May 7 - Kindness in the News

Day 127 of a year of Kindness

This is the first time I didn’t do a kindness in real time but this link came out today so it’s an official kindness! I was a guest lecturer at Florida Gulf Coast University recently and taught a class on the science and research around kindness. 

Britt Leoni and Todd Ofenbeck with Gulf Coast News featured me on a Story to Share episode that aired a few days ago. What is especially kind about the class is that Dr. Maria Loffredo Roca made it happen. She is the director of the Roots of Compassion & Kindness Center at FGCU. She gave me the green light to teach the first class on kindness, which I did for three years. She visualized and created the center, which is one of only a few in the country. She is a gifted educator who shares her steadfast belief that kindness and compassion can change the world. 

In that spirit, Maria Roca, Alan Williams and I are working together to bring a kindness summit to FGCU in May 2026. We will invite global leaders who work in the kindness sphere to focus on creating kindness initiatives that make a difference. If you would like to donate time, talent or resources, we would love your help. Please reach out. #fgcu #WingsUp #kindness #fgcurock #gulfcoastnews