Written by Er Guan
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy (KJTMA), located in DeSoto, Texas, is about 30 miles south of the Tzu Chi USA Central Region Office in Richardson. Since 2022, the school has invited volunteers to introduce Tzu Chi USA and give a talk about character education before each school year begins.
When the Central Region’s Deputy Executive Director Mengchi Chang and three volunteers visited KJTMA on the morning of August 7, 2025, they were warmly welcomed by Principal Yolanda Hanspard, whose smile radiated anticipation and joy. According to the principal, these visits are about more than a lecture; they are a heartfelt cultural exchange between the school’s teachers and Tzu Chi volunteers.
Cultivating Character Education in Schools
Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy (KJTMA) is a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) focused school. Alongside supporting students’ pursuit of academic excellence, it also places emphasis on their character development.
The Tzu Chi USA Central Region team introduced character education at KJTMA three years ago. Posters of Jing Si Aphorisms, such as “Without tending to small matters, it is difficult to accomplish great endeavors” and “Nothing is impossible with confidence, perseverance, and courage” now adorn school corridors and classroom walls. Students can read these quotes daily when they walk by, which helps them absorb the subtle yet profound character-building lessons they contain.
Warm Interactions and Unexpected Vegetarian Flavors
At the start of the lecture on August 7, the visiting team introduced Tzu Chi to teachers with a concise, engaging presentation. The volunteers presented Tzu Chi’s founding story and elaborated on its four core missions of Charity, Medicine, Education, and Humanistic Culture.
They also shared Tzu Chi’s educational philosophy, which aims to awaken inherent goodness. They hope that teachers will guide students in establishing positive values throughout the new academic year. The exchange helped volunteers and teachers build consensus on education, with the shared hope of nurturing students’ global perspective and spirit of humanitarian compassion.
After the lecture, the teachers savored a vegetarian lunch prepared by Tzu Chi volunteers. The visually appealing and flavorful dishes also conveyed the message of vegetarianism as a way to protect all living beings. Many of the teachers, tasting vegetarian cuisine for the first time, were pleasantly surprised; they hadn’t expected that vegetarian meals could be so delicious!
The annual visit before each school year has become a tradition between the Tzu Chi USA Central Region and Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy. Both organizations aim to foster a people-centered, globally minded perspective in students and to cultivate love and compassion that will carry into their future studies and lives.
Discover how Tzu Chi USA advances a global humanistic culture across the United States through its preschools and elementary school, character education program, and camps that balance developing the mind and opening the heart.
