Kind Campaign Brings Positive Message to Johnston Middle School Girls

There was an aura of kindness in the Johnston Middle School auditorium on Thursday afternoon.

Eighth- and ninth-grade girls filled the auditorium for what will likely be a lifelong lesson in respect, friendship and caring.

Those are the lessons Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson hope to instill in girls across the country with their non-profit, the Kind Campaign.

"We have done various things to make our school a building of kindness," said Johnston Middle School Principal Brian Carico. "We are here to hear a very, very strong message of kindness."

The presentation, which was brought to the school through the Cameron Carico +10 Foundation, included a 70-minute viewing of the documentary Finding Kind.

The campaign began when Parsekian and Thompson were seniors at Pepperdine University in California.

In August of 2009, they traveled around the country with their mothers for one and a half months interviewing women of all ages about the way girls treat each other, both the negative and positive aspects.

"It's our hope that every girl here can create change for their school environment," Parsekian said.

Both women recalled how bullying, and what they call girl-against-girl crime, affected their lives in middle and high school.

"It's so incredibly important not to turn to that, to think that you are alone," Parsekian said of her experience with depression and an attempted suicide.

The film included testimony from girls, and professionals, in California, Chicago, Nebraska and even Texas about the effects name-calling, rumors, gossip and physical confrontations had on their lives.

"You're not supposed to be the person that makes me cry," one young girl told the camera crew. "You're supposed to be the person whose shoulder I cry on."

Following the documentary, the girls in the audience performed three activities by filling out a kind card, an apology card and a pledge card.

"I pledge not to deny who I am, and not to deny others who they are," one middle school student said on her pledge card.

Other pledges included:

• I will weigh my words and actions carefully.
• To say something nice to people I see.
• To stop causing drama and stop the lies.

When it came to the apology cards, Thompson and Parsekian asked the girls to give their cards to those with whom they hope to make amends.

The kind cards are designed for the girls to thank someone for being a friend and the impression they have made in their lives.

"I said mean things in the past, but I am here for you now, and will always be here," one girl said.

Following the assembly, students were quick to share their thankfulness for the campaign on Facebook.

"It was fun havin u here!! I learned so much and was sooo moved by u girls!!! Your message was life changing!" Madie Estrem posted.

"Really wasn't expecting this to have such an impact! LOVED the message and it inspired me a ton. Thanks for coming you guys!" Carissa Metcalf posted on the fan page photos from JMS.

The school also sponsored a community showing of the film Thursday evening.

For more information visit the Kind Campaign website.