As a parent, a caregiver, a teacher, or even just a citizen of the world, what kind of people do you hope that today’s children grow up to be? Amid a life-altering pandemic and deep political divisions, we can likely all agree that the world would benefit greatly if children today learn to treat others well.
This rings true for Corky Klimczak, one of the co-directors of the Collaborative for Educational Services’ Growing Gratitude and Generosity (G3) program. “When I ask parents what they want for their children, the answer I hear the most is that parents want their children to grow up to be happy and kind,” she says.
While parents may feel alone and overwhelmed with such an undertaking, the Collaborative for Educational Services and another organization called Camp Kindness Counts are stepping in to lend their support, with funding from the Greater Good Science Center’s parenting initiative.
These two programs are bringing parents and children together to teach them about important character strengths, from empathy to generosity, and then co-creating experiences for those families to practice the skills in the real world. Through these programs, parents are being empowered to help their children develop their character by learning how to be more kind and grateful in a world that desperately needs those qualities.
