The week of January 22, 2024, twenty million children will unite and perform a billion acts of kindness thanks to the global non-profit organization Kids for Peace and its annual Great Kindness Challenge happily sponsored by OOLY, the whimsical and colorful arts, crafts and school supply brand. Created by Kids for Peace in 2012, the mission of The Great Kindness Challenge is to prevent bullying and foster connection, inclusion, and compassion. More than 40,000 schools worldwide will partake, in all 50 states and 115 countries. Special kick-off events and fun activities will take place in Carlsbad, CA, where The Great Kindness Challenge originated 13 years ago.
The Great Kindness Challenge features a 50-item checklist in which students are encouraged to complete each kind act over the course of the week. Some of the kind acts include smiling at 25 people, creating and displaying a kindness poster, helping a teacher with a needed task, reading a book to a younger student, sitting with a new group of kids at lunch, etc., as well as taking part in additional service and community-building events.
“We at OOLY are absolutely thrilled to be an official sponsor of The 2024 Great Kindness Challenge, an initiative that aligns with our core values of spreading joy and creativity,” says Carol Pankiw, Founder, Owner and CEO of OOLY. She continues, “This week, celebrating kindness isn’t just impactful, it’s absolutely necessary in our world today and we’re happy to do our part to help children nationwide create kindness.”
“We are truly grateful to OOLY and all of our sponsors for believing in and supporting The Great Kindness Challenge. We know by practicing kind acts, whether big or small, we’re instilling empathy, compassion and respect,” states Jill McManigal, co-founder and executive director of Kids for Peace. She continues, “Kindness has the power to heal, inspire and uplift us all. It is something that must be taught and practiced in order to make it a lifelong habit. Kindness is not just a nicety, it is a necessity.”
OOLY and Kids for Peace are celebrating The Great Kindness Challenge by:
OOLY and Kids for Peace Partner to Create Kindness!
As the official sponsor of The Great Kindness Challenge, OOLY and Kids for Peace have partnered to promote kindness, social-emotional health, and bullying prevention for youth of all ages through creativity and imagination. This collaboration includes:
- During The 2024 Great Kindness Challenge Community Kickoff, OOLY will provide supplies and products to all Kindness Certified Companies which will be hosting hands-on kindness stations for the community.
- OOLY will host a Recess Kindness Station on January 23rd at a local Carlsbad school, inviting students to use OOLY’s happy products to complete several acts of kindness from their 50-item checklist.
- Two (2) limited edition Create Kindness Packs, Color Together and Rainbow with a portion of sales from these packs in 2023-2024 donated to Kids for Peace.
- Three (3) OOLY Kids for Peace Bonus Boxes, Color Your Campus Kind, Recess Kindness Activities, and Lil’ Kindness Creators, are discounted to schools that sign up for The Great Kindness Challenge.
Enlist Your School in the Great Kindness Challenge
In a world where kindness is key, empowering young minds to be kind makes all the difference. OOLY and Kids for Peace want YOUR school to join in this global movement. Here’s how:
Sign up for The Great Kindness Challenge for free at thegreatkindnesschallenge.org and receive a turnkey toolkit and kindness checklists to engage your students in creating a kind, inclusive and compassionate school culture. Get creative and crafty with OOLY products in the classroom!
Get Involved in the Great Kindness Challenge in Carlsbad, CA
Throughout the week of The Great Kindness Challenge, participate in these local events to uplift and inspire others to be kind:
- (Saturday, January 20) The Great Kindness Challenge Community Kick Off at the Carlsbad Strawberry Fields will feature a high-energy pep rally, student performances, hands-on kindness stations hosted by Kindness Certified Companies and the unveiling of a magnificent kindness art installation created by all Carlsbad Unified Schools using fun art supplies donated by various sponsors including OOLY.
- (Monday, January 22) Carlsbad service and community members join students at The Great Kindness Challenge founding school, Jefferson Elementary, to kick off the week with The Great Kindness Challenge Kickoff Assembly, Kindness Tunnel, and high-energy activities.
- (Monday, January 22 – Friday, January 26) Additional activities will take place throughout the week in Carlsbad featuring school-wide service projects, spirit days, and Kindness Station activations.
Big or small, every act of kindness makes a difference. OOLY and Kids For Peace are inspiring and empowering a new generation of peace builders by encouraging kids to use their imaginations to promote inclusivity, kindness, and positivity.
Do you want to participate in The 2024 Great Kindness Challenge? Schools can sign up for The 2024 Great Kindness Challenge and learn more at www.greatkindnesschallenge.org.
Interested in purchasing OOLY’s Create Kindness Packs and Bonus Boxes? Visit www.ooly.com/kidsforpeace.