International School Manila returns to BTCC

May 21, 2024

International School Manila returns to BTCC

ISM students gained hands-on experience on Tzu Chi’s upcycling efforts and learned more about the foundation’s environmental protection efforts.

By Ben Baquilod

Students from the International School Manila (ISM) revisited the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus on May 18 to learn more about the environmental protection program and sustainable practices of Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines.

“We’re here again today to be inspired by your practices and to bring some ideas back that we can use,” said ISM Teacher and Learning Support Specialist Steven Fischer.

During their earlier visit in February, two groups of students for their Classroom Without Walls activity got hands-on experience in recycling and upcycling. They sorted donated clothes and PET bottles at Tzu Chi’s recycling center and hand-wove mats and cushions from excess sock fabrics.

The middle school students also learned about vegetarianism, a practice that Tzu Chi promotes to reduce harm to the environment and respect all beings. “They were very curious and interested in that topic, and were very delighted by the food here,” added Fischer. “It really opened up their minds to the idea that vegetarian can be very tasty.”

The May 18 visit began with students sharing their insights from their previous visit. Satakshi, one of the students, reflected on learning about the impact of meat consumption on the current climate crisis. “Since then, I’ve been eating less and less meat to reduce my carbon footprints,” she said. “And I feel healthier.”

For Tzu Chi volunteers, such feedback affirmed the importance of promoting plant-based diet and motivated them to continue their work on environmental education. “That’s a very positive thing because what we want is to really raise their awareness and inspire behavioral change,” said Program Officer Lineth Brondial.

During the day’s activities, the students learned about Tzu Chi’s 7Rs of Zero Waste—respect, reduce, recycle, reuse, repair, refuse, rethink—and how they can apply these principles in school and daily life. They immediately put their learning into practice by crafting lotus flowers out of PET bottles collected from the April 21 Earth Day Run.

“It was a great hands-on activity. They were able to put together something very beautiful from trash, giving it a second life,” said Fischer.

Kate Kleespies, a Grade 7 Science Teacher at ISM echoed Fischer’s sentiments and expressed admiration for Tzu Chi’s environmental protection efforts. “What I loved about today is that it really showed the students the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in action, and how much Tzu Chi is making a positive impact on the world through their projects aligned with the SDGs,” she said.

Kleespies also expressed awe at the dedication of Tzu Chi volunteers and sense of community built from shared goals. “It’s just like a place of community and an opportunity to meet others with shared aspirations. You also mentioned partnerships as one your goals, and I think that is so important.”

For Tzu Chi, forging institutional partnerships is crucial to spreading its mission of compassion and relief, both locally and internationally. “Although we have the capacity, we can’t do it alone,” said Brondial. “This is also about knowledge sharing. We teach them, but we also learn from them. It’s give-and-take.”

Students from the International School Manila visit the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus to learn more about Tzu Chi’s environmental protection program.

Satakshi, one of the students, reflects on learning from their previous visit. “Since then, I’ve been eating less and less meat to reduce my carbon footprints. And I feel healthier,” she says.