Charlotte Mandziuk is spreading kindness on the playground. She's a fifth-grader at Maltby Intermediate School in Brighton, and by taking careful note of hurtful things that can happen during recess, she came up with a way to include everyone in the recess activities.
The result: Recess K.L.U.B., which stands for Kindness and Leadership Uniting Buddies.
Charlotte and her mother Nicole Mandziuk joined Stateside to discuss the club and its growth.
The idea started when Charlotte was in first grade. Her older sister was feeling left out at school.
Nicole said Charlotte worked all summer on her idea before presenting it to the principal. Once it got going, Charlotte said “kindness and leadership bloomed during recess.”
The Recess K.L.U.B. is now in three schools in the Brighton district, and it recently won a $10,000 award from Toys ‘R Us to help support its growth.
“Once the club came along, [club members] were more outgoing, and more independent, and they would raise their hand more in class and participate, really knowing that they are amazing,” Charlotte said.
Click here to learn more about the club, and listen above for the full conversation.
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