Kidz4Kindness Destination Imagination Team Spreads Kindness and Anti-Bullying Message

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Melrose Patch Whiz Kids of the Week

• The Kidz4Kindness Destination Imagination Team: Julianna Fitzpatrick, Jenna Laidley, Olivia Terranova, Hannah Shafer, Lauren Parr, and Jen Stanton
• School: , all eighth graders
• Accomplishment: Undertook Destination Imagination's Project Outreach challenge by putting on skits about kindness and anti-bullying in Melrose Schools.

The following was submitted by team member Olivia Terranova:

For the past six months, the Destination Imagination team Kidz4Kindness has been working towards their goal of changing the community. We came up with the concept of spreading kindness and stopping bullying after we chose the challenge Dynamic Network: Project Outreach.

We began by creating six relatable skits to perform at all five of the elementary schools and the Anova School for grades 3-5. We chose these grades because this was the age when cliques and new friendships form. Each skit is something that has happened to one of us, except for one that is an adaptation of an original story.

These skits are about exclusion, fads, joking around and moving to a new school. So far the presentation has been widely accepted throughout the schools by both the students and the faculty. We also left behind a book of original poems and stories that we created, book marks with our logo on them for each student and pledge boards saying that you pledge to "Scatter Kindness and Let it Take Root."

We made it past the Regionals and did the inevitable by making it past States last weekend at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and now go on to Globals in Tennessee this May.

Along with spreading kindness, we also wanted to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. To do so, we created bracelets that said Kidz4Kindness on them and sold them for $2 each at school and throughout town. Through the bracelets we made roughly $1,000. This was not enough for us though, so we purchased blue Make-A-Wish stars and placed them in multiple stores in downtown Melrose for the businesses to sell. Each star costs $1 and all the money goes to Kids For Wish Kids which is a branch in the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Anyone wishing to donate to the cause to help the team get to Tennessee for the Global competition is welcome to email them at the Kidz4Kindness website.

We need nominations!

Each week, Melrose Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to danield@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

• Nominator's Name
• Nominator's E-Mail
• Whiz Kid's Name
• Whiz Kid's Age
• Whiz Kid's School
• Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
• An explanation of the accomplishment (approximately 150-300 words).
• A photo, if available.