Preschoolers Become "Superheroes of Kindness" | Gimundo

Preschoolers Become “Superheroes of Kindness”

A group of preschoolers put on superhero costumes to do good deeds in Missoula, Montana.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on September 06 2011

Most preschools have circle time, outdoor play, and an afternoon nap. But at Missoula Community School, a preschool in Missoula, Montana, the children strap on capes and go to work as superheroes.

Instead of flying through the sky and fighting evil villains, these “Superheroes of Kindness” do good deeds for other people. They’ve gone to visit residents at senior centers, cleaned neighborhoods for Earth Day, and created special gifts for mail carriers.

Kristal Burns, the preschool teacher, was inspired to launch the superhero program after learning of the work of a Pittsburgh woman who does random acts of kindness under the pseudonym Secret Agent L. (We wrote about her last year.) “I thought, wouldn’t it be great if we could actually do that with these kids?” Burns told CNN. “Find a way to teach them so that they can just go out and do random acts of kindness?”

So every few weeks, the children go to work doing good. Although the children are only three and four years old, their “superhero” work is already having a big impact on how they view the world: After visiting the senior center, Burns recounted, one young girl began crying. When Burns asked her what was wrong, the child said, “My heart feels so good right now.”

“For these children, being a ‘superhero’ translates into being able to make a difference in someone’s life,” said Burns. “That is huge, because it empowers them.”

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