The United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) After-School Tutoring Center at National University of Tainan (NUTN) held its summer program closing event, "A Cool Summer and 20 Years of Gratitude," on July 30, 2026. Nearly 100 tutoring instructors, volunteers, and schoolchildren gathered on campus to celebrate the completion of the summer program through interactive water-themed activities, learning experiences, and a retrospective of the children's achievements.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UMC After-School Tutoring Center. Over the past two decades, the program has provided consistent educational support and companionship for children while becoming an important experiential learning platform for NUTN's teacher education students. Through sustained engagement in real educational settings, future teachers have been able to transform what they learn through teacher education into practical teaching and student-support experience.
The event was jointly planned by 15 alumni, tutoring instructors, and student volunteers. Educational elements related to water resources and environmental awareness, language learning, and teamwork were incorporated into a series of interactive challenges. Activities such as "Ping-Pong Water Challenge" and "Bottle-Cap Water Relay" tested communication and teamwork between instructors and students, while "Teacher-Student Water Quiz" combined problem-solving with fun questions.
In "Save the Thirsty Plants," children worked together to water plants while learning English vocabulary related to plant colors and Chinese idioms. The activity demonstrated how tutoring instructors creatively transform academic knowledge into engaging and interactive learning experiences.
For NUTN teacher education students, after-school tutoring involves far more than leading activities or helping children with homework. It provides a comprehensive opportunity for hands-on educational practice. By identifying children's learning needs, designing teaching activities, responding to diverse learning behaviors, and managing classroom interactions, teacher education students continuously refine their approaches and build practical experience. Through this process, educational theories are translated into practice while students develop essential competencies in lesson planning, communication, classroom interaction, and problem-solving.
Following the water-themed activities, participants returned to the auditorium for the "20 Years of Tutoring, Thank You for Being Here" closing ceremony. Class awards and a video retrospective highlighted memorable moments from the summer program. As the children completed their final day of summer tutoring, instructors shared their best wishes for the children's continued growth.
For the children, the program marked the completion of a meaningful summer learning experience. For NUTN's teacher education students, it represented another important step from the university classroom into the real world of education—an experience through which they gained a deeper understanding of teaching, learning, and the importance of building meaningful relationships with students.
Hui-Ping Ho, Manager of the UMC Technology and Culture Educational Foundation, recognized the achievements built over two decades through the collective efforts of the university, corporate partners, tutoring instructors, children, and parents. The long-term partnership has transformed corporate resources into sustained support for education and talent development. Feedback from parents and students has further demonstrated the lasting value and impact of the tutoring program.
Professor Yu-Chih Li, Director of the Center for Teacher Education at NUTN and principal investigator of the UMC tutoring program, emphasized that authentic educational settings are essential to developing professional teaching competencies. The UMC After-School Tutoring Center provides NUTN teacher education students with long-term and stable opportunities to work with children with diverse learning needs. Through lesson preparation, teaching, interaction, and reflection, students continuously refine their instructional approaches and gradually develop the professional capabilities needed to respond to real-world educational challenges.
NUTN President Hui-Ping Chen expressed her appreciation to the UMC Technology and Culture Educational Foundation for its continued support of the tutoring program over the past 20 years, emphasizing that sustained investment is essential to creating lasting educational impact.
Over the past two decades, the UMC After-School Tutoring Center has served a dual purpose: supporting children's learning and development while providing successive generations of NUTN teacher education students with authentic teaching experiences. Through the long-term partnership between NUTN's teacher education expertise and corporate resources, the center has evolved into an important platform connecting teacher preparation, educational service, and university social responsibility. It extends teacher education beyond the university classroom and enables future educators to develop their professional skills through hands-on teaching, reflection, and meaningful engagement with children.