Kindness is a value that is being forgotten, and through my example and the things that I say and do help people remember it. I started a Kindness Club in 2016 at my old elementary school to promote kindness and to create good habits at a young age. Next year will be our third year. One thing that I have them do is make a kindness chain, where they write down acts of kindness that they have done or will do in order to have them recognize the importance of kindness. I have tried to do this throughout the years in my own personal life, where I recognize the kindness that I have done and seen throughout the day. Next year, I plan to have NHS members sign up to come and teach a different aspect of kindness at our meetings, thus connecting my fellow high school students with the members of my Kindness Club. We started that this year on a smaller scale, and it was amazing the impact they can have on each other. Each week at Kindness Club I have the kids tell me of what they have done to make a difference in someone else’s life that week. I then have them each make a goal about something that they are going to do the following week, and I make one as well, and have them report back the next week. I am creating future leaders so that when these kids are challenged in school and in life, they know how to defend themselves and others in a healthy way.
At Timpanogos High School, I implemented a Kindness Week in 2017 that was held in conjunction with the Orem’s Kindness Week one that I founded in Nov. 2016. Being on Student Council this next year over Activities, I plan to have a Kindness Week again this fall. Each day there are challenges for the kids to do and the student leaders help make those challenges become prevalent in their daily lives. Having a week to focus on the simple, yet impactful value of kindness, helps the kids foster a culture of kindness in our school. I plan to implement this week completely into the activities of our school and have it be an annual thing. Last year our school gathered 1000’s of toiletries for needy families in Orem during Kindness Week. Several clubs and teams helped at the Circle of Kindness that I planned and organized for Orem city. We worked on several different service projects around the “circle” and accomplished so much in a short time. Our school was awarded the Orem’s Kindest School award for two years in a row and having that sign outside where everyone can see it, serves as a reminder about what truly matters. One of the things that I want to add to our school’s Kindness Week next year is a Prom for those with Special Needs. I help teach a dance class at Turn Community Services for adults every week with my sister and they would love to have a Prom with the high school kids. These acts of kindness will help me grow as a person, but also help my peers experience the true joy of helping others and promote caring in my school.