There are already universal symbols for peace and love—but one group of kindergartners has been pushing for there to be a newly-recognized sign for kindness.
The idea was first proposed by the students in the “transitional kindergarten” class of Tropical Elementary School in Merritt Island, Florida.
The transitional, or “TK” class, is for kids who have gone through a year of kindergarten, but for various reasons aren’t ready for first grade. They first launched the project as a part of their writing and geography coursework—although the initiative has since garnered national traction.
The students aged 5 to 7 started their petition to adopt a new National Symbol of Kindness back in January. Since its humble beginnings, it has accumulated over 4,000 signatures from people who are using the campaign to encourage their own state and national legislators to officially recognize the symbol. Once it reaches 5,000 signatures, it will automatically be forwarded to several prominent Senators and House Representatives.
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“The Kindness Symbol shows kindness all around, ongoing, never-ending, north/south/east/west, everywhere!” reads the petition.
“Having a recognizable, easy to recreate symbol will remind people to be kind. We already have and use symbols for love, peace, and happiness and a kindness symbol will add to our national focus of being kind.”
According to the students’ Together Kind website for the campaign, the youngsters have presented their proposal to dozens of school boards, city councils, and municipalities—and many of the ordinances have already agreed to adopt the symbol.
As of early July, New Jersey Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-Ocean) introduced a resolution (AR254) urging Congress to adopt the kindness logo as the national symbol of kindness.
“Kindness is contagious,” said Dancer. “People who benefit from acts of kindness are more likely to act graciously towards others. This circle of kindness is embodied in the symbol.”
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“It’s always the right time for kindness,” he continued. “Sometimes it feels like our nation is more divided than it is united. Declaring a national symbol of kindness is a small, but not insignificant step toward civility.”
If you want to sign the petition or download a formatted letter for you to send to your own legislators demanding the kindness symbol’s recognition, you can visit the Together Kind website.
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