English 
正體中文 
In response to the “Fertile Soil Project” initiated by independent bookstores nationwide and to promote reading culture and cross-age collaborative learning, Yuan Ze University joined hands with Taoyuan Municipal Yuansheng Elementary School to hold the “Yuan-Yuan Together: A Reading Engagement” activity.
The event invited 60 fourth-grade students to visit the university campus, tour the Tianhe Book House, and participate in experiential reading courses, fostering intergenerational interaction and making reading a key bridge connecting university and elementary education.
The “Fertile Soil Project” was initiated by Hong-Feng Liu, owner of an independent bookstore in New Taipei City. The project aimed to mobilize community resources to encourage children to visit physical bookstores, reduce disparities in cultural capital, and cultivate reading habits. Since 2025, Yuan Ze University had collaborated with Yuansheng Elementary School to implement the “Yuan-Yuan Kamishibai” program, in which university students performed classic stories such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West on campus, enhancing children’s interest in reading and their expressive abilities. This year, the collaboration was further expanded by inviting elementary school students to visit the university campus for shared learning in a bookstore setting, creating a new model for cross-age reading education.
The event was held on May 29 and was planned and implemented by Wei-Jen Chen of the General Education Center at Yuan Ze University. Chen had long been engaged in research and promotion in the reading industry. He had also established the Tianhe Book House and Tianhe Creative Publishing on campus, actively practicing University Social Responsibility (USR) and the spirit of community engagement.
During the event, students first participated in the “Becoming a Young Editor” course, where they learned through hands-on activities about the process of book production, from planning and editing to publication, gaining an understanding of book structure and publishing knowledge. This was followed by a sharing session led by Pei-Jung Shu and Shang-Ying Yin, students from the Department of Nursing at Yuan Ze University, who introduced the locally themed picture book “Grandma of the Ponds Says Goodbye,” guiding children to explore local culture and environmental issues. The activity concluded with a guided tour of the Tianhe Book House and a book selection experience, allowing students to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of a physical bookstore.
The event received enthusiastic responses from both teachers and students. Pin-Yu Huang, one of the participating students, shared that the field trip not only helped him understand the process of how a book was created, but also taught him the importance of ecological conservation. He expressed hope for more learning opportunities in the future that combined knowledge with enjoyment.
Tzu-Ting Wang, a teacher at Yuansheng Elementary School, noted that through inter-school collaboration, university students gained opportunities for service learning and practical engagement, while elementary school students were exposed to knowledge beyond the classroom, such as editing, publishing, and bookstore operations. Both groups were able to broaden their perspectives. Hui-Ju Hsu, another teacher, also commented that the activity benefited not only students but also teachers, providing deeper insights into the publishing industry and bookstore management.
Yuan Ze University stated that cultivating reading habits and cultural participation was an essential educational endeavor. In the future, the University would continue to integrate internal and external resources to deepen reading education and social practice. Through cross-age learning and cultural exchange, it aimed to foster a new generation of talent equipped with imagination, creativity, knowledge, and strong communication skills.
