Written by Shuli Lo
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School (Escuela Primaria Tijuana Tzu Chi) in Tijuana, Mexico, is the first school built by Tzu Chi USA overseas and is officially recognized as a public school by Mexico’s Department of Education. Each year, Tzu Chi volunteers are invited to attend the graduation ceremony. On July 16, 2025, Tzu Chi USA CEO Debbie Lee, along with Deputy CEOs Mike Tang and Pohjoo Tan, were among the honored guests. They encouraged the students to carry forward the Tzu Chi humanistic spirit and help build a brighter future for their community.
A Joyful Graduation Day
The 2025 graduation ceremony was rescheduled to July 16 to accommodate a free clinic in Tijuana serving people with special needs, but the enthusiasm of teachers and students did not waver. Parents placed great importance on their children’s elementary graduation. By early morning, the school entrance was bustling, and vendors lined the street with graduation gifts. These tokens expressed the families’ pride in the students’ accomplishments and their hopes for what comes next.
“I am very happy today. This is my first time attending the graduation ceremony at our Tzu Chi Elementary School in Mexico. As soon as I walked in, I saw all the parents joyfully celebrating their children’s graduation. They are proud that their children have graduated from the Tzu Chi School, and we share in their happiness and pride. Especially seeing the children wearing uniforms with the Tzu Chi logo made me feel that Tzu Chi education has truly taken root here in Mexico,” said Debbie Lee.
“Education is the hope for the future,” Lee continued. “Seeing the children polite and orderly, embodying humanistic values, growing up and completing their studies, I truly feel that Tzu Chi has brought the community a source of hope and strength for the future.”
Tzu Chi is sowing the seeds of kindness and responsibility in the community.
As in previous years, volunteers prepared a backpack for each of the 106 graduates, generously filled with essential school supplies. Scholarships were also awarded to outstanding students, with the hope that they will continue their studies beyond elementary school, thereby broadening their opportunities in life.
Community Outreach and Environmental Stewardship
Over the past two years, the Tzu Chi Tijuana campus has maintained close ties with Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School. In February 2025, volunteers from the U.S. visited the school to teach sign language. In May, to promote vegetarianism, the Classroom of Hope at the Tzu Chi Tijuana campus organized a vegetarian cooking competition, with Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School Principal Graciela Sánchez attending as a judge. As enrollment increased, the school’s facilities became insufficient, so Tzu Chi Tijuana built additional restrooms. Vision screenings and eyeglass fittings were also provided to support students’ health.
Principal Sánchez strongly identified with Tzu Chi’s educational philosophy when visiting the Tzu Chi campus in Tijuana and gaining a deeper understanding of its operations. Thus, in the 2026–2027 academic year, Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School will launch a recycling education campaign to address community issues such as littering and air pollution from burning trash. In the future, the curriculum will also incorporate sign language instruction and Jing Si Aphorisms.
We sincerely thank the Tzu Chi Tijuana campus for its support and willingness to collaborate with us on the new initiatives planned for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Tzu Chi’s educational philosophy and values are already woven into daily life at the school. “I am very happy and proud of the values this school has instilled in us. It is precisely because of Tzu Chi that we can pass on these values,” said Mariela Cortés Cuevas, a teacher at the school and the parent of a graduating student. “We have always learned by example how to protect the earth and help our neighbors. For 17 years, I have taken Tzu Chi as my role model and have imparted these values to the children day after day in every grade I have taught.”
Cultivating Hope and a Brighter Future
At the graduation ceremony event, both parents and students voiced their gratitude for the education and support offered at Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School.
“I am very excited and happy because my daughter has been attending this school. There are excellent teachers here, and many collaborative programs.” Andrea Costa, the mother of a graduating student, said. “You can participate in the school’s activities. The school has many programs, many grants…. This school is really great.”
“The main reason I chose this school is the spirit of friendship and family unity here.” Magali, a student, explained. “In fact, this school is impressive. I have loved it since they told me about this school. It is an excellent school.”
I am deeply grateful to my parents and to God for bringing me to this school, which is constantly evolving. It is an excellent school for me, and I love it very much. I have learned a great deal here.
The future rests on the foundation built in elementary school. At Tijuana Tzu Chi Elementary School, by inspiring kindness and responsibility and allowing them to take root in every student’s heart and young mind, Tzu Chi’s humanitarian values can be carried forward, benefiting the wider community.
Through material support such as backpacks and scholarships, and environmental education that has far-reaching value, Tzu Chi is striving to give children the power to change their destinies. The humanistic care that is taking root in Mexico will continue to accompany them as they grow, bringing hope and a brighter future to their community.
