Kind Kids Spread Happiness on “Good Morning America”

The Great Kindness Challenge Gains Momentum on National Television

Here at McGraw-Hill Education, we’ve been so moved by your outpouring of support and enthusiasm for The Great Kindness Challenge. When we held a webinar and published our first blog introducing the movement and the kindness experts behind it, you — teachers, educators, parents, and students — immediately responded with an inspiring eagerness to participate in the event. It was so clear that educational communities recognized a need to influence positive change in learning environments, and that the dedication of educators to productively impact student’s lives should never be underestimated.

So it was truly no surprise to us when the Great Kindness Challenge team let us know that the movement would be making its way to Good Morning America. Check out the video below:

from “Good Morning America”

Creating a culture of kindness and positivity in schools ensures that children grow up to be caring and positive individuals. A single random act of kindness can spark a cascade of goodwill — setting in motion a chain of positive events. We thank everyone that participated this year!

If this is your first time hearing about the Great Kindness Challenge, or if you missed out on some of our previous blogs, it’s not too late to join the conversation and start a movement in your school. Here are some resources to get you started:

1. The Great Kindness Challenge

First, check out the Great Kindness Challenge official website:

The Event

You’ll see that the official week for the event has passed, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t utilize the available resources, follow the model, and spread some kindness in your school. Any week can be a week of kindness!

Then, check out our first publication on the event, with an introduction and full-length, free webinar from the creators themselves, detailing strategies and what you can expect:

The Great Kindness Challenge

2. Kindness and Philanthropy

The Great Kindness Challenge extends beyond the classroom. Every year, the GTK team takes on a student-led philanthropy project focused on raising money to promote equal access to education across the globe. For 2016, they launched the Kind Coins for Kenya Initiative, in which children helped to build the Kids for Peace School of Kenya: a beautiful new school in a Kenyan village funded entirely by the American children who participated in the challenge. 30 volunteers traveled to Kenya to build the school, deliver educational supplies, and to unite young learners across countries and cultures, drawn together by a passion for education and kindness. For 2017, the team is launching Kind Coins for Patkistan. Learn more by checking out our full blog and by watching the video below:

3. Resources to Make It Happen

In addition to starting this movement, the Great Kindness Challenge team has made a collection of free resources available to all educators who want to make this a truly memorable and influential experience for their students. They recently released the following:

• Local Media Interaction
• GTK Checklist JUNIOR Edition
• GTK Parent Letter
• 2017 Supportive Activities
• GTK Kindness Store

At McGraw-Hill Education, we also wanted to contribute to the conversation by brainstorming some ideas to incorporate the challenge into your curriculum. Check out the blogs below for age-appropriate kindness activities:

4 Activities to Embrace Kindness in Elementary School

4 Ways to Embrace Kindness in Middle and High School

In 2016, The Great Kindness Challenge reached over 5 million students, who engaged in over 250 million acts of kindness. In 2017…

Congratulations to all those who participated! Remember, #KindnessMatters