A wood plaque bearing the quote “Kindness costs nothing but it means everything,” hangs in a classroom at Oakdale Elementary School in Toledo.
Just inches away hangs the photo of Luken Boyle, a 14-year-old who died by suicide seven years ago as a result of cyberbullying. His picture serves as a reminder of the severe consequences of unkindness.
The second-floor classroom has become the 21st “kindness room” in northwest Ohio. The room has been designed to provide a space for students, faculty, staff, and community volunteers to express creativity and support each other, especially in response to bullying.
“Our first room is at Central Catholic … and it just became this wonderful space that kids just were drawn to, and they felt safe, and they felt included,” said Samantha Boyle, mother of Luken.
The kindness room is available during school hours and features a variety of things to make crafts, books on kindness, conversation tables, and walls bearing pictures and plaques with inspirational quotes about the importance of kindness.