Trabuco Mesa Elementary School SAKtivists (Student Acts of Kindness) were thrilled to be invited to speak at “We All Have Stories – Kindness” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts free community event on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza this past Saturday, February 16. They thought that they’d be sharing their stories and encouraging others to join in the movement of making a difference, one simple act of kindness at a time.
What they didn’t expect was to have the cast from the National Tour of Come from Away make a surprise appearance to thank the kids for inspiring them. The students had reached out to the cast of Come From Away, which was being performed at the Center, and challenged them to do their own Random Acts of Kindness and spread the word as they tour the country. Many cast members who had accepted the student’s challenge met them in person, recognizing them at the event and enjoying a pizza party afterward where they could share stories and gather autographs and selfies.
The SAKtivist program began in 2016 when 6th-grade teacher Mandy Kelly challenged her students to perform one random act of kindness every day for a month and write them down. By the end of December 2016, the students weren’t ready to quit kindness. They kept it going, month after month. Eventually, the school year ended, but the SAKtivists didn’t. Each year, the students in Mrs. Kelly’s class continue the program, looking for new avenues to expand their reach and spread their message.
They encourage their peers to spend time with someone new on campus, leave kind notes on the desks of students and to help around the house. They have bought drinks for strangers at Starbucks, opened doors for others, distributed balloons to children in the park. They even created business cards to pass out with each good deed, reminding recipients to pay it forward. They now have their own social media platforms. People can join the Random Acts of Kindness Challenge by going to bit.ly/SAKtivistsForm.
Mrs. Kelly’s class produces weekly videos challenging others to become SAKtivists, including the cast of Come From Away. They have also created an online form to connect with other K-12 classes. Today, classes continue to accept challenges. There are more than 150 schools in 28 states. Classes from across six continents, countries that include the United States, Ireland, England and Dubai, and an entire school in Canada have taken on their challenges.
Mrs. Kelly said, “We really try to make sure every challenge can be done by anyone in any socioeconomic background, any kind of home life. Anyone can be kind. I’ve been so amazed and just so touched at how much it’s changed the culture within the classroom.” Mrs. Kelly estimates that thousands of acts of kindness have been performed by the SAKtivists at Trabuco Mesa alone, and that thousands more have come in response to their challenges.
Photo Credits: Segerstrom Center for the Arts
