by Nicole Endacott, Program Coordinator

“No act of kindness – however small – is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Today is World Kindness Day! At IEA, our Whole Child Approach means that we see gifted youth as much more than their minds and deeply value their unique perspectives on the world. The young people we serve are of course very bright, but they’re also extremely compassionate. To celebrate World Kindness Day and our extraordinary community, I gathered IEA staff members’ memories of kind acts by our students that will continue to stick with them for years to come:

• “This past summer, two Academy students donated a bunch of their stuffed animals to Yunasa as part of the camp’s Yunasa Buddies initiative. (New campers get to choose their favorite Yunasa Buddy to keep them company while they’re away from home.) They also get to take their buddy home! I thought it was such a kind gesture for them to initiate that donation.”

• “I travel with a pillow one of my clients made for me when she was six because she wanted me to be comfortable when I got on planes and slept in hotel rooms. The pillow has a picture that she drew of a castle (because she was six and liked princesses) and my dog Megan so I would always have Megan with me.”

• “Several years ago, two of our Yunasa campers held a lemonade stand and then donated the profits to Yunasa.”

• “At Yunasa West this summer, one camper spent all $60 of his camp store dollars on ice cream tickets for campers and staff.”

• “A six-year-old Academy student remembered my birthday from a conversation early in the session and then made me a card weeks later when it came!”

• “One of our Yunasa campers, age nine, was on his flight home from camp and thought the flight attendants looked tired/stressed, so he wanted to help them. He took his towel out of his carry on and went to the back galley where he taught them yoga and guided meditation. (It is also kind that the attendants let him do this!)”

Check out the World Kindness Day website to browse kindness ideas for people of all ages. Tell us in the comments how you’ve seen the gifted children in your life show kindness to others!