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Sunday, February 17, 2013

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today

26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools | NEA Today:


26 Acts of Kindness Campaign Still Inspiring Schools

By Cindy Long
When a children’s book editor from National Geographic visited a group of third graders at Carlin Springs Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, she fielded a bunch of questions about wildlife. Topping the list – what’s the deadliest creature on the planet? It’s not a shark or a lion, as some of the children guessed, so she gave them a hint: It’s an annoying insect that causes a lot of itching in the summertime.
Rebecca Baines reads to Carlin Springs students
“The answer is the mosquito,” said Rebecca Baines of National Geographic Kids, who delivered a box full of the organization’s best-selling nonfiction children’s books to the school’s library. “In many countries, the mosquito carries deadly diseases like malaria.”
Carlin Springs Elementary was one of 26 schools that National Geographic Kids visited as part of the 26 Acts of Kindness project – a glimmer of goodness after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. The kids at Carlin Springs didn’t know National Geographic was participating in program that resulted from the shooting – they were just happy about the new books and to hear stories about animals, like a Russian bear named Yasha.
“The tragedy at Newtown reminds us how fragile life is, and how innocent and treasured our children are,” said Carlin Springs librarian Meg Shryver. “Working at a school really brings it home, and it’s so wonderful that