One of Tzu Chi’s greatest joys is seeing the ways in which its mission is mirrored in other important endeavors everywhere. Volunteers saw this very connection when they visited Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy on August 11, 2022. Staff learned about Tzu Chi’s character education programming and accepted a proposal for Meatless Monday at the school.

After a two-year pandemic pause, Tzu Chi Education Foundation was elated to be able to host their one-day camp centered around environmental protection. Students, teachers, and parents from Ekstrand Elementary learned how to “reduce, reuse, recycle” through immersive activities.

Tzu Chi Education Foundation cooperates with a Los Angeles-based community organization to distribute free compost soil, and volunteers introduce Tzu Chi’s bamboo banks to people

Just like Dharma Master Cheng Yen’s adult disciples, students at Tzu Chi Walnut Education Park take initiative to end all suffering (in their own small way). Children of all ages have the opportunity to eat healthy, plant-based meals and learn about how they are saving the Earth at the very same time.

Founded by the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation in 2015, El Menahil International School serves Syrian families displaced by violence and conflict by providing education and support for children, adults, and their families. Designed to boost awareness and build upon the concepts of great love without limits, the Tzu Chi Character Education team established an “Anti-bullying in Schools” program to help students and teachers spot the signs of bullying. Also taught in the U.S., this program was carried out via a 30-minute group class. The one-week course took place from February 28 to March 4, 2022.

Tzu Chi Education Foundation of the United States held a market at the Walnut Farm to promote vegetarianism and raise funds for Taiwanese vaccines. The

Teachers from around the world come online to learn how to conduct character education courses. Photo/Courtesy of Tzu Chi Education Foundation Written by Wendy WangTranslated

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the fast-growing youngsters at Tzu Chi USA’s Great Love Preschool in Walnut, California, couldn’t freely explore and learn about their neighborhoods as they once might have. Collecting recyclable cardboard boxes of assorted sizes, they designed each of them as a team to resemble various vehicles large enough for the children to wear and cruise around in. Previously, teachers and students alike had made their very own city to give thanks for everyone’s hard work, and the students used this city of Great Love as part of their lesson.

On May 15th, 2021, American Sign Language (ASL) lessons began in preparation for Tzu Chi USA’s virtual fundraising event on June 19th. On May 26th and 27th, filming took place at a total of 10 sites to make the performance a truly extraordinary feat of love and teamwork.

In March of 2020, when multiple states established shelter-in-place procedures to safeguard communities during the spread of COVID-19, many presumed the pandemic would only last a few months at most. Yet, more than a year has passed, and the pandemic is still ongoing. During this time of great uncertainty, people’s lives and routines have faced myriad transformations. This also included the youngest members of the community, as schools closed and quickly shifted to facilitate remote learning. In February, however, the CDC announced that students from pre-K to K-12 would be allowed to return to school for in-person learning, provided careful guidelines could be upheld.