The book “Bright Minds for a Brighter World” tells the story of three Earth guardians with superpowers set out on a search for the root cause of marine litter after they find a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in her nose. They find that the source of ocean trash is human’s improper waste disposal and lack of environmental awareness. The story ends with an illustration of correct ways to dispose of waste, including classification knowledge as well as recycling, reducing and re-using technologies. Children are also encouraged to write down their commitments to the planet through interactive activities.
The picture book has been adapted from an initial version that Covestro Thailand developed with local organizations and has received endorsement from various Taiwan governmental bodies, such as the Minister of Education, Minister of the Environmental Protection Administration and Director General of the Forestry Bureau, the central conservation authority of Taiwan.
In addition to providing each child with a bilingual Chinese and English storybook, Covestro and the five national museums will also provide a Thai version of the storybook published by Covestro Thailand to educate school children from the Thai community. The books will be used alongside the Thai language program which many schools have implemented for these children.
Environmental education with a digital and interactive way
To echo with 2019 World Ocean Day on June 8th, Covestro Taiwan announced the launch of the free app: “Bright Minds for a Brighter World: The Adventures of Young Guardians”, which is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. With a light-hearted, fun story and a range of activities, the app is aimed at encouraging children to develop a responsible attitude to waste and opening their eyes to a problem: how plastic waste ends up in the oceans via waterways.
The “Bright Minds for a Brighter World” story app can be downloaded from both the Apple Store and Play Store for free. The story is narrated by popular musical actors, including Katie Partlow and Henry Hsueh-Han Lu. Kids who write down their commitment and color the earth will also have a chance to receive a special prize. Kids can also record and share their own version of the story with their friends to show them how they can look after the environment as well. The app also provides immersion reading features for kids so that they can pick up new words with ease.