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Kindness
Challenge
Hello humankindness!
Want to make someone’s day? Let another shopper jump ahead of you in line.
Smile at a stranger. Help a child who’s struggling at school. Look for ways each
day to spread a little kindness.
The Great
MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
Smile at 25people.
Slip
a nice note into a buddy’s backpack.
Help your teacher. Sit with a new
group of kids at lunch.
None of this is typical homework.
But in the last week of January,
the 238 students of Mt. Shasta
Elementary School brushed up on
more than their ABCs. That’s when
the school—along with more than
6,000 other schools and 3 million
students nationwide—participated
in the Great Kindness Challenge,
sponsored in part by Dignity Health.
It’s an annual event in which students
try to complete 50 acts of kindness
in a single school week. Launched by
the nonprofit organization Kids for
Peace, its purpose is to help create a
culture of compassion in elementary,
middle, and high schools.
Fired up with kindness
The kids at Mt. Shasta Elementary
School were up for the challenge.
“Together, they performed thou-
sands of acts of kindness,” says
Principal Leeanna Rizzo. “They took
this on and really embraced it—and
not merely during the school day.”
Encouraged to continue the chal-
lenge at home, they surprised
siblings with compliments, gave
parents extra hugs, and did chores
without being asked.
“This is such a wonderful oppor-
tunity for children,” says Rizzo. “If
you sow the seeds of kindness, it
becomes part of a child’s makeup.
And a kind child will grow into a
kind adult.”
A whole county steps up
Karla Stroman, Administrator
for Expanded Learning Programs
with Tehama County’s Department
of Education, agrees. Some
13,000 Tehama County students
participated in this year’s challenge.
“This is one of the most exciting
and important events I’ve ever been
involved in,” Stroman says.
Schools kicked off the week with
kindness rallies. Kids kept kindness
journals and sent “kindness grams”
to fellow students. They even sent
get-well cards to patients at St. Eliz-
abeth Community Hospital. And
the city of Red Bluff proclaimed
Jan. 25 through 29 “Great Kindness
Challenge Week” for the entire
town.
Nationwide, thousands of Dignity
Health doctors and employees also
took part. They made special efforts
to spread kindness at work. “Just
one act of kindness creates a chain
reaction that doesn’t end,” says Stro-
man. “This is such a powerful way to
build character in young people.”
Helping students
discover the power
of humankindness
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