Saugus Union School District has been awarded again for its efforts at ensuring student wellness is a priority for all students. This year’s grant submission was “Creating a Culture of Inclusivity and Kindness” throughout the Saugus School District.

The Kaiser Permanente $15,000 grant funds will be used toward hosting popular NED (Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best) program assemblies focusing on a kindness revolution.

The NED character presents a fun way to create excitement and engagement for students while focusing on important topics and promoting a culture of kindness and excellence. The grant will also fund additional resources and materials to enable staff to reinforce and continue the work throughout the school year.

“The neuroscience and social science research is clear: kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it. Kindness is an emotion that students feel and empathy is a strength that they share,” said Patty O’Grady, an expert in neuroscience, emotional learning and positive psychology, specializing in education.

Saugus Union School District has previously been a grant recipient and has a partnership with Kaiser Permanente.

Previous grants awarded include: A 2021-22 grant focused on staff resiliency that provided funds for professional development for staff during COVID, a 2022-23 grant focused on social emotional learning for students and provided funds to have a calming corner in each classroom throughout the district.

The latest grand funds will be used to promote good mental health and create a happy place where students feel safe and included. The plan is to start a kindness revolution to “Create a Culture of Kindness and Inclusivity.”

The “Kindness Revolution” will start with a kick off assembly at all 15 school sites that will be called “NED’s Kindness Adventure.” The assembly themes include caring, inclusion, friendship, individuality and diversity.