TOLEDO — It started with a request a few years ago.
Cumberland Middle School Principal Stacy Keyser asked school counselors Stefani Robinson and Ashley Heuerman to lead a new group at the school that focused on kindness.
Keyser said the idea started with the school improvement team. They were trying to figure out ways to enhance student voice and project more positive things and kindness throughout the school.
They came up with the Kindness Ambassadors.
Since then, students have been spreading acts of kindness through notes and posters with encouraging messages in the lunchroom, on bulletin boards, lockers, and even on the sidewalk in front of the school.
“The kids love when they write motivational messages on the sidewalk as they are coming in at the beginning of the school year, as we go into state testing,” said Keyser. “When it’s Education Appreciation Week and Teacher Appreciation, Staff Appreciation Week, just those messages on the sidewalk as they’re coming up the walk, kids want to be part of that good message and that feeling good.”
The acts have had a ripple effect throughout the school.
“This past year, we did notes in lockers, then some other students that were not part of the Kindness Ambassadors group did their own little kind notes to each other in their lockers,” said Robinson.
Keyser said students would also see the Kindness Ambassadors writing notes to teachers to encourage them. Then, they were also adding to that.
The group has even reached others beyond the school walls.
A few years ago, they collaborated with Toledo Life Center and painted rocks with elderly community members.
“That was nice for the kids to kind of get out of their comfort zone and talk to elderly community members and do a project with them,” said Robinson.
They also conducted a Comfort and Joy Drive at Christmastime, in which the kids encouraged one another to donate comfort and activity items for residents at the local nursing home.
The biggest project undertaken by the Kindness Ambassadors followed the death of longtime transportation director Mike Oakley a couple of years ago. Oakley enjoyed greeting the students during the morning bus drop-offs with smiles and high-fives. The kids wanted to do something in memory of him.
After doing some research, the group decided to collect recyclable caps. From there, they partnered with the Eastern Illinois Area of Special Education Recycling Program in Mattoon to create a memory bench for Oakley.
“It gave them that feeling of putting something forth for Mike, who did so much for the kids,” said Robinson.
The donations of caps were overwhelming.
“Whenever we were collecting caps, there was a lot of involvement with like, hey, we want to give to the recyclable caps just to be part of this. So, we had a lot of people just wanting to help,” she said.
The Kindness Ambassadors took a field trip to the recycling center to learn the process. The ambassadors met other students from special education co-ops who worked there and worked alongside them.
While the group’s primary focus is on kindness, it’s also teaching students leadership skills.
“It’s not just doing things, it’s modeling those things,” said Robinson.
When group members aren’t deciding and planning what they want to do next during their weekly meetings, Robinson said they are reminded of the importance of active listening skills with their friends and how to handle conflict in healthy ways so they can be good role models for all the students.
Fifth through eighth graders have to apply to be a member of the group. Keyser said the application process is designed to ensure students are held accountable for their actions and that they truly demonstrate the ideals of being a Kindness Ambassador in all aspects of their lives.
“I think that just the popularity of the application process and the fact that we did turn some students away is a testament that they see this group doing special things. They see them making their presence known. They are initiating things beyond the norm to engage students. Just add that kindness, that pillar of hope,” said Keyser.
Robinson said the group usually has about 20 members.
“Each year, each student that joins brings something different to the group. It’s always fun to be a part of that, and they always have great ideas and big ambitions, so I always appreciate that about all the kids,” she said.
Each year, the Kindness Ambassadors try to reach younger students by reading books at the elementary school that showcase kindness and friendship skills.
“The kids love going in there and reading, especially being they know some of the little kids in there, and they’re excited to see them in their classroom and read to them,” said Robinson.
The ambassadors also try to reach them in the lunchroom that the middle school shares with the elementary school.
“So, even the little ones will read what they’ve put up on their posters,” said Robinson.
Keyser, who will now be assistant principal at Mattoon High School, is proud of the program and believes the counselors have done a great job facilitating it.
“I just think that it’s been a great opportunity for students to have a voice and for them to lead some of the charge on making things better for their peers and others around them,” she said.