In Wellesley, a suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts, the Star Academy for the Gifted and Talented—serving students from preschool through 12th grade—had a second-grade boy who was “famous” schoolwide for his constant fidgeting, and frequent interruptions. Every time the Spanish class bell rang, teacher Adel Mansilla would take a deep breath, bracing herself for a chaotic lesson. She had searched extensively for a solution, but to her surprise, the answer turned out to be one simple thing: kindness.
A “Problem Student” Transformed Through Kindness—A Surprise to the Whole School
One day, Mansilla came across the “#Kindness Is Cool” global video contest on the online platform Gan Jing World. Inspiration struck: What if the focus of teaching shifted from “correction” and “punishment” to gentle guidance? What would happen then?
On Gan Jing Campus’s official channel, she found the perfect teaching resource—a multilingual fairy tale about the Lotus Fairy, a story about holding on to kindness and staying true to oneself amid temptation. She decided to make the message tangible. For each class, she folded a large paper lotus as a symbol of kindness and patience, telling her students: “If you feel impatient with a classmate or your teacher, take a little strength from this flower.”
She also changed the reward system from individual to collective, introducing “Listening Stars” for the entire class. As long as everyone stayed focused, the class earned stars faster. Within just one week, the once unruly “notorious student" transformed—becoming attentive and more understanding in class. Even when he occasionally slipped, he quickly returned to his seat, anxious not to slow the class’s progress toward more stars.
This change sparked “star competitions” across multiple grade levels. Initially, high school students asked, “What can stars be exchanged for?” But soon, they too realized the greatest reward was the act of practicing kindness and patience itself.
From One Classroom to a Schoolwide Ripple Effect
Other teachers noticed the boy’s remarkable transformation and asked Mansilla about her method. Once the school leadership learned of the positive impact from Gan Jing Campus, they decided to promote the “Kindness Is Cool” contest schoolwide. Teachers encouraged students to write short essays on kindness, read them aloud, and record videos for submission. Younger students contributed by writing one or two sentences about acts of kindness they had done, which were compiled into “kindness collages” displayed throughout the school.
By February, the school’s Kindness Essays video won the “Kindness Smile Award.” On Instagram, the school proudly announced: “Our students have become one of the winners of the international ‘Kindness Is Cool’ video contest! This global campaign received over 10,000 submissions worldwide, sparking countless acts of kindness.”
At the awards ceremony in Times Square, New York, the school’s founder and principal, Larissa Bankovsky, drove five hours with the winning class to attend in person. The children confidently spoke to the media, sharing their insights on kindness. Mackenzie Hart said: “Kindness is important. If we are kind, the world will be peaceful. If you are kind to others, they will be kind to you.”
Alisa Vinogradova added: “Holding the door open is kindness. Helping others is kindness. Kindness is important. Kindness is like medicine—it can cure anger and ambition.”
Principal Bankovsky beamed: “If they can say and do this at age nine, just imagine what they will be like at 29 or 39! The impact of kindness on children is immeasurable, because the world is in their hands. What happens tomorrow depends on them. This is our future!”
Judy Gatlin, the students’ homeroom teacher, shared that the contest even transformed her classroom’s social dynamics: “There used to be some bullying behaviors and unkindness among them. But after discussing the contest, they completely changed. It transformed the classroom dynamic. This was a gift for our class.” She expressed her hope for Gan Jing World to continue hosting such initiatives: “This should be part of all our curricula!”
Why Gan Jing Campus Makes Teaching More Effective
Reflecting on the transformation, Mansilla credited Gan Jing Campus’s Teachers Premium Channel for providing both guidance and inspiration. She especially valued the “hashtag aggregator” feature, which allowed her to collect videos, blogs, posts, and images related to kindness on one webpage. Students could explore them freely, like walking through an interactive exhibition. Using the “Collections” feature, she curated all kindness-related materials into a shared learning hub for her students.
She noted that many traditional learning management systems, like Google Classroom, feel like one-way assembly lines—students often don’t know where to find resources, parents find the interface confusing, and teachers end up resending materials by email. By contrast, Gan Jing Campus offers a community-based environment that mirrors how children absorb information outside the classroom—particularly effective for those with shorter attention spans. Most importantly, she added, Gan Jing World offers safe, positive, and wholesome content: “Gan Jing is the first platform where I don’t worry about letting students explore freely—I don’t have to fear that inappropriate content will suddenly pop up.” She likened it to a simpler time:
“It reminds me of the natural exchange before money. People would exchange tomatoes and apples. It’s very honest and very direct. One would do a good job with apples because one wants to get good tomatoes.”
“I feel like Gan Jing Campus is going to when there was this natural exchange of goods. Now people could exchange knowledge and really share it, plus in a clean way.”
This small kindness experiment—beginning with one second grader—grew into a collective schoolwide movement and eventually reached an international audience. It proved that with clean online tools, quality content, and a safe environment, kindness can become the most powerful classroom management strategy.
Educators Worldwide Are Quietly Changing the World with Gan Jing Campus
Today, more than 400 teachers worldwide use Gan Jing Campus Teacher Premium Channels. Educators like Ms. Chen are enriching children’s lives—helping them grow not only in knowledge but also in character, kindness, and traditional values. And this is just the beginning.
By the end of 2025, Gan Jing World aims to support 1,000 teachers through the Gan Jing Campus Sponsorship Program—empowering more students to learn in a safe, uplifting online space. With your support, that vision can become reality.
Global Recognition for Gan Jing Campus
“We welcome Gan Jing World as a friendly and kind digital platform for everyone. Our children need a space of kindness—one that contributes to world peace. Let’s build a clean and safe world together.”
— Zulkarnain HN, S.S.T., Head of Batam’s Youth and Sports Department
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