Students will join over 18 million youth in 115 countries to create a kinder world
PASO ROBLES — Winifred Pifer Elementary will participate in the 12th annual Great Kindness Challenge the week of Jan. 23-27, and it invites the entire community to join in and cheer the students on.
The Great Kindness Challenge, presented by the global nonprofit Kids for Peace, was launched with three Carlsbad, California, schools in 2012 to address bullying and foster connection, inclusion, and compassion. The annual program has multiplied in enrollment yearly, having grown to over 18 million students in 36,000 schools, reaching across all 50 states and 115 countries.
Jill McManigal, co-founder and executive director of Kids for Peace, explains, “We are truly grateful for all educators who not only ensure safe school environments, but are also committed to creating school cultures that promote equity, community, empathy, and social-emotional wellness. The Great Kindness Challenge provides educators and students the tools, opportunity, and encouragement to actively create a positive, respectful and inclusive school culture for all.”
Schools and students are drawn to the program for its positive and proactive approach to creating kinder school climates through a simple checklist of intentional acts of kindness. The checklist will be distributed to students at the beginning of The Great Kindness Challenge week. Students will be encouraged to complete each kind act over the course of the week, as well as take part in additional community-building events and global service projects. Winifred Pifer Elementary will amplify the experience by hosting a Welcome Rally, collaborating with Paso Robles High School, having lunchtime events, and working collectively to spread kindness to each other, our school, and our community.
While the excitement of The Great Kindness Challenge is enormous, it is the simple acts of kindness that prove to be the biggest hit. Some of the items on the checklist are: smile at 25 people, help your teacher with a needed task, read a book to a younger student, and sit with a new group of kids at lunch. Big or small, every act of kindness makes a difference.
About The Great Kindness Challenge
The Great Kindness Challenge is a positive and uplifting program that creates a culture of kindness in schools, communities, and the world. Using a kindness checklist, schools and families are challenged to complete as many acts of kindness as possible. The School Edition is an annual one-week celebration during the last week of January. The Family Edition is year-round. Schools and families may get involved by signing up at no cost: greatkindnesschallenge.org.
About Kids for Peace
Kids for Peace is a California-based global nonprofit that provides a platform for youth to actively engage in socially-conscious leadership, community service, arts, environmental stewardship, and global friendships. Founded in 2006 by a mother and a high school honors student, Kids for Peace now engages over 18 million youth through their programs: The Great Kindness Challenge and The Peace Pledge Program.
