It’s been a long couple of months. The political climate, along with the winter season, has caused basic kindness to go into hibernation. It is in short supply. However, that’s all about to change when millions of people worldwide will participate in this week’s 17th annual Random Acts of Kindness Week.
Observed February 12-18, 2017, RAK Week is an annual opportunity to unite through kindness. Formally recognized in 1995, this seven-day celebration demonstrates that kindness is contagious. Young and old will inspire others to perform acts of kindness. It all starts with one act – one smile, one simple gesture. It’s an opportunity for participants to leave the world better than they found it and encouraging others to do the same. Many of those doing the inspiring will be elementary and high school students. These young forces of nature are changing the landscape of their halls, their classrooms, and their communities.
If your school did not make plans to participate in RAK Week, don’t worry. Remember, kindness is easy and contagious! Take a page out of the playbook of more than 2,500 student athletes in Chicago! Teams from schools all over the city shared kindness over the weekend by buying strangers a cup of coffee, visiting police and firefighters, giving back to the homeless, raising money for children in need, and making people smile. The day was organized by Buddy’s Helpers, a nonprofit organization that brings together high school student athletes, coaches, and teachers in an annual campaign called “Making a Difference On and Off the Field.”
However, you don’t have to plan a massive event to make a difference. Last year, the Key Club at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois, organized a group of students to serenade their teachers and staff. Their beautiful voices brought happy tears to their teacher’s eyes. In addition, classes, athletic teams, clubs, and individuals were encouraged to perform kind gestures like holding the door for strangers or simply smiling at others.
This week, the Student Council at Kingwood Park High School in Kingwood, Texas, is challenging teachers to complete at least five Random Acts of Kindness. Suggestions include placing a note of appreciation for colleagues on the teacher’s lounge board, leaving a treat for the custodian that cleans their classroom, or bringing in treats for students or colleagues.
No matter what you decide to do this week, take time to do something! We’re ready to get you started! Check out our list of tips gathered from the Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation, as well as a few of our own. Get involved in this weeklong celebration of doing good and acknowledging simple, but meaningful acts of kindness.
- Start your morning announcement with a positive quote, comment, or compliment.
- Encourage students and teachers to give compliments to one another.
- Create Random Acts of Kindness Bulletin Boards- encourage everyone to post about others caught being kind.
- Make a kindness wall with suggestions of simple gestures of kindness for students to do.
- Have one classroom do a kind act for another classroom.
- Put positive notes on post-its and stick them on classroom doors or lockers.
- Ask students to create cards or notes for your local nursing home or children’s hospital.
- Invite someone new to sit with during your lunch break.
- Ask students to write one kind thing about fellow classmates.
- Encourage students to write thank you notes to friends, teachers, and family.
- Email a positive note home to kids who might not expect it!
- Compliment at least one person in every class.
- Use social media to share positive thoughts and kind words.
- Smile at one another!
We can’t wait to hear about how you are changing the world one kind act at a time! Share your success on our Facebook page to inspire others to pay it forward! Tag it with #NobleHourHigh5.
Practice random acts of kindness all year round! Find meaningful volunteer opportunities near you with NobleHour!
Since 2007, NobleHour has proven to be the volunteer management solution for organizations across the nation. With its robust online platform, NobleHour enhances community engagement with a variety of innovative and transformative tools for finding, tracking, and measuring volunteer, service‐learning, and community service initiatives. With offices in Lakeland, FL, and Portland, OR, the NobleHour team is dedicated to empowering good in communities across the country.
An international nonprofit, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, believes that kindness is key to making the world a better place. This nonpolitical, nonreligious organization leads the way by reminding people that they have a choice to be kind and provides them with free tools to make kindness common in their everyday lives. Learn more at randomactsofkindness.org.
By NobleHour Special Contributor:
Dolly Duplantier
Consultant, NobleHour
Contributing Writer / Blogger
Public Relations and Communications
Greater Chicago Area
Dolly Duplantier is a freelance writer, editor, and social media specialist. She is the mother of three children, one college graduate, one in college, and one in high school. Writing about people and organizations making a difference is one of the best aspects of her job!
