Children’s energy can be contagious, and Kindness Week is no exception.
For nearly 20 years Midland schools hosted what was called the Week of Nonviolence. Three years ago, they changed it to Kindness week. Schools around the county host speakers and events to help build leadership skills to encourage acts of kindness. It was prompted by an urge to teach nonviolence in an intentional and timely way involving the whole community.
Alysia Christy is the Director of Community Impact for the Midland Area Community Foundation. The organization hosts Kindness Week alongside the Violence Protection Partnership.
Some acts of kindness can be big, she said, like at Bullock Creek High School.
“They have a student who is battling a cancer diagnosis, so one of their days around Kindness Week is to bring in fundraising components during Kindness Week to help this youth move forward in his treatment and those types of things," Christy said.
Walking into the schools during Kindness Week is a wholesome experience, said Jackie Warner, Youth Intervention Specialist with the Community Mental Health for Central Michigan.
"When you walk in and see--this is for the whole building," Warner said. "It gets kids excited, it gets events that would be whole-school and you see things up on the walls or things kids have created. It makes your heart feel happy and want to be more kind."
Schools in Midland county are a “microcosm” for the greater community, Christy said. The best way for the community to get involved is by asking a student what they learned and how they were kind today.