Education students are aiding the community

Erin Carter

Over 100 residents of Thunder Bay have been treated to free hot chocolate over this last week at the Water Street Bus Terminal. At first surprised and then overwhelmed by the generous gift, the residents kept coming back to the same question — “why?”

Over the last five weeks, 22 Outdoor Ecological & Experiential Education (OE3) students in the Faculty of Education have made it their mission to inspire and invite compassionate action.

From free hug campaigns to hot chocolate blitzes, the students have shown ‘acts-of-kindness’ that they hope have promoted compassion around campus and the greater community of Thunder Bay. The project has garnered a great deal of media attention.

The Acts of Kindness project, which is being referred to as the A-OK project, was born after students met to discuss what to do for their authentic group project.

Despite having minimal resources, they wanted to have maximal impact and contribute to creating a more just and sustainable world. After discussing the endless possibilities, the group creatively merged their ideas into one big project that could facilitate their diverse interests and skill set.

These students hope that by tapping into their own generous human spirits, they will effect positive change in their lives and the lives around them. The idea is that when kindness is shared, healthy relationships are formed, community connections are nourished, and people are inspired to pass kindness on.

To find out more about the AOK project visit http://project-aok.webs.com.