A lesson in connection, courage and curiosity

By Sha'rron Mitchell, Middle School Enrichment Coordinator

This summer in our Be the Good mini course, middle school youth are exploring what it truly means to be the good by choosing kindness, stepping up for others and finding meaningful ways to bring light to our community. Not just in theory, but through real, hands-on service. And at the heart of the program are Goodman's three C’s: connection, courage, and curiosity.

For their first mini course activity of the summer, program staff and youth headed to the grocery store, where the students helped choose everything needed to pack sack lunches including apples, sandwich ingredients, chips and more. Back at Goodman, each student packed a lunch by hand and added a positive, handwritten note to each bag. Small gestures, packed with big meaning.

Then the everyone headed downtown to State Street to pass out the 14 lunches to individuals experiencing homelessness.

This took courage — to step out of comfort zones, engage with new people and offer kindness without hesitation. Each student made a genuine connection with someone in their city, learning to lead with empathy and compassion. Along the way, their curiosity helped guide conversations, ask questions, and reflect on how they can continue to show up for their community in thoughtful, impactful ways.

As if the day wasn’t already full of joy, the group made a quick stop at Juicy Organics to cool off. The staff generously welcomed everyone with ice-cold water — and they bumped into a balloon-twisting artist who made fun creations for each of the kids. A moment of pure joy and community care, exactly what being the good is all about.

When the kids returned, they were so excited to talk about their giving, and it was inspiring to see and hear how it made them feel. This was more than a mini course, it was a real-life experience in building character, compassion and confidence.