STOUGHTON, Mass. — When toddlers go to pre-school, their time is often filled will story time and free play.
A school in Stoughton has another idea.
The Learning Experience has introduced a “Philanthropy Curriculum” to teach children early the importance of being kind and becoming good citizens.
Recently, a teacher led her students in a project in which they were making thank you cards for local police and fire crews who had recently visited the school.
“It’s really instilling simple values in our children from the beginning,” explained Latoya Jones-Tuggles, the school’s director. “Those are things they will remember. Those are things they will live by.”
Each month the children take on a new project. They just had a canned food drive because of the rise in hunger challenged families.
The students also support the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Jones-Tuggle said the school did a penny wars fundraiser for the organization which fulfills dreams for children with terminal illnesses.
“It was something that our toddlers would come in with their families with their pennies and just drop them off.”
Teaching kindness comes at a time when a growing number of Americans worry about the way we behave.
47% of the people asked in a Pew Research Center poll said they think Americans act more rudely since the pandemic.
“Especially with the world we’re living in now, I think it’s so important to instill thankfulness, gratefulness,” added Jones-Tuggle.
One student told Boston 25 News “I’m so happy that I help everyone.”
Hearing something like makes the teachers themselves feel grateful.
“It definitely warms my heart in a way that says we’re doing the right thing because we’re giving them this foundation. They’ll continue on to do really great things in the future as well.”
Even vocabulary words are focused along the lines of thankfulness and gratitude, as are many of the books around the school.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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