Vilseck Students Build Bonds Across Grades During Kindness Fest
Vilseck, Germany--This October Vilseck Elementary School and Vilseck High School teamed up for our 3rd annual Kindness Fest! The focus of tour Kindness Fest is to allow students to experience the joy of helping others, understanding empathy, and building a sense of community through play, fun activities, and games. Elementary students were paired up with high school students for a day of fostering connection, empathy, and leadership.
The students at Vilseck Elementary cherish this special opportunity to connect with high school mentors. The event fosters meaningful relationships, with some high schoolers leaving such a lasting impression that elementary students eagerly anticipate partnering with them again next year. Many elementary students even recognize their high school buddies around the community and proudly remember them as their Kindness Fest friend.
One elementary student shared, “I really bonded with my buddy through the activities.”
A Vilseck Elementary School teacher added, “Our students love it. We wish it could grow into something even bigger—where each student is paired with a high school buddy for the entire year, with regular visits and check-ins throughout.”
Students at Vilseck High School treasured the opportunity to connect with their elementary counterparts. VHS student Audrianna shared, “What I enjoy most about Kindness Fest is getting to know your kid. They start to feel like a little sibling when you learn about their favorite hobbies or snacks. Overall, I'm certain it's fun for all parties and lets the kids know that the community around them is safe and loving.”
VHS student Sadie added, ““During the Kindness Fest I had a lot of fun interacting with the children and learning more skills on responsibility and how to better take care of kids and help kids my age also develop these important skills.”
ASACS Counselor and Coordinator of the Kindness Fest, Delci Harding, spoke to the value of having community support for this kind of event as well as the value of events like this to the young people we serve: “The support from teachers and the effort that community organizations put into creating activities for them shows students that they matter. Kindness Fest is important because it gives kids a chance to just be kids. It also gives our high school students an opportunity to take responsibility for the care of another person, while the elementary school kids get to feel special and seen.”
Kindness Fest is more than just a day—it’s a celebration of connection, mentorship, and the power of small acts to make a big impact.
