Chicago's Hidden Gems: Kindness part of the curriculum at West Loop school
CHICAGO (CBS) – Kindness may seem like something of a lost art, but CBS 2 visited an early education center where kindness actually is part of the curriculum.
That makes the learning experience in West Loop one of Chicago's Hidden Gems.
The kids aren't even in kindergarten yet, but they're learning about empathy and kindness at school.
"We're teaching them it doesn't matter how big or small they are, but it really matters how big their heart is," said Monte Nix-Hodges. "And so we're hoping that in teaching our children about philanthropy that they're able to have that as a lifelong skill and they can understand that ... helping others and charity is a great way of life for them."
In fact, kindness is part of the curriculum at The Learning Experience in Chicago's West Loop, an early childhood education center for infants through kindergarteners.
So, how does it work?
"We ask them first, put the question out there, 'What do you think it means to be kind?'" Nix-Hodges said. "Just to kind of gauge what they already know about kindness."
During one story session, a teacher asked the kids, "Who remembers what a food drive is? Why do we have food drives? Because some people are hungry all the time and that's why we help."
And the kindness curriculum includes special characters to keep the kids engaged. For example, Bubbles the Elephant is the team leader. Dogs Grace and Charity have a love of philanthropy.
But there's more.
"Little children also need hands-on so they can see," Nix-Hodges said. "Once we talk about it, there's an activity."
One recent project was making care packages for migrants arriving in Chicago.
"We're going to make bags so they can brush their teeth, have some soap and feel good about themselves," a teacher explained to the kids.
Nix-Hodges said the teachers talk about what it means to be kind in a hands-on way.
But why teach them this at school?
"We feel like it's important because a lot of things are going on at home, and that may not be an area of development," she said. "This is their home away from home."
CBS 2 decided to ask two of the kids, Anya and her best buddy Ashani, directly about what they learned.
Reporter: "What is kindness?"
Kids: "Helping."
One of the girls added, "I like to help."
"Children are so resilient. They're open to change," said Nix-Hodges. "They catch on really quick, and they want to know. I think if we start now, we'll have a better world later."
While this report highlighted kindness, the experience includes a holistic approach to learning that includes reading, science, and math with a big emphasis on STEM education.
To learn more about the center, visit TheLearningExperience.com/centers.
