Fifth graders at Cedar Island Elementary School participated in a Kindness Retreat, led by staff members from Youth Frontiers and high school volunteers. The goal of the retreat was to provide a day of kindness for everyone who participated, including scholars and staff.
The fifth graders participated in a number of activities, including a rock-paper-scissors battle, an activity where they had to find a certain number of classmates and complete a task and a name train activity. The fifth graders were also led in an activity where they could not talk, but made sounds with their hands and feet, changing the atmosphere in the room from a library to a rainforest.
“You guys have the ability to change the atmosphere in any room that you go into,” Jamaica, a staff member with Youth Frontiers, said.
The scholars also worked in small groups, filling out a card with unkindness they had witnessed in school and talking about which they would like to get rid of. They also participated in games to get to know their classmates better. The scholars learned that kindness is like a boomerang-if you throw it out, it will come back to you.
Youth Frontiers’ mission is to provide experiences that inspire character, civility and community. We offer student retreats focused on timeless values like kindness, courage and respect. Youth Frontiers also offers programming for educators, parents and community leaders to support the adults at the forefront of turning today’s youth into tomorrow’s leaders. To learn more about Youth Frontiers, visit their website.
