IAK Foundation
Intentional Acts of Kindness Foundation
604-433-2425
IAK projects are products of the wonderfully creative minds of children who know no boundaries. Once children are engaged and empowered, there is no end to the energy and enthusiasm they can input into a project.
The following are some of the projects IAK supported:
A Grade 5 class at South Slope School was asked to brainstorm to come up with some ideas that would use kindness to build relationships in their community.
After many days of thinking they had quite the list of possible projects. They decided that their goal was to plan an event where they could get to know the grade 5 class at another school in Burnaby.
Once the goal was solidified, then they had to come up with a project that would make that happen. Together they discussed various possible projects and after much discussion, they decided on one they would like to carry out.
Their Intentional Act of Kindness was to surprise the Grade 5 students at Edmonds school with an Ice Cream party. They had to figure out what tasks needed to be done before, during and after the event. With IAK funds, the South Slope students went shopping to get the necessary supplies. They created a questionnaire they would use to connect with the Edmonds students. In planning for the party, the students made a list of jobs that needed to be done at the party. It was organized so that each of the South Slope students had a job to do (scooping out the ice cream sprinkling on the candies, adding the syrup etc.)
Ice cream stations w
ere secretly set up in the Edmond’s school gym and when the Edmonds students entered the gym – surprise! South Slope students were serving them ice cream. Tables were set up with South Slope students on one side and Edmonds students on the other. Their plan was to get to know the person sitting across from them and become penpals. So while they were eating their ice cream, they had a pre planned list of questions to ask their counterpart. They asked things like “If you could be a super hero who would you like to be?”, “What is your favorite movie?” What do you do in your spare time?...
By the end of the event, girls were hugging and saying “You are going to be my best friend when we meet again in high school.” Boys were chasing each other.
Boundaries were broken, friendships were made.
The students who were the recipients of the Surprise Ice Cream party, wanted to pay it forward. They got together to brainstorm and to come up with an idea for an Intentional Act of Kindness they could do in their neighbourhood.
They soon had an idea and starting planning their project.
Then one afternoon in December, 40+ students hit the streets of east Burnaby to hand out gifts to anyone and everyone they could; holiday cards, candy canes, warm toques, gloves
and smiles...
The first Pumpkin Patch made its way to South Slope School in 2012. This was in the days before the IAK foundation existed. But Chris and Daniella's 10 year old daughter had a friend who had mobility issues and as a result had never been to a pumpkin patch. Their daughter thought this was a perfect opportunity to do an 'Intentional Act of Kindness' and she asked her parents if they could help her bring a pumpkin patch to her friend.
And so it began.
Now, 12 pumpkin patches later, 8,000 pumpkins, gallons of hot chocolate, thousands of bags of popcorn, bubbles, music, laughter and hundreds of community members have made their way to school fields throughout Burnaby.