate in public dialogue, promoting diverse participation in conversations on energy policy.
4. Establish replicable and systematic policy communication methods, and facilitate their widespread application across different educational systems and social contexts.
How is the material administered?
The mechanism employed a three-phase promotion strategy: creative brainstorming, tool creation, and curriculum design.
1. Creative Brainstorming – Proposal-Gathering Competition (Appendix 1-1)
To increase public participation and promote creative brainstorming, two creative proposal competitions and open calls were held to collect creative concepts for energy policy communication tools. During the open call events, coordinators first provided participants with basic energy knowledge of and explained the policy background. After participants sufficiently understood the concept of energy transition, they proceeded to brainstorm and propose designs.
Through the two open call events, a total of 28 board game proposals and 55 picture book proposals were collected. The submitted proposals not only had creative designs, but also reflected an accurate of energy concepts and policy implications.
2. Tool Creation – Developing Policy Communication Tools (Appendix 1-2)
The proposals were judged by an interdisciplinary panel of energy, education, and design experts. Based on the selection results, four outstanding proposals were further developed into interactive educational policy communication tools:
(1) Two energy board games: POWER ON! and Electropolis
(2) Two energy picture books: The Energy Wizard and Unexpected Museum Visitors – Across the Energy Universe
The energy board games use gameplay to simulate the impacts of energy selection and carbon emissions, helping students understand energy mixing and policy decision scenarios through an interactive process. The energy picture books employ a narrative context to translate energy topics into easy-to-understand content, encouraging parents and children to learn together and take part in public discussion.
3. Curriculum Design – Curriculum Standardization Plan (Appendix 1-3)
To ensure the uniformity of training content and its replicability for dissemination through outreach, a standardized curriculum was established for each type of policy communication tool. This allows different categories of seed teachers to conduct energy education outreach according to the same teaching framework:
(1) Introducing energy knowledge: Instructors use the energy transition policy as an axis to conduct explanatory presentations and interactive quizzes, establishing correct foundational ideas.
(2) Instruction on teaching materials: Instructors provide complete training modules and teaching resources, explain board game rules, practice picture book reading, and demonstrate teaching methods to impart skills.
(3) Hands-on practice in small groups: Participants play the board game or practice picture book reading in small groups to familiarize themselves with how to use the teaching materials.
(4) Discussion, exchange, and reflection: Instructors guide participants to share their notes from the training session, as well as their outreach proposals, deepening their understanding of energy topics.
Assessment Methods (e.g. testing)
This training mechanism uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to assess training results and subsequent outreach impacts.
1. Quantitative
(1) Survey of Learning Results and Inclination to Participate (Appendix 2-1)
This training mechanism designed different surveys for each category of training activities to gather participant feedback. Overall, 95.5% of participants (93.7% of men, 97.3% of women) believed that the innovative communication tools helped them to understand the energy transition policy. Additionally, 99.6% of participants (93.7% of men, 97.3% of women) who completed the training expressed their support for the energy transition policy. This demonstrates that the mechanism not only enhances participants’ knowledge and understanding but also increases their approval of the policy direction.
(2) Tracking of Seed Teacher Outreach Results (Appendix 2-2)
Follow-up outreach tracking mechanisms were established for the teachers and volunteers who completed the training, including the reported number of outreach sessions, participant statistics, venue types, and on-site feedback records. According to the current statistics, from 2017 to March 2026, there were a total of 70 trainings sessions, which trained 1,418 seed teachers, and seed teachers conducted 419 subsequent outreach events, spreading knowledge to 10,085 people in multiple towns and counties and demonstrating this mechanism’s capacity for sustainable dissemination.
(3) Gender Equality Data and Audiovisual Recordings (Appendix 2-3)
Considering that women are underrepresented in the energy sector, all training and outreach events emphasized participation by women. Additionally, gender data were collected to analyze participation statistics and educational outcomes for different groups. From 2017 to March 2026, a total of 1,056 women participated in training activities, accounting for 74.5% of all trainees. Moreover, a documentary video was created to share the stories of the program’s long-term female participants, clearly showing that this mechanism has increased women’s involvement in energy topic promotion and their participation in society.
2. Qualitative – Quality Feedback and Curriculum Optimization (Appendix 2-4)
In addition to the quantifiable data above, through on-site oral feedback, recorded interviews, exchanges on community platforms, and course observation records, participants’ opinions on the content of educational materials, teaching methods, and outreach application were collected, providing a basis for subsequent revision of teaching materials and course optimization. Through the aforementioned mechanisms, this training mechanism not only evaluates the learning results from each individual course but also emphasizes the long-term dissemination and systematic outreach results.
Programs for implementing training
This mechanism uses a systematic outreach framework to continuously expand energy policy communication and training, thereby forming a long-term education network.
1. Seed Training – Categorical Training Strategy (Appendix 3-1)
To expand understanding of energy transition topics for people from all walks of life, different groups of seed teachers (including women, youths, seniors, and Indigenous peoples) are trained by incorporating standardized course design and content, providing them with energy knowledge and the ability to skillfully use the teaching materials, and enabling them to conduct energy outreach. The groups targeted for training include:
(1) Elementary and middle school teachers: Integration of energy education into classroom instruction and natural science curriculums.
(2) Volunteer storytellers: Spreading energy knowledge to parents and children through storytelling events.
(3) High school and college/university students: Strengthening policy understanding through youth dialogue on energy.
(4) Women’s NGOs: Integration of collaborative education models to promote local transmission of energy information.
2. Cooperative Network – Local Outreach and Cooperative Support Mechanisms (Appendix 3-2)
To assist seed teachers in subsequent energy education outreach after training, this mechanism establishes diverse collaboration and support mechanisms, such as providing free materials updates and sharing teaching materials through websites or social media platforms, and by cooperating with educational institutions, public libraries, youth organizations, and NGOs to establish local outreach networks. Through these cooperative partners, seed teachers can conduct energy education activities at schools, libraries, and community sites, thereby extending energy knowledge from educational institutions into households and communities.
3. Tracking and Feedback – Systematic Performance Monitoring System (same as Appendix 2-4)
To ensure training quality and long-term operations, this mechanism has established systematic management methods, including mechanisms for outreach record reporting, gender statistics, and results analysis, to continuously assess training results and knowledge diffusion. The content of teaching materials and training methods are then revised accordingly.