What type of world would we live in if the younger generation led by example?
Science has proven that acts of kindness, such as giving to a charity or helping someone in need, are good for our health, foster better relationships, and even spread like a virus. According to experts, such behaviors increase the brain's production of "feel-good" hormones like oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine and may even cause us to experience a "helper's high."
Because of this, the nonprofit organization „kindness.org“ is eager to encourage kindness and an understanding of the evidence supporting it in classrooms. They claim that this will lead to happier pupils and more compassionate classrooms, and society as a whole will gain from this and comes a step closer to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 – to improve global well-being.
The science of kindness is examined in its Learn Kind program, which also focuses on the growth of abilities like self-awareness, empathy, and emotional literacy. Beginning in 2020, the pilot program reached more than 38,500 students around the world while being taught in 15 nations, including the US, the UK, and Thailand. Considered a success, Learn Kind is now being used in 260 schools across the globe.
Kindness affects our physical, emotional, and mental health, according to Rebecca Reed, the charity's director of programs. "Communities, cities, or nations [may be impacted] by pupils experiencing a culture of kindness for a whole year."
To learn more, Positive News met with a few of the educators taking part in the trial. He next questioned the pupils on how they appeared when they were perplexed. He remembers that they were able to express, "My eyelids tighten and my teeth clench." Evans exclaims, "This was one of the best lessons," noting that the activity helped his students understand how their friends are feeling, even though at first they were a little cautious.
He urged his students to "catch each other being kind" at the program's conclusion. They made a note of what they saw when they witnessed a kind deed and wrote it down. Simple acts of kindness can include helping someone pick up something they dropped or cleaning up the classroom.
The names of the pupils who had been "caught being kind" were subsequently posted at the school's entranceway to draw attention to their deed. According to Evans, "I think all children have kindness in their hearts, and this lesson brought it to the surface."
His students have been greatly impacted by the curriculum. He notes that "they're making more friends and maintaining them." They are more understanding, don't criticize one another, and listen more carefully.
She really appreciated an empathy class that focused on role-playing. One youngster was asked to play someone who was alone at lunch and another was asked to consider what they may say to this person.
Martelli acknowledges that there were at first scoffs and hesitations. However, the scientific emphasis of the lectures, as well as the activities, were able to engage even the most doubtful students. For instance, by looking at kindness throughout history, the classes were able to spark children's inherent curiosity.
The presentation concluded with the kids doing their own scientific "kindness experiments" in which they recorded how being kind to others made them feel. One pupil, for instance, decided to call his grandmother via Skype. Another woman made the decision to bake cookies with her sister. It may come as no surprise that both reported feeling excellent afterward.
According to Martelli, the kids appeared to have internalized the lessons and had used them as a reference for the remainder of the year. She believes that the initiative has the capacity to improve the planet. Over the span of my 60+ years, the planet has undergone a great deal of change.
Our civil society has advanced in many ways, yet it seems that the fundamental value of kindness has been put on the back burner. Academic and technical advancements preoccupy us far too much. Kindness, though? It is essential to society's long-term success and for sustainable well-being.
More information: https://kindness.org