Before school every Wednesday morning, a group of Warriors gather in the art room to brainstorm ways to increase kindness and build students’ self esteem. They are the Lincoln Lutheran A.R.K. Club. ARK stands for Acts of Random Kindness. Their mission is to let every person in school know that they are important and appreciated. Their inspiration is Jesus and their mantra is: “Kindness is the only thing that doubles once you give it away.”
Erin Seitz, teacher and program director, led the inception of the club four years ago. Bethany Zecker, music teacher, joined last year to help. “Service to others is ingrained into our school culture", says Seitz. "Our students frequently volunteer their time and talents to charities in the community." But Seitz thought, ‘Are we also serving each other right here on campus?’”
The charter members of the A.R.K. Club got to work. They wanted there to be a new, noticeable positivity around the building. They started by posting inspirational quotes on lockers, windshields, in the hallways, classrooms and even bathroom stalls. They put encouraging words on clothes pins and secretly pinned them to student backpacks and passed out ice cream on the last day of school. Over the years, their acts of random kindness have expanded to include gifts for new staff members, a gift card for a struggling student, surprise gas money for students who drive,homemade Christmas cookies for the entire faculty and staff and most recently, flowers and thank you cards for the kitchen staff.
ARK members frequently watch inspirational videos about kindness. “This is one of the many ways we nurture social and emotional intelligence in our students,” says Seitz. “They learn to find the good in every single person and that their actions mean alot to someone who is struggling or feeling unappreciated."
Interested in learning more about the Lincoln Lutheran experience? Set up a campus visit. Or contact our Director of Enrollment, Benjamin Smith, 402-705-9057, bsmith@lincolnlutheran.org