Written by Hannah Cheng (Class of 2027)
Photos by Selene Luong (Class of 2027) and DVGS Student Counselors
Video by IGDVS Staff

On a warm Sunday afternoon, cars drove into the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, bringing campers from different places in California and the rest of the world to attend the summer camp in Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue School. From June 9th to 20th, the school hosted a two week camp around the theme of respect for kindergarten to middle school students. The counselors and teachers demonstrated the core values of respect, allowing the campers to realize the importance of respecting others and elders, and care for one another’s feelings.

The high school camp is from 8am-3pm, the campers are split into the boys and girls divisions, and led by the boys and girls school students and alumni to experience the IGDVS school life. Their day opens with physical exercises and sitting meditation, allowing them to gather up energy while staying concentrated.

Then, the campers would have different classes such as poetry, Buddhism, STEM projects, gardening, leadership skills, cooking, and dance.

During the two week period, the campers also participated in various activities such as making tie dye shirts, camping in the Mendocino lake, hiking, and volunteering at the United Disaster Relief of Northern California. Through the activities, the students were not only able to explore their interests, they also deepened their connections with nature and community.

Some of the high school campers decided to stay in the dorms to experience IGDVS dorm life and learn about practical living skills. After the day camp, the dorm provides a space for bonding friendships and learning how to be independent. Many of the campers have never been away from home, and here they were taught to take care of themselves, clean their personal spaces, and cooperate with campers with different backgrounds and cultures. They will carry skills such as cleaning, communication, and staying respectful at all times when they go home, and these skills will benefit them in the future.

The elementary school camp also had various fun classes and activities such as story telling, beading, STEM projects, outdoor activities, and cooking. The activities allowed bonding between the campers, while helping them to learn knowledge as well as the importance of respect.

In addition, East Meets Arts (EMA) is a new afternoon camp open to elementary students. In EMA, the students were able to explore Chinese culture, which included painting, music, and dancing. The students could learn various instruments such as guzheng, erhu, and pipa. They were also able to explore Chinese painting and calligraphy.

On the last day of the camp, the campers were able to showcase their accomplishments at Wonderful Worlds Hall as a closure to the two week camp. There were various performances performed by all the campers, demonstrating their learnings from the camp such as storytelling, singing, plays, drumming, dances, and more. There were also art displays from the painting and other classes, showing the camper’s creative ideas from their class. Through all the classes, activities, and shared experiences, the campers learned to respect diverse cultures, the environment, and one another—lessons they will carry with them long after the camp ends.

There were also about 30 parents who joined the family camp. They practiced and volunteered with the CTTB community i.e. kitchen, landscape, and Jyun Kang Vegetarian Restaurant. There were also parent circles to share parenting tips. Their presence is deeply appreciated. 

Lastly, IGDVS is honored to have campers and families from Ukiah, Redwood Valley, Willits, Lake County, Santa Rosa, Bay Area, Southern California, Texas, Minnesota, Shanghai, and Shanxi. It was indeed a global summer camp experience. IGDVS is grateful that we are able to run the summer camp fully with volunteer teachers, alumni, student counselors, parents, community members, and the generous support of the CTTB kitchen and guest prefect teams. Let the spirit of generosity continue to ripple forth and together we raise the next generation of humane leaders!