STEP 1: Get Kindness Ready

In Step 1 of the Middle School Kindness Challenge, your Kindness Captain needs at least 50% of administrators, teachers, and other school staff to participate and teach students that kindness is about more than just “being nice.” Kindness requires practice. It requires mastery of essential life skills like active listening, expressing gratitude, and self-regulation of big emotions in life and online. In Step 1, your Kindness Captain will invite you to a faculty orientation where you’ll join your colleagues in planning for success in the Challenge. And you’ll have a chance to explore the Kindness Activities that you will be able to teach to your students.

STEP 2: Teach & Foster Kindness

Step 2 begins with participating school staff taking an innovative Reflection Exercise to prepare staff for teaching and fostering kindness. Following the Reflection Exercise, staff will choose to teach at least 4 expertly-crafted Kindness Activities designed to empower students with the skills and strength to practice kindness every day. Teachers and staff will also rate these activities to provide valuable feedback to colleagues across the country who are also taking the Challenge.

All Kindness Activities provided through the Challenge are from leading education organizations across four categories, including:

  • Strengthening Peer Relationships
  • Developing Positive Mindsets
  • Fostering Student Empathy
  • Spreading Cyber-Kindness

STEP 3: Create a Kindness Ritual

The Middle School Kindness Challenge culminates with Step 3 and the launch of a meaningful Kindness Ritual that is designed to become an ongoing aspect of your school’s culture. Planned by teachers, school staff, and students, your school’s enduring Kindness Ritual — a Kindness Expo, a Kindness Presentation to your school board, or even launching a Kindness Club — should remind everyone that kindness matters, each and every day.

Kindness Incentives

Once your school successfully meets the Challenge, the Middle School Kindness Challenge team will review and validate your school’s eligibility for:

  • A Kind Schools Badge on GreatSchools.org
  • A Kind Schools Plaque
  • Entry into a $5,000 DonorsChoose.org drawing