• Wholeheartedly recommend your programs Catherine - we love having you at Corpus! I can totally see the difference in the way the Year 9's think about themselves and others after their work with you.

    Teacher, Corpus Christi College

  • “It made my heart burst with happiness. I saw that it encouraged others to repeat the good deeds they had experienced themselves. I loved doing it because it created a more positive community and connected us with all the people we gave our boxes too. “

    Year 9 student, St Mark’s Anglican Community School

  • “What would a more compassionate world look like? It would look like smiles and hugs. It would sound like laughter and thanks. It would feel like peace and joy.”

    Year 7 student, Iona Presentation College

  • “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before!”

    Community Recipient, Westfield Whitford City

  • “Now I am noticing acts of kindness from watching TV as a family to how my girls interact with each other. It is a mindset and a lens to our lives.”

    Parent, Santa Maria College

  • “I noticed that over the four weeks my mood improved. I felt better.”

    Year 5 student, Santa Maria College

  • “J (Year 11) did his morning challenge. He didn’t look at his phone for an hour. He woke up, carried out his morning ritual and he looked at his phone just before he left for school. He wants to keep doing this for a month - he heard your message.”

    Deputy Principal, Corpus Christi College

  • “Because of The Kindness Challenge, my husband and I have adopted the theme of Kindness across all aspects of our daily lives. We feel closer, stronger and more positive in ourselves.”

    Parent, Santa Maria College

  • “The Kindness Challenge helped the Captains feel more connected and that we could actually make a difference in the world.”

    Year 12 Captain, Prendiville Catholic College

  • “With our little we can make a significant impact in someone’s life. It matters to the one.”

    Community Challenge Participant, Thailand

  • “I definitely feel like it has strengthened my rapport with students and it’s even led to banter with some of the students which ends up with both of us laughing.”

    Teacher, Applecross Senior High School

  • “You have this ability to create really deep connections with each students and make each of them feel important.”

    Deputy Principal, St Mark’s Anglican Community School

  • “When they were kind to me, for a moment it felt like everything stopped. I felt seen.”

    Year 11 Kindness Recipient

  • “We are just here to spread some love in the community.”

    Year 12 student, St Mark’s Anglican Community School

  • “Kindness feels like a party in my brain.”

    Year 4 student, Our Lady of Good Counsel

  • “It was magical seeing how people’s well-being changed in an instant.”

    Community Challenge Participant

Hi, I’m Catherine

The Kindness Challenge came about as a direct result of feedback I was getting from young people that the community work they were doing with me was having a positive effect on their own mental health. Over the last few years, when the world has felt out of control for so many of us, being involved in acts of compassion helped young people regain a bit of control, feel less anxious and belong.

Throughout my 30+ years as a social worker, working with trauma survivors, marginalised young people and in schools, I have seen many examples of people showing the best of humanity, compassion and connection in times of crises. Compassion has proven to be that magical key to mental health, and this program gives young people scientifically-proven skills to improve their wellbeing and mental health long-term.

 Last year I trialled The Kindness Challenge in six schools, with nearly 3500 participants across year groups, parents and staff. 80% of participants reported that their wellbeing improved as a direct result of doing The Kindness Challenge. This was an overwhelming response - and the testimonies below will give you some sense of just how impactful the Challenge were.

The Kindness Challenge formed the basis for my studies at Stanford University’s Center for Applied Compassion & Altruistic Research, building on my on-the-ground skills with cutting-edge knowledge from the best in the field. I am now proud to be one of Stanford’s global ambassadors for Applied Compassion and look forward to continuing their motto “Learning by Doing” in the year ahead.

In 2023, my hope is that The Kindness Challenge will reach even more young people so they embody this unique set of skills to have a positive life. I am looking forward to working with our new schools, parents and the wider community. If you would like to learn more, I would love to hear from you.