The face of Astrid Granciano, a student at Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science School (Stern MASS) in Los Angeles, reflects joy and positivity. She is one of approximately 800 students who participated in the Think Kindness organization's annual kindness summit at the City Market Social House on San Pedro Street. “I feel like I am very kind to other people,” said the 15-year-old. My parents taught me to be this way, to be kind and not rude to anyone. said. “But those who are bad, in some way, affect others.”

Maxiiliano Aguilar (Maxi), a 17-year-old student at Bishop Mora Salesian High School, thinks the same way.

“I'm a person who likes to help people. “I like interacting with others, so that everyone hears they have a voice and can live in peace.”

“Maxi” acknowledges that, in the world he lives in, there are many people who don't understand others, are racist, and discriminate against them.

“In my opinion, I think that can end by talking to each person,” he reflected. "You can't fight fire with fire; it's better to talk to someone so everyone understands what they don't like about a person."

Both Maximiliano and Astrid believe that the treatment of immigrants in the United States is unfair.

“I think it's very wrong that they treat like that; they, like my parents, came to this country to offer us a better life,” Astrid commented. “They should be supported with love, kindness, and respect.”

“Obviously, people aren't treated fairly,” Maxi added. “I don't like what they're doing; I think immigrants are working hard, building houses, or working hard to do something for their families…if I could,I would help them get their papers properly and I would focus on everyone, on the humanity of the people. started this program to inspire kids to be kind as a way to stop bullying,” Arias said. “We know that this is a big problem in schools, and in our curriculum we have programs to inspire and educate young people so that they don't bully each other.” While the internet is still young, new terms have emerged in the language, such as “cyberbullying,” “digital resilience,” and “bullycide,” which describes those who have taken their own lives as a result of bullying. Data from the Cyberbullying Research Center reveals that 34 percent of students between the ages of 12 and 17 in the United States have been victims of cyberbullying—that is, approximately one in four students. Furthermore, 20 percent of suicides among American adolescents and young adults are related to problems stemming from bullying.

Suicides Among Young People

The top 10 states with the highest prevalence of suicides among people aged 10 to 24, for various reasons, including school bullying and cyberbullying, are: New Hampshire, Oregon, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, Michigan, Washington, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Indiana. California ranks 37th, according to an analysis by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

After Starting with a local program on kindness, Think Kindness has spread to various school districts in California and other states, including Nevada, Connecticut, Florida, Texas, and Utah.

“We have more than 300,000 children involved who have taken the pledge to be kind,” said Joshua Arias. “We are at a turning point because we know that kindness is necessary and it is a necessary message that we must leave as a legacy.” The program seeks to prevent bullying through educational curricula. Today, the program includes more than 300,000 children in California and other states such as Florida, Texas, and Utah. Currently, more than 800 children from 13 schools, from sixth grade through high school,They participate in activities like assembling bags for the homeless in Los Angeles, with the goal of inspiring young people to make a difference in their community.

Two girls with a conscience

Alianny Fuentes, 13, and Natalie Salgado, 17, want to make a difference in their lives and the community.

Alianny, a seventh-grade student at Extera Second Street Middle School,said that being kind has brought her good friends and an excellent relationship with her parents, siblings, and friends.

“You always have to be kind to them, because some people can be cruel, and if they act cruelly, they are probably suffering,” the young girl stated. “If I saw someone bullying another person, I would tell them to stop and be kind.”

“What do people do? Bully! What do you think they do? Give them nicknames, treat them badly, shame them for their appearance. That's not right,” she added.

But why do you think this happens?

“It's probably because someone treated them badly first, and now they want to treat the other person badly; their feelings are hurt… and they feel lost.”

Natalie Salgado, for her part, explained that she is kind “because I let my personality express itself freely. I'm also told that I'm kind because I make sure everyone feels included and that no one feels left out.”

For her, a student at Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles, the benefit of being kind and compassionate, instead of being a bully at school, is that she can make more friends, be outgoing, and feel good about herself.

“If you're a bully, it's obvious that there won't be many people willing to help you when you need it. You won't have anyone to watch your back when you need it,” she emphasizes.

A Better World

“Today I will make the world a better place than I did yesterday," was the closing message from Brian Williams, co-founder of Think Kindness, and it resonated deeply with hundreds of students in Los Angeles. "Today we are going to do something that will allow us to go to bed tonight thinking that we have made a difference. It may not be something big; "Maybe it will be something small," he said. "Most likely it will be something completely free." Williams' goal was for the kids to find the important word that can change their own lives and the lives of others with the simple act of saying, “Hello.” Everyone says, “Hello!” It's up to us to take action; but to do that, we will need to develop a few skills. The first skill is this: Everyone say out loud, “Be brave!” This required the young people to stand up and take action. And the final skill: “Be kind!” This involves not only seeing opportunities but also daring to step outside your comfort zone. Earlier, Brian Williams described a series of acts of kindness that were free, including a call for people to donate sneakers for children in need. One example was that, through Think Kindness, 10,000 pairs of sneakers were collected, when the initial goal was 5,000, and delivered to children in Kenya, on the African continent. In that nation, a boy named Peter had no shoes. He was an orphan. This detail prevented him from being registered in school. But with the shoes, Peter ran a mile in three minutes and 58 seconds. Remove record.Only four high school students in the United States had run that distance in four minutes. When Brian Williams made the news public, government officials asked to see Peter. He thought he was in trouble. He went to the director's office, head down, and those gentlemen handed him an envelope containing two important documents: a passport and a letter of invitation to join the Kenyan Olympic team. “Peter went from an orphanage to the stage of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games (1988).” Aside from the flag bearer carrying something, a young member of the team was holding his lucky sneakers. "I have no idea who donated those sneakers. I have no idea where they came from. They came from someone's closet. That's the most incredible part of this story," Williams said. "That unknown person who gave away the sneakers just wanted to perform a simple act of kindness." an act of kindness, it creates a ripple effect in the world. You don't always see how far that ripple reaches.

