Times Square Spotlight: Kindness Smiles Award Winners

The Kindness Smiles Award (10 total prizes, $500) goes to:

(1) Kindness Essays

In this heartfelt video, young students from the Star Academy for the Gifted and Talented prepared essays on what kindness means to them and present them to the class. Sharing themes of how bullying in the classroom affects the larger student body and how showing kindness, such as to the new student, can not only bring positive change to the classroom but to the world as these events pass through people’s lives and affect how they show up in other areas.

(2) "Kindness is cool" at IMT Liege, Belgium

The Prefect of Discipline at the Institut Marie -Thérèse in Liège, Belgium, shares an important message about how essential kindness and mutual respect are in a school community. Offering kind words, such as one student congratulating another on a presentation, or celebrating good results for another, is what creates a harmonious classroom environment. The students at IMT gather together holding signs and cheerfully say, “La Gentillese Est Cool”, or “Kindness Is Cool”.

(3) Sharing Joy and Happiness with Children

The Chandra Kumala School in Indonesia spreads good will, inviting children from a local orphanage to participate in a fun-filled game day at their school. The students package gifts for the orphaned students and organize riddles, treasure hunts, duck races, and other games with the opportunity to earn prizes for their play. The children are told they can play the games as many times as they like to try and win prizes, but that the important thing is not to cheat.

(4) Art

In this short film, we are welcomed by the start of art class. The teacher hands out coloring books and as all the students get busy coloring, one boy appears to not have any crayons and looks at his book sadly. One student notices his sadness and tells another, and together the class shares art supplies with the boy, whose face brightens with joy. The short film shares a beautiful, heartfelt message of kindness in sharing.

(5) KINDNESS IS COOL | SASTRANI

Adapted from an Indonesian poem entitled “Kebaikan Itu Keren”, or “Kindness Is Cool”, an English lyric composition is performed, arranged with a piano and flute accompaniment. The beautiful song shares the belief that through compassion and kindness, we together, through opening our hearts can create a brighter world.

(6) What the Older Brother Said

In a beautiful exchange, a mother films the moment a young brother and sister appeared to have just had a major disagreement. We are brought into the scene of this candid moment and can see the older brother expressing how his younger sister yelling at him made him feel and helps her understand why it is important to handle things with kindness. The young brother and sister share a meaningful and candid moment together as they both cry and hug each other, together expressing their love and willingness to be better.

(7) Kindness Is Cool in Little Lotus Academy

Young children of the Little Lotus Academy, New York share what they believe kindness is, why they believe it is important to the world, and what is the most surprising kind act anybody has ever done for them. With smiling, excited faces they hold a banner that says “Kindness Is Cool”, cheering Kindness Is Cool.

(8) Kindness At Birth

In a touching exchange between two students in class, this story illustrates that although things may not always be perfect and we may run into tribulations or hear unkind words, it is the moments we are offered kindness that can truly heal the heart. Through this telling story, we see the moment a little girl’s heart was healed because of one small kind act.

(9) Silent train

In this beautiful silent short film, the scene opens in a train car where a young woman sits alone with headphones, absorbed in a book. A little girl walks in with her mother to the train car and they sit opposite the young woman, unknown to what will follow. This beautiful work showcases the touching grace we offer to others when we are kind and offer help to others in need, even strangers.

(10) Innocent beauty

A touching short of smiling children is sure to put a smile on your face!



Song Credit: "Kindness Is Cool" by Big Lotus 415
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