Through ‘little things’ three recent graduates helped classmates by starting Upstanders.
Beginning freshman year, a group of students at Rosa Scott began brainstorming how they could impact their campus in a big, positive way.
Through their talks, Bonnie Hill, Katie King and Maggie McKinnis, along with other friends, figured out that the best way to make a big impact is through the “little things.”
So they started Upstanders, which is a group dedicated to offering encouragement, kindness and care to fellow classmates.
“Upstanders never underestimate the power of the ‘little things,’ because we believe that is where true life change starts,” Hill said. “Upstander is an individual who sees wrong and acts. A person who takes a stand against an act of injustice or tolerance is not a ‘positive bystander.’ ”
On May 18, Hill, King and McKinnis, who serve as presidents of the club, were graduated from Madison Central High School.
“As I entered freshman year, my heart was burdened by the lack of genuine kindness in school,” Hill said. “Brokenness is basically a staple characteristic of high school, so there was so much opportunity to make positive differences. So often, it is easy for teenagers to be so consumed with what is going on in our little circles that we overlook or even dismiss those who are hurting.”
Their goal with forming Upstanders was to combat self-absorption, educate on intentionality and ensure that students at the school felt included and cared for each day.
“Each student is a vital part of our school, and we made it our goal for them to know how indispensable they are,” Hill said.
During their morning meetings, members speak about kindness and give the other members advice on how to use the information they shared to not only make a difference in their school and community, but also aim to live with purpose, according to Hill.
The club takes on a number of projects each year.
“For example, at Christmas time, we hand out candy canes to students in the mornings of exam week as an encouragement to push forward,” Hill said. “It’s almost humorous just how touched broke high school students get when they are handed something sweet for free.”
Throughout the school year, club members maintain what they call their “take what you need” board, which hangs in one of the main hallways of the school.
The board is covered in brightly colored sticky notes featuring words of encouragement or positive notes on them.
“Weekly, we have to replenish the board as passing students take notes that moved them,” Hill said. “This board has been a steady stream of needed encouragement for so many who have expressed just how much they needed a certain word. It really is the little things in life.”
The Upstanders also update a blog with member entries about what kindness means to them.
Compliment videos are another way the club works to reach the study body in a relevant and uplifting way.
Members and non-members write anonymous compliments to their classmates at Madison Central.
Upstanders collect and deliver the notes and document the students reading what their peers wrote about them with a video.
“It still brings me to tears to watch how touched students were, as it was not unusual for them to get choked up and deeply moved,” Hill said.
Each year, the Upstanders take on projects and challenges to celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Week with a variety of projects and challenges for members.
“It is always full of fun and joy, and it ignites a new fervor to carry on throughout the year,” Hill said.
A club that started with a group of five discussing how they could make a positive change, the Upstanders had 50 members for the 2018-19 school year.
Other campuses in the area have started similar clubs.
“I think that Upstanders has ignited change in our school district in beautiful ways,” Hill said. “It is so encouraging to see surrounding schools create flourishing kindness clubs. Clubs that don’t merely hold meetings and wear matching t-shirts, but clubs that take part in purposeful projects and seek practical change.”
“As we started Upstanders, we believed it would all be worth it to just change one life,” Hill added. “Knowing that other schools are becoming impassioned to cultivate kindness brings me so much joy. This is what it is all about. When we see other schools posting about their kindness club, we reach out and encourage them in it.”
