Gurnee Preschoolers Exemplify Kindness Through Philanthropy

GURNEE, IL — A group of preschoolers in Gurnee are getting a jump-start on a subject many don't fully grasp until they're older — or even out of school; kindness. Preschoolers at The Learning Experience, in the 400 block of North Riverside Drive, are continuously practicing kindness and giving back to the community through what the school describes as a one-of-a-kind "philanthropy" curriculum created in partnership with Make-A-Wish.

With the help of pre-k teachers and a pair of fun-loving mascots named Grace the Greyhound and Charity Chihuahua, the school said the local preschoolers as young as 3 years old are learning about kindness, inclusion, giving and more through songs and weekly lessons in class. They're also organizing monthly events to raise money and donations for local nonprofit organizations, participating in activities centered on being police, sharing, saying kind words, and practicing and learning a new vocabulary word each month, such as "hope" and "charity," according to a release sent to Patch from the school.

"As preschool teachers, we believe teaching kindness is essential in a successful classroom," Tanya Demes, preschool teacher at The Learning Experience in Gurnee, said. "Using our philanthropy curriculum to help instill kindness and having children show kindness to others in their classroom and school helps them feel confident and safe in their daily learning environment, which in turn allows them to take more risks in their learning. Exposing them to kindness also inspires them to be kind outside of school to help bring our community up."

The children are showing kindness outside of school by raising money and donating food to those in need.

For example, in October, the preschoolers raised over $5,000 to grant one wish for a Make-A-Wish child in Illinois, according to the school. In addition to their kind efforts shown in October, the students donated over 200 pounds of food to COOL Ministries Food Pantry during a Thanksgiving food drive for local families in need, the school said, adding that these initiatives and many more were all part of the ongoing philanthropy curriculum. "Ongoing" being a key word, as Sierra Zaban, Center Director of The Learning Experience in Gurnee, said the school's hope is if they can help instill in children the importance of kindness and giving back at such a young age, maybe they'll remember to slow down and help others and give back.

"Kindness is almost like a forgotten art," Zaban said. "Between the fast-paced and technology-driven world we live in, it has gotten easy to forget to slow down and just be kind to those around you."

Zaban added that by using their philanthropy curriculum, they have the unique ability to help shape the future of our communities through these young children.

"We want that community to be kind," Zaban said.

Demes touched on a quote by Martin Kornfeld when it came to the children and the future, telling Patch, "If we all do one random act of kindness daily, we just might set the world in the right direction.’

More: The Learning Experience in Gurnee