“We simply have to have faith that it will reach the right person on the day they need it most.”

“Our job as human beings is to generate as many of those waves as possible,” the speaker emphasized. card placed right on his mirror. The card read: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” Peter reads that phrase every day. Instantly, Brian Williams felt transported back in time. I have remembered that college professor who tried to sell him the idea that to succeed, you need money, connections, and resources. Yet he was in a dorm room with an orphan who had no money, no connections, no resources, but who still possessed the audacity to believe he could change the world. Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.a passport and a letter of invitation to join the Kenyan Olympic team. “Peter went from an orphanage to the stage of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games (1988).” Aside from the flag bearer carrying something, a young member of the team was holding his lucky sneakers. "I have no idea who donated those sneakers. I have no idea where they came from. They came from someone's closet. That's the most incredible part of this story," Williams said. "That unknown person who gave away the sneakers just wanted to perform a simple act of kindness." an act of kindness, it creates a ripple effect in the world. You don't always see how far that ripple reaches.

“We simply have to have faith that it will reach the right person on the day they need it most.”

“Our job as human beings is to generate as many of those waves as possible,” the speaker emphasized. card placed right on his mirror. The card read: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” Peter reads that phrase every day. Instantly, Brian Williams felt transported back in time. I have remembered that college professor who tried to sell him the idea that to succeed, you need money, connections, and resources. Yet he was in a dorm room with an orphan who had no money, no connections, no resources, but who still possessed the audacity to believe he could change the world. Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.a passport and a letter of invitation to join the Kenyan Olympic team. “Peter went from an orphanage to the stage of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games (1988).” Aside from the flag bearer carrying something, a young member of the team was holding his lucky sneakers. "I have no idea who donated those sneakers. I have no idea where they came from. They came from someone's closet. That's the most incredible part of this story," Williams said. "That unknown person who gave away the sneakers just wanted to perform a simple act of kindness." an act of kindness, it creates a ripple effect in the world. You don't always see how far that ripple reaches.

“We simply have to have faith that it will reach the right person on the day they need it most.”

“Our job as human beings is to generate as many of those waves as possible,” the speaker emphasized. card placed right on his mirror. The card read: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” Peter reads that phrase every day. Instantly, Brian Williams felt transported back in time. I have remembered that college professor who tried to sell him the idea that to succeed, you need money, connections, and resources. Yet he was in a dorm room with an orphan who had no money, no connections, no resources, but who still possessed the audacity to believe he could change the world. Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.they allowed him to go to school. They allowed him to go to the Olympic Games.”

While Williams was giving his lecture, Peter was in Ghana, traveling across the African continent, showing off his sneakers and reminding children to never give up on their dreams.”

Brian Williams believes that when someone performs an act of kindness, it creates a ripple effect in the world. You don't always see how far that ripple reaches.

“We simply have to have faith that it will reach the right person on the day they need it most.”

“Our job as human beings is to generate as many of those waves as possible,” the speaker emphasized. “Sometimes, it's the simplest things that make the biggest difference,” said Williams, who visited Peter in his dorm room. On a table, he saw a note card placed right on his mirror. The card read: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” Peter reads that phrase every day. Instantly, Brian Williams felt transported back in time. I have remembered that college professor who tried to sell him the idea that to succeed, you need money, connections, and resources. Yet he was in a dorm room with an orphan who had no money, no connections, no resources, but who still possessed the audacity to believe he could change the world. Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.they allowed him to go to school. They allowed him to go to the Olympic Games.”

While Williams was giving his lecture, Peter was in Ghana, traveling across the African continent, showing off his sneakers and reminding children to never give up on their dreams.”

Brian Williams believes that when someone performs an act of kindness, it creates a ripple effect in the world. You don't always see how far that ripple reaches.

“We simply have to have faith that it will reach the right person on the day they need it most.”

“Our job as human beings is to generate as many of those waves as possible,” the speaker emphasized. “Sometimes, it's the simplest things that make the biggest difference,” said Williams, who visited Peter in his dorm room. On a table, he saw a note card placed right on his mirror. The card read: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” Peter reads that phrase every day. Instantly, Brian Williams felt transported back in time. I have remembered that college professor who tried to sell him the idea that to succeed, you need money, connections, and resources. Yet he was in a dorm room with an orphan who had no money, no connections, no resources, but who still possessed the audacity to believe he could change the world. Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.Therefore, I have invited the approximately 800 students to say with complete conviction: “Today I will make the world a better place than it was yesterday.” A judge blocks Trump from cutting funding to the University of California, Los Angeles. The “demographic cliff” facing the US due to a shortage of young people.