We asked the educators and students from Carlisle Public School in Carlisle, MA to share their feedback about their ThinkGive experience. Here is what they had to say.
Educator: Dana Meyer
Grade: 5
Started partnering with ThinkGive: 2016
Was ThinkGive a good use of your teaching time? ThinkGive helped instill valuable, meaningful, and real-life concepts about how we treat others (and ourselves!) and the impact we have on our community and world.
How did ThinkGive help you connect with your students? It gave them the opportunity to be honest and vulnerable, and I felt like we connected through acts of kindness.
How did ThinkGive have an impact on your students? It made my students more mindful, thoughtful, and generous. It shifted their focus away from themselves and onto others and the world around them.
Did ThinkGive have a positive effect on your class climate? The children were excited about being kind, and advocated more frequently for each other.
What’s a highlight from your experience with ThinkGive? My favorite moments have actually been revealing each new gifts. My kiddos would start a drumroll, and then I would put the new gift on the screen. It created an air of great excitement as each new gift period began.
How do you integrate ThinkGive with other SEL curriculum? In my classroom, I integrate ThinkGive with the “Circle of Courage” educational model developed by Dr. Brendtro. They integrate seamlessly because Circle of Courage focuses on belonging, independence, mastery, and generosity, which align well with TG philosophies and intentions.
Why would you recommend ThinkGive? ThinkGive is a revolutionary SEL program that empowers students to immaterially gift kindness. It strengthens their connections to each other and to their communities. Most notably, ThinkGive helps students build the skill of stopping and noticing, paving the way for authentic and empathetic giving. It doesn’t end with the program either; ThinkGive shapes them as young citizens and helps them see the impact of their actions.
We surveyed the students who participated in ThinkGive, and the results were outstanding. After participating in ThinkGive:
90% agreed they will try to be kinder to others
77% agreed they felt empowered to make an impact on their world in a positive way
70% agreed they are better at seeing things from other points of view
80% agreed ThinkGive helped them connect with their classmates; 87% with friends; 93% with family
And the students had some wonderful things to say about the program:
“ThinkGive made me more thoughtful and also it made me more courageous. I learned that you can give more than just a physical gift and it can still be as meaningful.”
“ThinkGive has show[n] me to change the world with kindness, not hate.”
“ThinkGive impacted me by making me more mindful about what I am saying or doing to others and it made me more mindful about what impact I am putting out into the world.”
“I think ThinkGive increased my skills on having empathy, being more aware, and not taking things for granted.”
“I learned how to be kind to others AND myself. I also learned that one act of kindness can affect the whole world.”
