What I Wish They Knew
Studies have shown that helping children develop empathy is one of the greatest tools in raising them to be kind, good citizens of the world. To this aim, Kindness Grows Here has created the “What I Wish They Knew” project to help others learn how people have triumphed in the face of adversity. We are looking for personal stories from those who faced and overcome adversity with the goal of sharing these stories so others can learn from and be inspired by them.  Triumph is not merely defined as a grand accomplishment. Triumph can be as simple as being able to move forward, being able to love one’s self despite adversity, being able to stand firm in what you believe, and being willing to bravely share your story with others. We are looking for stories from those who have experienced racism, discrimination, bullying, or some other form of intolerance by others.  

We would like to know:
• What happened? What was the difficulty you faced?
• How did this make you feel? Was there a lasting impact?
• What advice do you have for others who have faced similar difficulties?
• What do you wish kids knew?

We will be combining the stories into a document that will be available online for parents, teachers, coaches, and other adults to utilize in working with children in a effort to teach empathy and understanding, and to help children understand the impact their words and actions have on others. As funds become available, we also plan to print hard copies of this resource that we will donate to schools and other organizations supporting children.  
If you are willing to share your story, please complete the form below. Thank you in advance for your bravery. This project is nothing without YOU!
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Your privacy is important to us.
We understand that some of these stories may be difficult to share. We also understand that depending on what happened, there may be fear in sharing. We are committed to respecting the privacy of those who bravely share their stories. We will not publish the names or identity of anyone wants to remain anonymous. However, we ask for some contact information for anyone who submits a response so that we can follow up if we have questions or want your input. We may need to edit some of the stories that are shared, and if we do that, we want to ensure that our edits still capture the full story in a way that is meaningful to the brave person who shared their story. You are not required to submit your name or contact information with your story. Just please know that not doing so may limit our ability to ensure we are sharing your story accurately.
First Name:  
Last name:
E-mail Address:
Phone number:
Your Preferred Pronouns: *
Age when this incident happened? *
Age you are now? *
Is there anything about yourself you feel that we should know before you share your story?
What happened? Tell us very factually what happened. Who said/did what? What exactly was said? Where were you? Who else was around? Did anyone step in? *
How did this incident make you feel? How did you feel as it was happening? How did it make you feel in the hours, days, weeks, months after it happened? Looking back now--maybe many many years later--how does it make you feel? What was the lasting impact of this incident? *
What do you wish kids knew? Maybe the person who caused you pain in this incident was a kid. What do you wish he/she/they knew? What do you want other kids to know about the way you were treated and its impact on you? What advice do you have for other kids who have been treated badly by others? *
If we choose to publish your story, would you like to remain anonymous? *
Permission to use all details of your story without any compensation in return:
By clicking "yes" below I give permission to Kindness Grows Here to publish my story in their "What I Wish They Knew" resources. However, I also understand that they may not be able to publish all the stories they receive. I understand that my story may appear in print, on-line (website, PDF download, social media posts, etc) or in other forms of publication. I understand that at no time will I be compensated for sharing my story. I understand that Kindness Grows Here is a non-profit organization. They will make all of the "What I Wish They Knew" materials available on-line for free. However, they may at times choose to sell the printed materials in order to cover the cost of printing or to raise funds for additional Kindness Grows Here programs.
I agree to allow Kindness Grows Here to use my story as detailed above. (If you can't agree to the above, please do not submit a story to Kindness Grows Here). *
Required
THANK YOU!
Thank you for so bravely sharing your story! We promise to use your story to help foster empathy in children with the goal of making the world a kinder, gentler place for all; A place where racism, discrimination, bullying, and other forms of intolerance are not tolerated.
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