chinapost.com.tw/dream/2015 … ng-the.htm
Building the future, 1 child at a time
By Yuan-Ming Chiao, The China Post
October 13, 2015
When one thinks of innovation and critical thinking, the first association is unlikely to be an orphanage or a youth correctional facility. But for some, thinking outside the box means finding the opportunity to meet societal problems head on in the places we least expect.
Founded by David Willson and Austin Yoder just over 1 year ago, the Foundation for Talented Youth is an organization dedicated to developing innovative and creative thinking while cultivating the seeds of leadership for local children and youth in Taiwan.
David and Austin have big dreams, including a goal to empower many people through their innovative leadership program. Not only have they brought their three-day workshops to local schools, they have worked to bring leadership and innovative thinking to disadvantaged youths in youth correction facilities as well as orphanages.
Speaking with David, it was readily apparent that his ideas were very much based on his 4 years of living Taiwan, where he took his Korean-Australian son to live to learn Chinese, running a business and raising a family here. As an Australian who has developed deep affection for Taiwan in just four years, David told me that the reason why he and Austin from ther USA strive to bring skills such as teamwork, innovation, critical thinking and persuasion to young people was based on a genuine social need for it.
When it came to both David and Austin’s experience of hiring staff for their international tea company based in Taiwan, they noticed that while most had no problems implementing tasks, the difficulty for locally hired employees to take the initiative and “think outside the box” was readily apparent. They believe a major part of these difficulties could be traced to early education.
Promoting ‘Entrepreneurship education’
David and many Western entrepreneurs believe that part of the difficulty for the Taiwanese business community to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy as it once did two decades ago is a lack in critical thinking skills to bring new and innovative ideas. Not only does he reason that the ability to develop innovative ideas can be used to solve business problems, but they are also a vital component for social innovation.
Based on familial experience and observation of Taiwan’s primary and secondary education, David reasoned that much effort is needed to encourage youngsters to develop critical thinking skills rather than excel at exam taking and rote memorization. While the courses have a target age group of those 14-17, the Foundation has also instructed children as young as 10. MORE AT LINK: