Students Asked to Follow Example of MLK Jr.

By Teri Dary
Christa McAuliffe Fellow

What name comes to mind when you think about the power of one individual to change the world? Many would answer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students throughout the country will soon have an opportunity to honor Dr. King's legacy by making a personal commitment to improve their own community.

Martin Luther King III and actor Andrew Shue are inviting educators and students across America to register for the Do Something Kindness & Justice Challenge, a unique education initiative in which students in grades K-12 perform Acts of Kindness (helping others) and Acts of Justice (standing up for what is right) for two weeks following the Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday, which is January 15-26.

This initiative teaches young people important values such as responsibility, compassion, respect, nonviolence and moral courage, and inspires them to put these values into practice by performing positive acts in their schools, homes and neighborhoods. Last year, more than 2.8 million students and 15,000 educators from all 50 states participated in the program, honoring Dr. King with their actions and by making a difference in their communities.

During each of the last three years, many of the students in Wisconsin have benefited from being actively involved in the Kindness & Justice Challenge. For the year 2001, the Do Something Network and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction are working together to expand involvement.

Along with helping students understand the impact Dr. King made on the civil rights movement, this two-week project complements current character education and service learning efforts. This year's challenge was designed in partnership with the King Papers Project at Stanford University. The virtues highlighted in the Kindness & Justice Challenge were chosen because they reflect the work and life of Dr. King. The activities for each virtue are designed to encourage young people to become active community leaders.

All public or private schools in the state (K-12) can carry out the Challenge. Age-appropriate educator notes for guidance in facilitating the program with elementary, middle, and high school students are included in the curriculum, as well as a sequence of instructional activities that can be used to teach the skills and concepts involved in the Challenge. Two separate components, the Core Program and the Community Building Program, allow schools to choose the level of involvement that best meets their needs.

Educators can register on the Internet at http://coach.dosomething.org, or by calling Do Something at 212-523-1189.