Highlands Elementary School has put kindness into the curriculum.
It launched the Be the Kind Kid Club in 2023-24 to promote courtesy, teamwork and friendliness. It has grown 200%, from about 90 students to more than 270 who meet weekly.
In an effort to keep the motto front and center, all students and staff are encouraged to wear their tie-dyed #bethekindkid shirts to school every Wednesday.
Be the Kind Kid is a nonprofit run by Avonworth Primary Center in Pittsburgh. There, they began creating and selling items like shirts, buttons and ornaments, donating 100% of the proceeds to charity.
Highlands was happy to follow suit, with school counselors Angela Boyer and Kristy Skradski volunteering to sponsor the club.
In less than two years, the group has raised more than $2,000 for local charities.
In 2023-2024, donations were given to Family Promise transitional housing, run by the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches. This past year, proceeds were used to purchase items for the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center in Tarentum, which provides services for victims of domestic violence.
The school program was funded through a grant from Project SEEKS SES, an initiative that supports school districts in addressing social and emotional health, according to retired elementary teacher Jody Shumaker.
