Continuing Education Centre
Inspiring Kindness, Lifelong Learning
Education is not limited to the classroom and should be widely extended to the neighborhood communities. The motto of the Tzu Chi Continuing Education Centre is to plant the seeds of goodness into the field of every human heart.”
Dharma Master Cheng Yen
Since 1997, Tzu Chi University has been establishing continuing education centres around Taiwan, to promote and encourage life-long learning. The fourth overseas Tzu Chi Continuing Education Centre was established in Singapore, and it was officially inaugurated on 18th December 2005, shortly after Tzu Chi Singapore’s Jing Si Hall was built in 2005.
There are elegant and well-equipped multi-purpose classrooms located within the Jing Si Hall, where a variety of artistic and health-oriented courses offered by the Centre are held. Some of the popular courses available for public enrolment include Chinese tea art/appreciation, flower arrangement, Tzu Chi sign language, Chinese ink painting, calligraphy, yoga, vegetarian cooking, etc.
Besides providing life-long learning opportunities, the Centre allows the students to bask in the warmth of Tzu Chi’s humanistic culture. During lessons, course instructors work to inspire kind thoughts and share nuggets of life wisdom, and students can bring their learning experiences home to share with their loved ones.
In every class, there are friendly Tzu Chi volunteers who help to send reminders to students, tidy up the classroom, prepare class materials, etc. The volunteers also take advantage of break time to share Master Cheng Yen’s Jing Si Aphorisms with the students or to provide them with updates on the latest Tzu Chi activities. The Master hopes that these class volunteers not only serve as assistants to the teachers, but also as important bridges between the students and teachers, as well as help to promote Tzu Chi’s humanistic values within the conducive environment.
The Continuing Education Centre is open to members of the public regardless of age and academic qualifications, and operates two semesters each year, January to May, and July to November. At the end of each semester, the Centre will hold an exhibition of students’ works and a completion ceremony where the students put up performances to showcase what they have learned. Families and friends of the students and members of public will be invited to attend the event and share in the joy of the students’ personal growth and accomplishments.
“Humanistic” Education
Teacher Training
In many of the courses offered by the Continuing Education Centre, Tzu Chi’s humanistic culture is the main focus of the curriculum. It takes a relatively long period of time to groom and nurture a teacher well versed in the humanistic culture. Not only does the individual need solid professional knowledge and skillsets, but he/she must also cultivate inner humanistic qualities and good aesthetic tastes.
In the year after the inauguration of the Continuing Education Centre, a team of over ten Tzu Chi volunteers started travelling to Taiwan to receive training in Jing Si flower arrangement, Jing Si tea art, Tzu Chi sign language, vegetarian cooking, etc. in Tzu Chi Continuing Education Centres. Since 2014, the Continuing Education Centre in Singapore has been offering these courses as the “seed teachers” brought their training back to Singapore, to pass on the beauty and goodness of a humanistic education.
Working Together for Charity
Whenever Tzu Chi Singapore organises a fundraising activity, teachers and students from the Continuing Education Centre will respond to the call by serving with love. They will lend their artistic or musical talents and skills to the cause, inspiring charity among members of the public to donate generously.
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