How It Started 

As the world rapidly changes, Chairman Stanley Yen noted the internet's convenience has paradoxically diminished young people's interpersonal skills. In 2012, while overseeing Taitung Junyi School of Innovation, he observed firsthand the detrimental effects of the online realm on adolescents' mental and physical development, self-identity, and social interactions, highlighting the critical need for emotional education in the curriculum. Many rural teachers, often young and inexperienced, struggled with understanding students' learning characteristics, managing classrooms, and engaging with parents, making the guidance from seasoned educators and professionals crucial.

World Health Organization research indicates depression as a leading global disease in 2020, particularly noted for causing disability and showing an alarming trend towards affecting younger populations. In Taiwan, the suicide rate among adolescents, especially those aged 15 to 24, has seen a significant rise, underscoring the urgent need for effective mental health interventions in schools, where teachers serve as primary guardians of students' wellbeing.

To address adolescent depression, The Alliance Cultural Foundation launched the "Listener Project" podcast in 2016, aiming to equip novice teachers with essential listening and awareness skills. By fostering an understanding of students' emotional states and stresses, the project seeks to create a supportive environment conducive to their recovery. The initiative covers a broad range of topics, from "Basic Listening Skills" to "Special Needs and Inclusive Education," encouraging teachers to first settle themselves before guiding students to cope with emotional and stress-related challenges.

Mission 

  • Provide novice teachers with foundational listening concepts and skills to build connections and trust with students, making them confidants for adolescents and guiding them in emotional regulation and developing inner strength.
  • Help children discover hidden emotional stress and seek professional help timely from a preventative perspective, sowing the seeds for mental health.
  • Deepen frontline teachers' professional counseling skills and enhance their psychological counseling abilities to mitigate the lack of educational counseling resources, serving as the primary defense for youth mental health.
2021-10-23

From Resistance to Action: Understanding Stress through The Listener

The Alliance Cultural Foundation (ACF) met psychologist Dr. May Chen after initiating The Listener project. In a field that covers a wide range of subjects, Dr. Chen is most passionate about the understanding of stress and emotion. Whether it is negative stress or emotion, there is purpose behind

https://www.listener.thealliance.org.tw/
2021-07-15

The Listener: Protecting Youth Mental Health

According to the World Health Organization, depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.