Crossroads

Crossroads is a non-profit organization committed to serving as a connector between the local Taiwanese and international communities, and facilitating an exchange of talent and resources that promote cultural, academic, and industry diversification.

Tim Chen

Tim Chen 陳怡光
Deputy Chair

Tim Chen, also known as the “Godfather of Taiwan Homeschooling”, is a deputy chair of Crossroads and a famous advocate for education choice in Taiwan. Tim and his Polish wife Dorota have been homeschooling their multilingual and multicultural kids over 20 years.

Tim has been promoting the awareness of education choice by giving interviews to podcasts, newspapers, magazines, TV and radio programs. Under his auspice, Taiwan Legislative Yuan, the parliament, passed an Enforcement Statute for Non-School Mode of Experimental Education at the Senior High School Level or Below and signed into law by the President in November 2014 and subsequently revised in January 2018 to protect the rights of homeschooling parents and students. In addition, the parliament also passed Enforcement Act for School-based Experimental Education and Act Governing the Commissioning of the Operation of Public Schools at Senior High School Level or Below to the Private Sector for Experimental Education to further expand the possibility of experimental education in Taiwan.

Tim found Taipei Media School (TMS) in 2016 and served as its director until 2019. TMS is a non-school-based experimental education initiative jointly established by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, and the Taipei Culture Foundation to foster skills and nurture talent in music, show production, visual arts, and administration. He is now setting up a digital transnational experimental university in Taiwan for self-determined learners.

Tim’s expertise in education is widely recognized. He is the member of the Taiwan National Curriculum Review Committee Plenary Session representing non-governmental organizations related to education. He also serves on several experimental education review committees for both central and local governments. He has been serving on the Executive Board of the Global Home Education Conference since 2013. He is a frequent conference speaker on home education, alternative education and open education worldwide.

Tim and Dorota co-authored the best selling homeschool book in Chinese titled My Home is an International School – Raising Global Kids by Taiwanese Dad and Polish Mom. In addition to co-host a monthly program on National Education Radio, he hosts a weekly Clubhouse called Heutagogy is Life. Tim is the Representative Director of ZYP Corp based in Hakuba, Japan.

For more information on his current activities, please visit the sites below:

In Chinese: http://homeschool.tw

In English: http://ourbabelschool.blogspot.tw

On Facebook: facebook.com/chenbama

Relevant media report:

Tim Chen on More Education Choices

Raising Global Kids by Taiwanese Dad and Polish Mom – Macro TV
https://youtu.be/ksRrM_cAC88

Tim Chen discusses Chinese home school trends – CGTN
https://youtu.be/7npeoZfNg78

Taipei Media School charts new course for Taiwan high schoolers – Taiwan Today
https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=11&post=141110

Homeschooled students face special challenges – Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2010/04/17/2003470809

Home schooling highlights shortfalls in Taiwan’s education system – Taiwan Today
https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=10,23,45,10&post=18006

GHEX Global Homeschool Leaders Panel
https://youtu.be/15DzlcyKeJs

Interview with Tim Chen, Chief Organizer of Taiwan Homeschool
https://en.rti.org.tw/radio/programMessageView/id/103527
https://en.rti.org.tw/radio/programMessageView/id/103552