'Be nice to somebody': Island school joins Compassion It campaign

Students at East Wiltshire school in Cornwall, P.E.I., kicked off a new campaign today called Compassion It, joining an international anti-bullying campaign that started in the U.S.

"It's all about trying to be nice to somebody at least once a day," explained grade 9 student Matt Nicholson.

• Charlottetown students set school's anti-bullying motto to music

Students in a grade 8 health class were introduced to the program last year by teacher Lindsay Cusack. It was so successful the students, now in grade 9, are introducing it to the entire school.

"We noticed East Wiltshire was a lot happier and we noticed a lot of compassion actions going around,something as simple holding the door open for someone, picking up their books or helping someone with their work," said student Jaidyn Gallant.

White wristbands show good deeds

As part of the campaign, students and staff will all be wearing special wristbands. They have the words "Compassion It" on them and one side is black and the other white.

"You start on the black side of the bracelet and whenever you do something nice for yourself or for anyone, like picking up their books or opening a door, you flip it over to the white side and hopefully that will encourage people around you to also do compassionate things," added Nicholson.

The goal is that everyone in the school has the wristbands flipped to the white side by the end of each school day.

"It's light encouragement because you don't want people to see you having the black bracelet," said Nicholson.

Empathy and self-compassion

"It makes them think what can I do to make someone else's day better, what can I do to be compassionate," said student Will MacKinnon.

"It allows them to slow down and think not only about empathy and an action for others but to also think about self-compassion and ways that they can look after themselves," said Cusack.

As well as the wristbands, there is also a Compassion It wall in the school lobby, where students respond to the question: What Makes You Happy?

Challenging other schools

The staff and students at East Wiltshire say they are the first school on P.E.I. to be part of the Compassion It campaign, and they're challenging other Island schools to join them.

The program runsall year and will also include a Compassion It club, where the students doing good deeds out in the community, like raking leaves and shovelling snow.

"It's a pretty proud moment," said Cusack.

"They're a fantastic group of students and I really think the idea's going to catch on quickly."

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | Charlottetown youth report calls for better policing, moving farmers market
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS | 'Talk about it, talk about it': Flash mob dances for mental-health awareness