#bethekindkid Kindness in Action campaign begins this week

Photo above by Ben White via Unsplash.

This fall, you may notice an uptick in kindness from Pittsburgh-area kids.

The #bethekindkid Kindness in Action Campaign kicked off this week, inviting local teachers to advance the role of kindness in their school communities through project-based learning. Kids in K-12 classrooms will be using design thinking to plan, build and share kindness initiatives, maker projects, and art installations during the next few months.

The campaign will culminate with the arrival of World Kindness Day. Beginning on Nov. 13, the Children’s Museum and the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh will each display student art creations and digital artifacts from kid-designed projects. Families can visit these art installations to celebrate the children’s work — and get inspiration for advancing kindness in their own lives and neighborhoods.

The campaign’s goals include:

• Encouraging students to think deeply about the transformative importance of kindness in their lives
• Providing classrooms of students with the opportunity to work collaboratively through a project-based learning experience
• Empowering students to realize their ability to find creative ways to bring more kindness into the world

Classroom groups will begin designing their kindness projects next week. Ideas may include kindness-themed art installations, creating “kindness corner” in a classroom and planning mentorship programs where older students — perhaps a classroom of third-graders — help younger students at their school.

Among the participating schools: Avonworth, Bethel Park, Cornell, Elizabeth Forward, Fox Chapel, Gateway, Mt. Lebanon, Northgate, Pine-Richland, South Fayette, Sto-Rox and Upper St. Clair.

Kidsburgh will keep you posted about the upcoming events at the Children’s Museum and the Jewish Community Center in November.

Mister Rogers famously said that one of the toughest assignments we’ll ever be given is to “make goodness attractive.” We’re excited to see how Pittsburgh-region kids tackle that challenge in the coming months.

Kidsburgh is always looking to celebrate the efforts of kind kids. We invite you to tell us about a child or teen who has done an act of kindness — big or small — that made you smile. We want to recognize these young Pittsburghers as “Kidsburgh Kind Kids,” in the spirit of the #bethekindkid initiative and the amazing JAM Club that started this movement. Use this online form to tell us about a child who has made an effort to spread kindness in our community.