FOUNTAIN LAKE -- The Great Kindness Challenge returns this week for its third year at Fountain Lake Middle School Cobra Digital Prep Academy.
The challenge takes place for one week every year in January to help create a culture of kindness on campuses throughout the country. More than 5 million students inspired more than 250 million acts of kindness during the 2016 event.
Schools can register to take part in the event and receive the Acts of Kindness Checklist and a tool kit with 50 suggestions for ways to be kind to others. Counselor Linda Webb formed a special committee to lead campus activities for the 2014-15 school year.
Students in grades 5-8 on the School Climate Committee opted to bring the challenge to Fountain Lake. Webb invited students at the start of the semester to volunteer to be kindness ambassadors.
Webb began to receive submissions from students as soon as the announcement was made over the school's public address system. Students said they raced to reply on their school computers when they heard it.
More than 150 students replied. Webb said she was overwhelmed by the response. She received so many replies so fast the school had to make a second announcement to let students know enough requests to volunteer had already been submitted.
"We all like helping people, and if we have an opportunity to volunteer around here, it's really fun," said Ava Compton, a seventh-grade student.
Only 20 students served on the School Climate Committee. Webb selected 70 students to be kindness ambassadors this year.
"Last year, we had a speaker and she inspired almost everybody," said Gabrielle Gonyer, an eighth-grade student. "Most of us did the 50 things."
Fountain Lake welcomed Kelsey Tainsh in 2016 to discuss her life and challenges she overcame. Tainsh survived two battles with cancer and a stroke at a young age. She has since been recognized by outlets across the country for her accomplishments.
Students who completed the checklist were recognized last year with a banner in the school hallway. Those who completed the checklist added their hand prints to the banner.
"One of the favorite things that would make people's day was you would put a note in someone's backpack," Compton said. "Getting the notes and receiving the notes was really cool."
The notes can be left anonymously. Compton said many students would leave notes with other students who they may not interact with as often.
"It was also fun to try to strategize how you could get it in their backpack," said Hailey Crowder, a seventh-grader.
Prizes were awarded for completing items on the checklist. Students will again be able to qualify for prizes this year, including headphones and gift cards.
"They learned that actually doing the things on the list and being kind is better than the prizes," Webb said.
Webb recently met with the ambassadors to determine their duties for this week. Students volunteered to decorate areas of the school, gather quotes about kindness for the morning announcements, lead activities with students at the elementary school and take pictures throughout the week.
Seventh-grader Kerianna Collins volunteered to announce details of the challenge to the student body during a recent assembly. Lunch lookouts were selected to make sure no students sit by themselves. Some students will make cards to be delivered to residents of Village Springs Health and Rehabilitation on Valentine's Day.
Today's theme on campus is "Crazy for Kindness." Tuesday is a twin day as students can dress as one another for "Twice as Kind." Students will form individual kindness chains with other members of their advisory group Tuesday morning before connected all of the advisory groups together.
Wednesday's theme is "Be Yourself." Many students will be away for other activities on Thursday and Friday.
"For years, it's been 'random acts of kindness,'" Webb said. "You hear about that, but I believe kindness needs to be intentional and it should only be random for the people that receive it.
"It's a good way for them to learn how to perform acts of kindness. When you set out on a mission for the week to complete that checklist, you realize how many different ways you can make somebody's day."
Local on 01/23/2017