The NTU Children and Family Research Center, sponsored by CTBC Charity Foundation, has been dedicated to promoting the Positive Interpersonal & Life Orientation Training (PILOT) Program. The PILOT Program aims to enhance children's and adolescents' life skills through eight modules, including anxiety adjustment, social skills, anger management, communication skills, decision-making, assertiveness, resisting peer pressure, and conflict resolution. The goal is to improve the mental health, resilience, and decision-making abilities of young people. To date, over 20,000 elementary and junior high school students across Taiwan have benefited from the PILOT Program.
The effectiveness of the Program has been supported by empirical research. Students who reported having participated in the Program demonstrate superior performance in terms of adolescent resilience, well-being, and peer conflict resolution abilities. They also demonstrate lower levels of depressive symptoms, substance addiction, and internet addiction compared to those who have not participated.
The PILOT Program was awarded the first prize in the Talent Co-learning category at the 2023 Visionary University Social Responsibility Awards. The jury particularly commended NTU faculty for sharing their expertise across various counties and cities, demonstrating their dedication to serving children and adolescents.
In her acceptance speech on behalf of the university, Executive Vice President Wan-Jun Liao expressed that the Center had begun addressing issues such as peer bullying, internet addiction, and substance addiction among children and adolescents long before the Ministry of Education launched the University Social Responsibility (USR) program and before the United Nations announced the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Center actively promoted the PILOT Program to enhance the resilience and adaptability of children and adolescents, and extended the Program to rural areas to benefit students nationwide.
Prof. April Chiung-Tao Shen, Director of the Center, noted that the Program integrates resources from various sectors, including private enterprises, research teams, teacher training, local governments, school administrators, and community organizations. The curriculum has been incorporated into formal school courses, and multiple teacher training workshops have been held in elementary and junior high schools across different regions. Prof. Shen remarked that this represents a decade of dedicated effort to these causes.
Many of NTU faculty members and students have long been committed to research and services focused on social and environmental sustainability, contributing to the sustainable development of the nation and society while creating a positive social impact. NTU will continue to cultivate talent and fulfill its social responsibility as a university. NTU invites all sectors to apply for the PILOT materials, enabling more children and adolescents to benefit from the Program. By strengthening their resilience and adaptability, they can cope with the negative effects of their environment and safeguard their mental and physical well-being.