FGCU students, 1st graders learn together about kindness

Reporter: Sydney Persing Writer: Jackie Winchester
Published:
Students at Florida Gulf Coast University (left) meet with the first grade mentees at San Carlos Park Elementary every Thursday on Zoom.

Students at Florida Gulf Coast University are teaching a younger generation about kindness, compassion and empathy.

You probably wouldn’t think there’s any subject college students and first graders could learn together, but it turns out, there is, and WINK News got to witness it.

“We’re spreading kindness and compassion and empathy,” said Julianna Griffin, who teaches a class at FGCU called “Understanding Kindness, Compassion and Empathy.”

“I hope this program one day makes my students kinder, more compassionate, and more empathetic citizens,” said Colleen Bowman, a first grade teacher at San Carlos Park Elementary.

Every Thursday, their two classes meet over Zoom, and on this particular Thursday, the students gave a joint “presentation” of sorts.

The FGCU students donated books to foster children, books that Bowman’s class picked out.

Bowman’s class donated teddy bears to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, which will give the bears to children at crime scenes or crashes.

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