Beitou is blessed with rich natural ecology, historical heritage, hot spring culture, and diverse ecological environments that have nurtured a unique living culture and warm community spirit - the source of the area's charm. To provide citizens with lifelong learning opportunities, cultivate community development talent and modern citizens, and enhance residents' cultural literacy, physical fitness, environmental awareness, and life skills, the Taipei Beitou Culture Foundation has applied to establish the "Beitou Community College."

Beitou Community College is a public asset of the community, meant to be owned, used, and shared by community residents. The College has seven major guiding principles:

(1) Learning Connected to Municipal Development:
Taipei is Taiwan's leading city. Understanding Taipei's past and present is essential. Learning about the city's future and international vision, and helping each citizen understand their role in municipal development, are key objectives.

(2) Cultivating Community Talent:
Courses are designed to connect with local land, ecology, and culture. Instructors come from academia, government, and local experts including community workers, industry professionals, and artisans. The goal is to cultivate talent willing to stay and serve the community, bringing new ideas and fresh energy.

(3) Hands-on Cultural Preservation:
Passing down the wisdom, experience, culture, and history of previous generations through hands-on practice, fieldwork, and community-based learning methods, to deeply understand community issues and preserve cultural heritage and life skills.

(4) Highlighting Community Character:
Promoting Beitou's natural ecology, historical heritage, and hot spring culture to showcase the charm of our hometown.

(5) Community Learning Spaces:
Not limited to school settings, but building a system where anyone can learn anytime, anywhere. Classrooms utilize existing spaces integrated into the community, with curriculum focused on identifying community issues, finding solutions, and envisioning the future, thereby building a learning society.

(6) Cultivating Modern Civic Values:
Through practice, fostering the modern civic values of reflection, critical thinking, and participation. Caring about community culture and ecological issues, working to create public spaces, serving as a driving force for community building, and promoting sustainable community development.

(7) Moving Toward Certification:
After practical assessment of students' abilities - for example, cultural ecology guides who accumulate certain credits and demonstrate field leadership skills - certification can be granted as a reference for outside recruitment. By uniting learning and service, a foundation for sustainable operations is established.

Therefore, Beitou Community College's curriculum is based on local character, community lifelong learning, participation in historic preservation, and community building, using experiential learning methods to enhance interpersonal connections, expand care and participation in community public affairs. The goal is to "take root in Beitou, bring glory to Taipei, care for Taiwan, and cultivate modern citizens with a global perspective."

Beitou Community College www.btcc.org.tw