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From March 23 to 27, 2026, the Tzu Chi Foundation Canada branch in Richmond hosted a “Spring Break Children’s Camp.” A total of seventeen students aged six to eleven participated, embarking on a five-day learning journey with the dedicated guidance of thirteen instructors and thirty volunteers. The camp centered on the core values of “Gratitude, Respect, and Love,” combined with the promotion of a vegetarian diet and environmental education, allowing children to learn with joy and grow through hands-on experience.
Breaking the Ice to Begin the Learning Journey
At the start of the camp, volunteers Miao-Ling Chen and Kuan-Tung Ho led lively ice-breaker activities, bringing the children closer together amidst laughter. The children then split into groups to design team names and slogans, demonstrating their teamwork. With help from their team leader moms, the groups chose names that reflected Tzu Chi’s humanistic values: “Earth Protectors,” “Earth Heroes,” “Respect People,” and “Love Lotus.” They took turns introducing their team names and slogans, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.
The curriculum incorporated Jing Si’s humanistic principles, guiding the children to cultivate good character in their daily lives and learn to “speak kind words, think good thoughts, and do good deeds,” allowing seeds of kindness to quietly sprout in their hearts.
Vegetarian Education: Health and Environmentalism Hand in Hand
In the dietary education segment, volunteers Mei-Mei Chen and Li-Li Peng taught the children about the nutritional value and diverse flavors of a vegetarian diet through activities like identifying vegetables, sharing stories, and making sushi, pizza, and salad sandwiches. As the children prepared and tasted the food, they not only had fun but also began to build healthy eating habits. They came to understand the benefits of a vegetarian diet for both their bodies and the planet, thereby fostering an appreciation for life and an environmental awareness of reducing the Earth’s burden.
Volunteer Hui-Ying Chen led the students in cleaning up the dining area and went outdoors with them to pick up litter, allowing the children to experience firsthand the importance of maintaining a clean environment. Through videos and discussions, they learned about the impact of trash on the oceans and ecosystems, further exploring the concepts of resource sorting, recycling, and reuse, and putting the spirit of cherishing blessings and resources into practice.
Volunteer Jui-Tzu Hsieh taught the children about hydroponics, a method of growing plants without pesticides, which is non-toxic and non-polluting, allowing us to eat healthily while also caring for the Earth. The children learned about environmental protection in their daily lives, understanding how to cherish resources. When everyone puts their heart into it, we can make the Earth cleaner and more beautiful.
Humanistic Values: Cultivating Positive Strengths
In the humanistic courses, stories and scenarios were used to help children understand the importance of politeness, responsibility, emotions, and interpersonal relationships. Teachers from the Canadian Tzu Chi Academy of Humanistic Studies, including Yu-Ting Hao, Miao-Ling Chen, Hsin Chen, Chu-Yun Wang, Jun-Hsuan Wang, and Yi-Jung Liu, led the “Da Ai Little Academy” and “Storytelling Relay” sessions. Through games and videos, the children learned about gratitude and respect, and how to care for the Earth and its people with love.
In class, the children also learned methods like deep breathing to regulate their moods, developing emotional stability and positive expression. A session on the “Art of Speaking” helped them understand how a kind word can resolve conflict and foster harmonious relationships. Through real-life stories and experiences, the teachers helped the children grasp the importance of responsibility and learn to be accountable without making excuses.
During the Storytelling Relay, each group, led by their team leader moms, not only illustrated their stories but also presented them on stage in both English and Chinese, delivering tales with twists, turns, and happy endings that filled the room with laughter.
Diverse Experiences: Learning in Action and Stillness
The curriculum also integrated Tzu Chi children’s songs, drumming, eco-friendly crafts, flower arranging, and a tea ceremony. These activities helped children cultivate focus and an appreciation for beauty through both dynamic and quiet activities. During the “Three Hearts of Tea Service,” they experienced the deep meaning of gratitude, respect, and love, internalizing these humanistic values into their daily behavior.
In the class where they drummed on recycled plastic buckets, volunteer Hui-Mei Kuan noted that the children were amazing, showing a great sense of rhythm and drumming in perfect unison to the song “Cherish Mother Nature.” Teacher Hsin Chen taught the children to make “running chickens” from simple recycled materials, which they loved so much that they all took them home to show off.
The flower arranging and tea ceremony classes were led by volunteer Tzu-Ling Chen. The usually lively and active children managed to quiet down, enjoying the beauty of the plants and the aroma of the tea. The children also learned the Tzu Chi song “Gratitude” from volunteer Li-Hui Chang and performed it for their families at the closing ceremony, creating a touching and heartwarming scene.
A Loving Connection: The Warmest Reward
The most moving part of the camp was the sincere interaction and emotional connection between the children and their team leaders. A softly spoken “thank you” or an innocent hug gave the volunteers a profound sense of the value of their efforts and witnessed the flow of love between them. This warmth not only nourished the children but also touched the adults who accompanied them.
Volunteer Li-Hui Chang said, “It was my first time being a team leader for such young children. I tried to give it 100% of my energy, but facing four energetic ‘mythical beasts,’ there were times when my batteries ran low. However, a small hug or a quiet ‘thank you’ from the children could instantly recharge my tired body and mind.”
Volunteer Mei-Na Yang shared, “Ethan is a second-grader with an innocent smile and a great deal of reliance on me. On just the second day, he looked at me with bright eyes and asked, ‘Can I give you a hug?’ That moment of innocence and trust melted my heart.” At the closing ceremony, his grandmother and aunt thanked me. It turned out that in just a few short days, I had quietly become a warm and important presence in his heart.
A Grateful Conclusion: Letting Love Continue
The event also featured a special parenting workshop for parents, led by Hui-Mei Kuan, the convener of the Teachers’ Association. Drawing on her lifelong experience in education, she encouraged parents to “love” their children with “gratitude and respect” and shared the benefits of using Jing Si Aphorisms in family life. Finally, she taught the parents to sing “Where the Sunlight Lingers,” which they then sang to their children at the closing ceremony.
At the closing ceremony, the children expressed their gratitude to the teachers and volunteers through song, and parents responded with warm feedback on this love-filled journey. The five-day camp concluded amidst laughter and reluctant goodbyes. The children left with their hearts full of joy and inspiration, having had seeds of kindness and love planted within them.
We are grateful for the dedicated efforts of all the teachers and volunteers before, during, and after the camp, which made its success possible. We hope this cycle of kindness will continue, so that as these children grow, they will always be grateful, respectful, and loving, and will take practical action to protect our planet and make the world a better place.