South Euclid-Lyndhurst board hears Kindland presentation on schoolwide kindness programming

The South Euclid-Lyndhurst City Board of Education on Sept. 9 heard a presentation from Kindland on a schoolwide "kindness" curriculum that the presenter said has been used in dozens of Ohio districts.

At the special work session held at 6:02 p.m., a Kindland representative described the program's origins in a Project Love initiative and summarized outcomes the group attributed to its work in other districts. The presenter said Kindland was launched in 2020 to translate Project Love practices into classroom lessons and community messaging.

Why it matters: the presenter framed kindness as an instructional and community strategy aimed at improving school climate and student well-being. The presentation included claims of large effects at other schools and described plans to run a statewide and national kindness campaign that would involve students and families.

The presenter told the board that Project Love began work with the district in 1995 and that Kindland's programming was developed from those earlier efforts. The presenter said Kindland's work in John Adams High School from 2017 through 2020 was associated with a rise in the graduation rate from 50 percent to 93 percent, a 78 percent reduction in suspensions and a period with no fights. Those figures were presented as program outcomes by the presenter and were attributed to the district partnership and Kindland's interventions.

The presenter described Kindland as both a curriculum and a public messaging effort, saying the group encourages a communitywide approach in which schools display the program message in school halls and public spaces (the presenter gave Mayfield Road and Green Road as local examples). The presenter said Kindland counts about 700 Kindland schools in Ohio and about 5,000 schools nationally and that the group plans a campaign called "The United States of Kindness" and an "Ohio Kindland 250 Project." The presenter said the campaign would ask participants to complete 250 acts of kindness to mark the nation's 200th birthday and gave two dates in the presentation: a start date of April 24 and a campaign window described as April 25 through Dec. 31, 2026 (the presenter supplied both references during the talk).

Melissa Thompson, identified in the meeting as a district staff member who has been helping lead the effort, introduced the presenters and said the program is "near and dear" to the district and its communities, South Euclid and Lyndhurst. The presenter also said Ben Krutko, "director of school partnerships," will work with district principals and staff as Kindland implements lessons and messaging.

Board business: the board approved the minutes of the Aug. 19 regular meeting and then voted to adjourn into executive session for employment matters. The Aug. 19 minutes were approved by roll call with all members recorded as voting "aye." The board then moved into executive session; the motion to adjourn into executive session was made and seconded and carried, and the board said it would not return to open session.

The presenter spoke repeatedly about the role of kindness in reducing isolation and improving student outcomes, framing kindness as a "central core" that can hold school communities together. The presenter also referenced national trends and research in general terms (for example, a cited finding attributed to the Surgeon General and statistic summaries about student depression and suicidal thoughts) and named several community organizations as historical examples of civic action, including the Red Cross, Alcoholics Anonymous, the Red Feather Society (now United Way) and the Cleveland Foundation. Those references were made in support of the program's community-engagement argument.

No contract, funding commitment or policy vote related to Kindland occurred at the work session. The presentation concluded with an offer from the presenter to work with district staff and a question period; Ben Krutko was identified as the district contact who will coordinate with principals. The board then moved to executive session on employment and adjourned the public portion of the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the Aug. 19 minutes by roll call (all members present recorded "aye"). Later the board voted to adjourn into executive session for the purpose of "employment"; the motion carried and the board did not return to open session that evening.