SHELBY – The world can use some extra joy right now and the students at Dowds Elementary School are doing their part to uplift their community with kindness, compassion, unity and respect.
To recognize Dowds’ ongoing commitment to kindness and their participation in the 10th annual Great Kindness Challenge, they have been designated as a “Kindness Certified School” by Kids for Peace.
Kids for Peace is a global nonprofit that hosts The Great Kindness Challenge, a positive and uplifting program that fosters connection, inclusion, appreciation and overall well-being. The annual program has multiplied in enrollment each year, having grown to over 17 million students in 33,000 schools, reaching across all 50 states and 115 countries.
Dowds School demonstrated their commitment to kindness by encouraging all students to complete 50 acts of kindness from The Great Kindness Challenge checklist as well as decorated the school with uplifting messages, wrote kind notes to classes and adults around the building, hosted Spirit Days, and invited local businesses to post messages of kindness.
Their school principal, Dr. Kristin Kaple-Jones, couldn’t be prouder of the Dowds student body.
“Miss Fairchild, our school counselor, organized many of the events this week and we were so excited to see so many students and our staff participate and spread kindness in our community.”
Jill McManigal, co-founder and executive director of Kids for Peace, is thrilled to recognize the school’s commitment to kindness.
“Our hearts are bursting with joy knowing that so many students are actively creating a brighter, happier and more positive world for all,” McManigal said. “Even during the pandemic, students are finding creative ways to spread love, honor classmates, show gratitude and offer a helping hand.
“We are thankful to Dowds School for providing this opportunity for their students to practice kindness and we are grateful to their students for demonstrating that kindness matters!”
Dowds invites the Shelby community to keep the kindness going by lifting each other up, helping each other out and cheering each other on. Kindness has the power to unite us all!
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: http://greatkindnesschallenge.org. The Great Kindness Challenge is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors: Toy Foundation, ViaSat, Nordson and McGraw-Hill Education.
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 17 million youth through their three programs: The Great Kindness Challenge, The Peace Pledge Program and Kind, Creative & Connected in the Age of COVID19.
For more information about Kids for Peace or The Great Kindness Challenge, please contact Jill McManigal at 760-730-3320.
