Have you ever wondered what it takes to make your school a better place? Students at Artarmon Public School didn’t just wonder—they did something about it.
The Problem They Noticed
School captain Audrey Grace and her team looked at data from their school and realized something important: students didn’t feel like they belonged. Instead of complaining about it, they decided to fix it. Their solution? The Kindness Project.
Small Actions, Big Changes
The students didn’t try to do everything at once. Instead, they started with small, simple kindness challenges:
- Compliment five people you meet today
- Play with someone who looks alone in the playground
- Be an upstander, not a bystander (standing up against bullying instead of ignoring it)
These tiny actions created something powerful. Even younger students at the school started understanding what kindness really means.
From Ideas to Art
The team did more than just do kind acts—they created a podcast interviewing author Deborah Abela (who wrote The Kindness Project book that inspired them). They raised money through fundraising and a council grant. And then they designed a beautiful, colorful mural that celebrates how everyone belongs, no matter who they are.
The mural isn’t just pretty. It’s a symbol of the change they created together.
Why This Matters
Year 6 student Lilia Melkumyan explained it best: “Small acts create a foundation. Everyday kids constantly and consciously try and do kind stuff or change what they would have said into something kinder or more respectful.”
The school didn’t just get a mural—it got a whole new culture of kindness.
A Message for Student Leaders
This is your superpower. Like the students at Artarmon Public School, you don’t need permission from adults to make your school kinder, safer, or more inclusive. You just need to notice what’s missing and take action.
Start small. One compliment. One invitation to someone sitting alone. One moment of standing up when you see someone being left out. These aren’t tiny actions—they’re the building blocks of real change.
Your school needs your leadership not because you have all the answers, but because you care enough to notice what needs to change.
What kindness project will your school remember?
