In the remote corners of Taiwan, the educational gap often stems not from a lack of hardware, but from the need for stable companionship and broader horizons. In 2025, the Online Reading Program achieved a significant milestone with the official launch of the Asmedia Puzi School. This expansion not only extended the program’s geographic reach but also successfully integrated a tripartite synergy of corporate sponsorship, university volunteers, and social welfare systems to create a meaningful chapter of shared journey.

Core initiative: Weekly virtual mentorship
The pillar of the Online Reading Program lies in its 120 weekly online connections spanning hundreds of kilometers every Wednesday afternoon. As students finish their school day, social workers guide them to their respective schools. Simultaneously, volunteers across various regions log on punctually to engage in one-on-one picture book reading sessions via screen.
This dedicated hour transcends knowledge transmission; it is a profound emotional exchange. This consistent and long-term mentorship reassures rural students that across the distance, dedicated mentors are closely watching their growth and listening to their stories. This structured regularity fosters a sense of routine and security, making Wednesday afternoons the most anticipated time on their learning journey.







Multi-party collaboration: The genesis of the Asmedia Puzi School
The establishment of the new Asmedia Puzi School represents a compassionate relay across sectors. As the initiator and driving core of the program, the WT Foundation channels resources and strategic care to ensure that impact is precisely delivered into the lives of rural children.
·Corporate Sponsorship: ASMedia Technology Inc. (Asmedia) demonstrated exemplary Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by providing crucial funding for operations alongside substantial material and moral encouragement for the students.
·Volunteer Synergy: Faculty and students from the Department of Accounting at Tamkang University channeled their academic precision into social warmth. Stepping out of the world of numbers, these university students served as “Dream Navigators,” guiding children to explore the world through literature. ·Frontline Welfare: World Vision Taiwan utilized its long-term deep community presence and professional social workers to u nderstand each child’s family background, ensuring that the mentorship directly aligned with individual needs.





From screen to reality: Exploring the National Museum of Natural Science
On November 29, 2025, a long-awaited “Gathering Day” took place at the National Museum of Natural Science. More than just a field trip, this excursion fulfilled a shared dream, bringing children and volunteers together in person for the first time.
A warm gathering across urban-rural divides
During the event, Ming-Ji Yang, Chairman of the WT Foundation, expressed deep gratitude: “The establishment of a new school requires the dedication of all parties. The Foundation is immensely grateful for those walking alongside us on this philanthropic path.” Executive Director Ming Wang and Deputy Executive Director Anne Chen also participated, providing strong moral support to both the children and volunteers.
Representing the sponsoring corporate entity, Wen-Yun Chen, Director at Asmedia, gifted beautiful mini-backpacks and the book set The Mysterious Candy Shop, encouraging the children with the words: “Reading allows you to stand on the shoulders of giants to see the world.” Professor Shin-Chun Yen from Tamkang University led the accounting department faculty and students on the journey, sharing profound emotion upon seeing the virtual mentorship blossom into real-life interaction. Wan-Wen Hu, Director of the Central Region Office of World Vision Taiwan, commended the volunteers for their high-frequency companionship, noting its substantial impact on the development of rural youth.
A Feast of knowledge and nature
The afternoon exploration at the museum transformed flat-surface reading into a three-dimensional experience. Under volunteer guidance, children observed mineral specimens in the Treasures of the Earth exhibition and interacted with mechanical installations in the Fascinating Nature gallery. The written words from their books materialized into tangible wonders, fully embodying the program’s core mission: “Mentorship broadens a student’s reading horizon.”
Transformation of lives: Witnessing the seeds of growth
Through the stable Wednesday reading sessions, the positive evolution of the children became visibly apparent under the observation of social workers:
∎ Shifting Interpersonal Dynamics: A young student, Qi, previously interacted rigidly with her younger sister due to strict family discipline. However, after observing how an older student, Tong, cared for younger peers, and experiencing the patient, hand-in-hand companionship of volunteers Yi-Xuan and Rui-Ting during the gathering day, Qi began proactively learning to care for her sister with a gentler tone.
∎ From Distraction to Dedication:Ling, a lower-grade student, initially struggled with focus. Guided continuously by her volunteer mentor, she internalized concentration as a habit, progressing to finish her homework punctually before dismissal and proactively selecting storybooks to share.
∎ Catalyzing Family Relationships:  Another student, Cheng, smiled much more frequently due to the consistent care from his volunteer mentor. This newfound positivity sparked more daily conversations between him and his busy mother, extending the power of online companionship directly into the household.
Volunteers utilized expressive tones, video filters, and creative extensions—such as sharing Picasso’s art and musical performances— to enrich the sessions. As one volunteer noted, the program is not a one-way transmission but a “dynamic, two-way exchange.”

 
 
 
 

2025 Performance metrics: Collective social impact
A retrospective of 2025 highlights the aggregated social impact of the Online Reading Program:

Service Footprint: Spanned 7 schools and connected 16 partner organizations.
Mentorship Capacity: Supported 120 rural students with the mobilization of over 200 volunteers.
Depth of Reading: Accumulated an estimated 4,674 storybooks read collectively, with each book serving as a catalyst for a child’s new perspective.
Diverse Engagement: Successfully executed 21 in-person and online activities, including gathering days, professional volunteer training, and Christmas handicraft workshops.



Future outlook: Continuous two-way development
This dual exchange of love, patience, and development has flourished even further with the addition of the Asmedia Puzi School. The program not only sharpens the patience, empathy, and communication skills of the volunteers but also instills future hope in the children during their weekly Wednesday anticipation. This companionship will continue to serve as vital nourishment for their growth. Distance cannot diminish the light of reading; the initiative remains dedicated to guiding children from written words toward a broader horizon.