Kindness Curriculum is changing lives in 3000 Aussie schools

Northern beaches locals Kath Koschel and Jack Berne have teamed up to inspire a kindness revolution with their podcast One Small Act.

The podcast is aimed at primary school age children and centres on the Kindness Curriculum, and the development of 12 attributes of kindness: collaboration, compassion, empathy, trust, gratitude, honesty, humility, humour, mindfulness meditation, perspective, positivity, and self-acceptance.

Episodes are released monthly, and feature interviews and stories with children across the world who are helping to make the world a kinder place.

For Jack, 13, who lives just metres from Curl Curl Beach, the podcast is a dream come true after he first set about changing the world a few years ago.

When he was 10-years-old, he first heard the word 'drought' and wondered why farmers across Australia were suffering. But, rather than simply watch that program and flick to the one, Jack wanted to change things.

He organised a 'dress up like a farmer day' at his school and asked his classmates to donate $5 to help farmers.

In his words, the idea "went gangbusters" after that. "People were really listening and it got me really excited, because I was just this shy 10-year-old," he said.

Fast forward three years and his idea has become an official charity, A Fiver for a Farmer, and it's already raised $2.1 million to help struggling farmers.

Now a Year 8 student at St Augustine's College in Brookvale, Jack was looking for another challenge and said he jumped at the chance to work with Kindness Factory founder Kath Koschel.

The global kindness movement was born out of "one little story of never giving up" she said.

The 35-year-old former NSW cricketer started KF in 2015 following a run of horrific luck - she broke her back twice, was told she'd never walk again, faced having her leg amputated and lost the love of her life.

Back to the podcast, which Jack hosts, the duo admit they've been inspired by the children they've interviewed.

"It's impossible to listen to any of the episodes of One Small Act without just feeling incredible at the end of it, and just filled with hope that the future is in very good hands," Koschel said.

"Every month we uncover one of the attributes as the theme for the month. We kicked off with compassion and we've just done trust."

Jack has also been inspired by the children who are involved in the podcast each month.

"I've been talking to some really cool, young kids who are doing some amazing things," he said. "They're doing great things that you just wouldn't expect. It's just a great listen, it's good for everyone."

With the Kindness Curriculum, including the podcast, now in more than 3000 Australian schools, including 13 in the northern beaches, the program is also being rolled out across the US, UK and New Zealand.

A grant to extend the Kind Schools network and its Kindness Curriculum to 80 more Australian schools (including in the Beaches) is part of a partnership between ACM, publisher of the Northern Beaches Review, and the Kindness Factory.

Koschel said many of the podcast's messages are universal among children. "Things like bullying and social behaviour and even resilience for our kids from a mental health perspective," she said.

As the northern beaches duo get ready to record their next podcast, Koschel said she has a lot of hope for the future.

"Geez our kids are incredible, not just here in Australia but everywhere," she said.

"I think the next gen is genuinely something I'm excited to see what they can do. I think we're already starting to see it in terms of the influences like Greta Thunberg and how bold they are about change."

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