Hosting Organization: Shrewsbury Borough School
County: Monmouth
Shrewsbury Borough School students in grades 5–8 explored the power of empathy and community through a creative, hands-on kindness initiative. The program began with a viewing of the “Kindness Boomerang” video, followed by a TED Talk from Orly Wahba, founder of Life Vest Inside. Through these resources, students learned how small acts of kindness can create meaningful, lasting impact.
Building on this inspiration, students were challenged to design and prototype a “kindness machine” that dispenses action and compliment cards. Action cards encouraged thoughtful gestures—such as calling a family member to say “I love you”—while compliment cards shared uplifting messages like “You matter.” Students brainstormed, collaborated, and engineered ways to bring their ideas to life, with plans to distribute the finished machines throughout classrooms to keep kindness spreading schoolwide.
The initiative will continue with a buddy activity in May, where older and younger students will work together to create kindness buttons using a button maker purchased during last year’s New Jersey Makers Day. Together, these efforts highlight how creativity, collaboration, and social-emotional learning can intersect to build a more compassionate school community.