"Kindness 101" brings lessons of kindness to classrooms nationwide

We welcome you back to CBS Mornings in a special installment of our series. It's called Kindness 101. I love this series where Steve Hartman and his kids share stories built around kindness and character and the people who have mastered those qualities. Kindness 101 began back in 2020. Millions of people have watched it. And the thing that really excites us around here is that teachers have started using this series in their classrooms. We love when that happens. This summer, CBS News partnered with Drake University to create a free curriculum, that's how it's pronounced, for those teachers to use. And now Steve and Marilyn Emmett have become very familiar faces in classrooms all over the country. Recently, they hit the road to surprise students who've woven kindness into their everyday routines. Today is Mindful Monday. Remember to be respectful. In a fourth grade classroom in Catskill, New York. Did anybody show acts of kindness this weekend? Teacher, Melissa Seberg, is going over homework. Um, I cleaned off the table. You cleaned off the table. Mrs. Seberg says A plus answers like that are the result of model behavior. Here you go. Like the four-year-old superhero feeding the homeless. Don't forget to show love. Or the little girl whose hug made a widower's day. This is the first time for quite a while that I've been this happy. When you watch all those other kids that, like, do good stuff, then you can do, like, the same thing as them. My favorite one is where the little girl hugs the man. That one really, like, filled my heart. To see the impact, I hit the road with my kids and colleagues, Marilyn and Emmett. I have it. Nothing. The teachers knew we were coming. The kids did not. Shut. We heard that you watched our stories, so we thought we'd come see you. We answered students' burning questions about their favorite stories, like the one about the lonely goose who found her soulmate. Is that goose still alive? The goose is still alive. Then we got back in the car to recap and chart a course toward our next school. I could spend the whole day in there. That's just because everybody was telling you how wonderful you are. Yeah. We have a lesson on humility, don't we? No. We need one. Yeah, we do. We drove from town to town, meeting children of different ages. You could clearly see how the stories and the lessons within meant a great deal. It's good to uplift people and to know how to do that correctly. You need those life skills to be successful in your life. It just teaches you great lessons and how to just be a better person in life. For my kids, it was the culmination of what, for them, has been a lifelong journey. Purpose. What's the purpose of Emmett? It's hard to understand the purpose of humans. It is hard, but that's why we're here. We started Kindness 101 as a web series during the pandemic. We have since polished our performance and magnified our reach. Today, Kindness 101 is in tens of thousands of classrooms and online at kindness101.com, where teachers can access the videos and free lesson plans with group activities and discussion prompts. When this was launched, was the largest number of responses to anything that we have ever done through Character Counts. Character Counts, a nonprofit based at Drake University, built the curriculum. Executive Director, Scott Racker. This is an opportunity for us to fulfill our mission, to positively impact the lives of others, and do it in a way that there's no cost for those that want to use it. We are sneaking into this school. Kids do not know we're coming. Back in New York. We have somebody here with us today? We ended the day as we started. In the company of a new generation of kids who want a kinder America. This one? And a growing group of teachers, ready and willing to shepherd them on their journey. It's real life. Like, those are real people. It's not me talking about compassion. It's the example. Kindness 101! For CBS Mornings, I'm Steve Hartman. I think that is so exciting. It is so amazing. Yes, and to see Marilyn Emmett, they're growing up before our eyes, but it's really great to see the kids' reaction to them when they walk in. 100% in all these schools. Tens of thousands. Thank you to Drake University. Yes, thank you, Drake University. Steve, for all the work over the years. I'm proud of CBS for being a home. I was just talking to Shawna Thomas, our executive producer, about how did this get into the curriculums, and she was sort of giving me the backstory. It is really remarkable that it's in all those schools around the country, and the impact, you're seeing it right there on your screen. Character does count. It really does. Always does. You know, but what's so great, we knew teachers would like it, but to see the kids grab to it, gravitate to it, too. And go, ooh, and ask about stories. Like, hey, I remember this goose. What happened? We love that. And if you are a teacher, and you are looking for a way to bring Kindness 101 into your classroom, you can find out more at kindness101.com. Kindness 101.