Looking Back on a Year of Learning, Growth, and Building a Thriving Community in Taiwan

As the year comes to a close, we have been reflecting on what a momentous year this has been, shaped by both big milestones and quiet firsts.

• This was our fourth year running Fun Taiwan Camp, and our first with a new partner school.
• It was also the second year of Taiwan Youth Leadership, watching our young leaders grow in depth, serve the under-privileged community in Taipei and speak Mandarin with confidence
• With our growing Fun in Taiwan with the Family Facebook group, we have launched two holiday community events – to connect local and international families in Taiwan. It’s been so rewarding to see familiar parents connect, at the same time, meeting new parents who join with their little ones. Seeing both world connect and engage with each other reminds us this is why we do what we do 🙂
• This year also marked a huge milestone and a major commitment. We signed the lease and the legal agreements to officially take over our favorite kindergarten and began building a new one – Sunlight Forest Kindergarten. The complete gut job, and renovation work is in full swing, but it is happening fast, and we carry with us so much both responsibility and gratitude.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our community. They are the parents who found us online and trusted us with their children’s Mandarin learning. Our dedicated team of teachers who consistently went above and beyond for the students, and the parents. And the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes, from operations to accounting and social media, they made everything run with care and precision. We also want to call out that the team that runs Fun Taiwan Kids, Fun Taiwan Camp, and Sunlight Forest Kindergarten is a team of smart, capable, wildly creative women, many of them are young professionals, working moms and full-time moms, who solve problems before most people even notice them. Honestly, we think they could run the world. This work is built on people, and we are deeply thankful for each and everyone of them who supported us.

Immersive Learning Experiences for Children in Taiwan

At the heart of everything we’re building is a simple mission: to bring the world to Taiwan, and Taiwan to the world.

Taiwan is deeply hospitable. It welcomes families and children with warmth, care, and an everyday kindness that makes it easy to feel at home. For children, that sense of safety and welcoming makes all the difference. While recent news has understandably raised concerns, those of us who live and work there know this truth. Moments of violence are rare, and they do not define Taiwan. What defines it is community, resilience, and care.

Over the past year, children from different backgrounds arrived unsure of what to expect. Some spoke little Mandarin. Some are fluent and can speak like a local. For many families, this is their first experience with a Mandarin immersion program in Taiwan, and often their first time seeing how naturally children learn when language is lived, not taught. Through shared activities, and friendships with local children, language became a bridge rather than a barrier.

Bringing Taiwan to the World

Fun Taiwan Camp was created with connection at its core. Beyond language learning, it brings local Taiwanese children together with peers from different countries and backgrounds, allowing them to share daily life and learn what it truly means to be global through real, everyday interactions.

Alongside our camps, we are building Sunlight Forest Kindergarten, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach and grounded in respect for childhood. With a focus on the arts, nature, and child-led exploration, it reflects our broader effort to bring Taiwan to the world by connecting local families and communities with families from around the globe.

As children grow older, Taiwan Youth Leadership offers space for deeper reflection and connection. The program gives local partners the opportunity to share their mission and on-the-ground work with overseas youth and families. Through leadership development in Taiwan, teens engage in service, learn from community leaders, and see purpose-driven work in action. We are incredibly proud that a portion of the program proceeds supports our non-profit partners serving underserved communities, extending impact beyond the program itself.

One Thread Through It All

Whether through Fun Taiwan Kids, youth leadership experiences, or a kindergarten still taking shape, the common thread is people. Families who trusted us early. Educators who gave their whole hearts. Staff who made the impossible feel seamless. And Taiwan, which continues to be both our home and our teacher.

As we look ahead, I carry a deep sense of gratitude. Thank you for being part of this story. We can’t wait to see you and the kids having Fun in Taiwan in 2026!