Did you know that the City of Anaheim is one of the kindest communities in the United States? In fact, as a finalist in the Reader’s Digest Nicest Places in America contest, Anaheim represents the state of California! City of Kindness Founder and Former Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait nominated the city, sharing how Anaheim strives to “Make Kindness Contagious.” We wanted to spotlight one way in which the residents of Anaheim are kind, so we connected with the team at Kindset to learn more about how they spread kindness.
Students in Anaheim know that kindness is conveyed by far more than an occasional random act. Anaheim Unified High School District (AUHSD) students at Anaheim High School, Cypress High School, Katella High School, Loara High School, Oxford Academy, and Savanna High School are running Kindset, a business that sells products to encourage kindness.
The name “Kindset” is a combination of the words “kindness” and “mindset,” as the students believe that “kindness should be a mindset and a way of life. Kindness is a universal act that affects everyone in the world. One simple act of kindness can change a person’s life and mindset for the better!” Kindset is offered through AUHSD’s AIME program, which stands for Anaheim’s Innovative Mentoring Experience. AIME connects students with local businesses and nonprofit organizations so that the students can participate in internships or gain work experience. `
The Kindset program primarily operates during summer break, when over the course of four weeks students who have been selected to participate work at the District Office and the Modern Gourmet Foods facility, which is a partner of the program. Students develop business plans and marketing strategies, create social media posts and plan new product releases, all of which exposes them to many facets of the real-life skills required to manage a business.
Now in its fourth year, the Kindset program has provided over 400 internship opportunities for students in AUHSD. Additionally, students gain new skills and insights from industry professionals within marketing, technology and computer design. Kindset has inspired many students to pursue careers in entrepreneurial fields and explore their passion for business. It also allows them to connect with professional partners and students from other schools in the area.
Kindset sells three different types of products on AUHSD campuses, and the entire operation is run by students assigned to three responsibility categories: Design Team, Marketing Team and Technology Team. One hundred percent of the proceeds go back to the schools to fund campus organizations, summer job opportunities and internships. Products include Kindness Cookies, Kindness Bracelets and Kindness Stickers.
Kindness Cookies come in packages of six. The Kindset team notes that many students choose to share them with friends at lunch, providing a sweet and simple way to embrace kindness. The packaging also comes with suggestions on how to spread kindness and inspirational quotes to further help students embrace kindness. With the upcoming release of the two newest products, Kindness Bracelets and Kindness Stickers, Kindset hopes to see even more kindness spread throughout school campuses and the city of Anaheim. The bracelets come in packs of two (one for the buyer and one for a friend) and the stickers are easily shared.
If you want to help Kindset and AUHSD students spread kindness while supporting campus organizations and work/internship opportunities, you can purchase Kindness Cookies, Kindness Bracelets or Kindness Stickers! Interested in voting for a “nice” city near you, head to the polls on the Reader’s Digest website here. Congrats to the City of Anaheim on your Reader’s Digest Nicest Places in America nomination!
