The United States invests significantly each year in teaching children essential skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. However, the question arises: what about teaching kindness? In certain areas, initiatives aim to address this by incorporating kindness into educational curriculums.
Kindness 101 is one such program. It leverages the impactful stories from CBS News’ On the Road series to promote kindness and build character among students. Lesson plans accompany these stories, crafted by a nonprofit, Character Counts!, at Iowa’s Drake University. According to Scott Raecker, the executive director of Character Counts!, “The idea is to develop resources around stories that highlight the best of our country… ensuring educators access them at no cost.”
A prominent joy in this initiative comes from the warm receptions witnessed in Kindness 101 classrooms. One notable example is Neil Lahammer’s third-grade class at Burnside Elementary School, located in Red Wing, Minnesota. Lahammer stands among over 100,000 educators utilizing Kindness 101 to instill values of kindness and character in students. The lessons are easily accessible for any teacher at Kindness101.com, enabling a broad impact globally.
Teachers like Lahammer notice the program’s influence when students replicate positive behaviors observed in the videos. “As a teacher, that’s gold,” Lahammer expressed upon witnessing the impact on students. A participating student shared, “The lessons make me want to be a better person.”
The positive influence is amplified by the Kindness Club initiated by Lahammer, where students regularly give up their recess to engage in charitable activities such as food and glove drives, contributing to a kinder school environment. “It’s just amazing the way these kids want to help out others,” Lahammer stated. Additionally, Lahammer extends his efforts by instructing fellow educators in effectively utilizing the curriculum, fostering a network of kindness-focused education professionals.
His dedication garnered recognition as he became the inaugural recipient of the Kindness 101 National Teacher of the Year award, presented during a gala in Des Moines, Iowa. This award, acknowledging outstanding contributions in teaching kindness, will continue as an annual recognition.
Students express the personal impact of these lessons, with one stating, “He makes me smarter and he makes me happier. He’s my whole world.”
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