More than 10,000 school districts and millions of kids are celebrating Kindness Week by accepting the Great Kindness Challenge, which prompts them to perform more than 50 random acts of kindness each during the week, ABC News reports.
The Great Kindness Challenge is the brainchild of the nonprofit Kids for Peace, which was co-founded in 2006 by Danielle Gram, a high school honors student, and Jill McManigal, a mother and former elementary school teacher. It started out as a neighborhood group of kids wanting to make the world a better place, and from there, it has grown into an “interconnected network of young peace-builders worldwide”:
“Our team is joyful, tenacious, committed and kind,” the organization writes on its website. “In true grassroots fashion, our big-hearted team consists of mostly volunteers who work passionately around Jill’s dining room table. We have one simple goal: to create a culture of kindness for all.”
Ideas for random acts of kindness can, of course, come from anywhere, but the organization has a list of sample kind acts, including things like smiling at 25 people over January 23–27, or whatever week works best in your school; complimenting five people; recycling your trash; helping your teacher with a needed task; and so on.
- Here’s this year’s checklist of sample random acts of kindness
“All kids deserve to learn in a safe, supportive and caring environment,” the organization writes. “The Great Kindness Challenge provides a powerful tool that actively engages students, teachers, administrators, families, and communities in creating a culture of acceptance, tolerance, unity, and respect.”
