What started as local initiative involving a few dozen children is now spreading to other cities in North America. On November 13, 2018, schools are launching Kindness Patrols to coincide with World Kindness Day.
The Kindness Patrol was spearheaded in 2015 by Clinical Psychologists Dr. Carla Fry and Dr. Lisa Ferrari from Vancouver Psychology Centre and Clinically Happy in an effort jump-start the younger generation’s belief in the power of a kind word or gesture.
“We started it to show kids that kindness has it own rewards and that there is real value in being nice to other people, says Dr. Carla Fry. “In our work we have found that a smile, a kind word, holding the door open for someone, all those things go a long way in boosting the mood of the giver, the receiver and even observers.”
Seaforth Elementary in Burnaby, BC and Lexington High School in Lexington, Massachusetts are two schools that have joined the kindness brigade. At Seaforth Elementary, all 550 elementary students will be participating, with each class taking on a different kindness project.
“There will be visits to seniors homes, handing out flowers with kindness messages to strangers, making bookmarks for children in need, collecting bottle caps for spina bifida foundation to help raise money for wheelchairs, and cookies to thank staff and other adults who help in the school, says Seaforth Principal Wendel Hiltz. “It’s important that students know that they can make a difference in someone’s life.”
At Lexington High School, students from grades 9 to 12 will be doing various kind acts throughout their school and their community.
“It’s a movement that is clearly catching fire,” says Dr. Lisa Ferrari. “We are talking to a number of other schools across the country that want to get involved. And while this is all taking place on World Kindness Day, we hope to encourage families, schools, and entire communities to practise kindness 365 days a year.”
World Kindness Day was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, an organization that now includes over 28 countries, including Canada, Australia, Japan, Nigeria, the UK and the United States. It was introduced to encourage participants to try to make the world a better place.
The Dr.Fs, as they’re known, have hosted Kindness Patrols throughout the year in their hometown of Vancouver, where young participants have delivered various kind acts, including giving out flowers with positive messages attached to passersby. Since the inaugural patrol in 2015, over 10,000 smiles have been exchanged.
For more information about the Kindness Patrol or to launch your own, visit: www.kindnesspatrol.org.
