More than 300 children, parents, volunteers, and community members gathered at Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto on June 21 for the inaugural Children's Carnival, a vibrant celebration showcasing the achievements of four youth educational programs: the Chinese Language School, English Children's Dharma Class, the 6th Meadowvale Scout Group, and the Dragon and Lion Dance Team.

The carnival marked the first time the temple brought together all four programs in a joint year-end showcase. Through performances, presentations, videos, interactive exhibits, and multicultural learning experiences, children shared what they had learned throughout the year while demonstrating the values of the Three Acts of Goodness—doing good deeds, speaking good words, and thinking good thoughts—and the Four Givings: giving confidence, joy, hope, and convenience to others.

The event was honored by a visit from Carolyn Parrish, Mayor of Mississauga, who was welcomed by Venerable Chueh Fan, Abbess of Fo Guang Shan Temple of Toronto, and temple volunteers. During her visit, Mayor Parrish and temple representatives discussed the importance of education, community engagement, and multicultural understanding. Drawing on her experience as an educator, she expressed appreciation for Fo Guang Shan's commitment to nurturing future generations and praised the enthusiasm and leadership demonstrated by the children and youth volunteers. "Children are our future," she remarked.

Venerable Chueh Fan noted that the Children's Carnival was created to help families discover a welcoming environment where children can learn, grow, and develop positive values. "We hope children can learn through joy and grow through service," she said. "The temple belongs to everyone, and we warmly welcome the community to make it their second home."

Throughout the afternoon, students and volunteers shared their learning journeys through performances and personal reflections. Children from the Chinese Language School presented a poetry recital accompanied by traditional Chinese music, expressing gratitude toward parents and teachers. Members of the English Children's Dharma Class shared lessons on kindness, mindfulness, and friendship. Through videos and presentations, the 6th Meadowvale Scout Group highlighted community service projects, outdoor leadership experiences, and international scouting activities. Dragon and Lion Dance Team assistant instructor George Chen reflected on his ten-year journey from participant to mentor, emphasizing the importance of passing cultural traditions and leadership skills on to the next generation.

Interactive activity stations transformed the temple into a hands-on learning environment. Scouts introduced camping skills, knot-tying, and outdoor activities, while the Dragon and Lion Dance Team offered lion dance experiences using lion heads of various sizes. The Chinese Language School hosted cultural crafts and Father's Day card-making activities, and the English Children's Dharma Class combined art and science through creative projects and balloon experiments that sparked curiosity and exploration.

Held during Father's Day and Ontario Seniors Month, the event also featured a traditional tea offering ceremony, where children expressed gratitude to their parents, teachers, monastics, and senior participants from the temple's senior learning program. The celebration concluded with the recitation of the English Triple Gem Refuge Chant, the Heart Sutra, and prayers led by Venerable Chueh Fan and the monastic community, offering blessings for fathers, seniors, children, and families while encouraging everyone to practice the Three Acts of Goodness and help create a more compassionate world.