Blog Post: Paying it Forward With Random Acts of Kindness

Students in Mrs. C’s seventh grade social studies class at Lindero were perpetrators of random acts of kindness during the 2010-2011 school year. Normally when a typical 12-year-old is asked if they want to do something for someone else and expect nothing in return, they laugh in your face. However, when Mrs. C broached the idea of the students raising money for a cause whereby the students would only get self-gratification, it was as if they were all promised their very own IPad.

In a mere 3-4 months, these students organized themselves into committees, held bake sales, created marketing and publicity, recycled and kept motivated throughout the duration of the project. 

“It really wasn’t hard at all,” one student told me. 

The feeling of giving to others was so overwhelming that many students are thinking of continuing their philanthropy throughout high school by forming a club that raises money for specific organizations. 

As I spent time with these youngsters, I was pleased to hear that they do fundraising and community service beyond the school expectations. Each student shared with me their experiences. The diversity of the organizations was vast to say the least. 

They ran the gamut from homeless shelters and food banks to specific childhood cancer diseases and designated hospitals. When a student shared an experience working at a local animal shelter, others shared that they have rescued their furry family member from a shelter as well. 

It was a truly remarkable experience for me to spend time with such a wonderful group of students.