The students' favorite Ocean Guardian Captain, BB, kicked off the reunion.

At schools across Taiwan, a group of young "Ocean Guardians" who can’t bear to see marine life suffer from plastic pollution is taking real action to reduce plastic use in their daily lives. Their efforts have spread to families and local businesses in surrounding communities.

To recognize these plastic reduction angels who quietly protect the ocean, the Tse-Xin Foundation hosted the 2025 Ocean Guardians Reunion on May 27, 2025. The event celebrated the year-long achievements of schools participating in the “Light Up Taiwan, Light Up the Ocean” plastic reduction initiative and honored outstanding students and teachers for their contributions. The main event was live-streamed from Simen Elementary School in Taoyuan, with the director of Taoyuan Department of Education, director of Department of Environmental Protection Taoyuan City Government and school principals attending and showing their support. Nearly 40 schools across Taiwan joined simultaneously online, engaging more than 4,500 students and teachers. The Tse-Xin Foundation also made a special video highlighting the joint efforts of all 202 participating schools. Based on statistics by mid-May, thanks to the dedication of 36,856 students and teachers, more than 1,894,500 single-use plastic items have been eliminated this school year. The event concluded with the presentation of honorary medals to the most committed and creative teachers and students.

The “Light Up” initiative welcomes a new international ally — Chiang Kai Shek College (CKSC) in the Philippines warmly greeting their partners in Taiwan.

Ms. Li-Ling Ma, Head of IB Continuum Development at CKSC in the Philippines — a new international partner this year — shared that when it comes to plastic reduction efforts, Taiwan is doing a better job, both on a national and school level. “At first, it was difficult to encourage plastic reduction in our school,” she said. “But guided by the belief that ‘Small Actions, Big Impact’, we knew we had to start with ourselves. From there, we gradually influenced students and parents, and eventually saw greater dedication.” Joyfully Ms. Ma added, “We’ve expanded the influence from the IB Programme to other schools in CKSC. I truly hope this momentum can grow across our whole college — and even inspire more schools in the Philippines to join us.”

 Ms. Li-Ling Ma, Head of IB Programme and Ms. Ke Ming-Hsien from the Chinese Programme of CKSC in the Philippines joined the livestream to share their journey and vision in promoting plastic reduction. Students Kai-Tai Wu and Chi-Min Zheng also shared how they put plastic reduction into practice in their daily lives.

The “Light Up Taiwan, Light Up the Ocean” Campus Plastic Reduction Initiative, now in its seventh year since its launch in 2018, has seen participation from 525 elementary schools, junior high schools, and kindergartens, with a total of over 240,000 participants — achieving remarkable results. Through small, consistent actions in their daily lives, these plastic-reduction advocates’impacts have extended from schools to homes, communities, and from Taiwan to other countries. Their efforts are an undeniable force for environmental change. The Tse-Xin Foundation will continue to support these young Ocean Guardians, ensuring that every action they take is more than just environmental protection — it is a true practice of love and responsibility.