Post by: Bob Knotts

In the previous post, we told you something about our Humanity Club. This time we want to let you know about one of the most exciting things about that new program, which is a live extension of our amazing www.thp4kids.com website – created by teens, for teens.

The Humanity Club, finishing their meeting with meditation

The website helps kids feel more connected to each other by teaching them about diversity, sharing and giving, kindness toward themselves and others, compassion.

We now have eight middle school students who have formed our first Humanity Club, a team of leaders. With Humanity Project guidance, they’re finding innovative ways to take the thp4kids website’s ideas to their entire school, creating a climate of greater understanding and less bullying as a result. A remarkable thing, if you think about it. But here’s what I really wanted to point out to you today. These 6th and 7th grade students from Gulfstream Middle School in Hallandale Beach, Florida are directly tackling arguably the deepest, most meaningful issue in human life: How we see ourselves. Self-value. As Henry David Thoreau famously said, “What a man thinks of himself, that is what determines his fate.” Of course, Thoreau was writing in the 1800s when people used the term “man” to represent everyone. But his meaning is clear – and accurate. The quality of our lives flows from self-image. Our health, our work, our contributions to society, our relationships. Everything revolves around that core of our humanity.

We’re excited that our lessons on this profound topic already seem to be connecting with the Humanity Club members, lessons we’re teaching them through stories and videos and music and games and exercises of all kinds. If they can absorb the basic concept as expressed by Thoreau, we believe they also can discover methods for helping their peers to understand it. We’ll keep telling you how things are going as the club progresses. So far, we’re encouraged … and excited by these bright and engaged young minds. And we’re hopeful they can help us to help all the kids at Gulfstream Middle School to treat themselves and every other student there with greater respect. The Humanity Project, helping kids to help kids!™