LIBBY, Mont.–A “Kind is the New Cool” program aimed at kids here and launched by a survivor of the 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Festival in Las Vegas has received support from Lincoln County Credit Union.
“Life-altering events tend to spark change, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad,” LCCU said. “After surviving the 2017 Route 91 Festival shooting in Las Vegas, Libby resident Teri Noble was determined not to let the core-shaking event catapult her life into turmoil. Instead, she wondered how someone like the shooter could become so broken, and after her grandson was bullied on the school bus, Noble realized kindness is a small act that can make a big difference in someone’s life.”
In response, Noble worked with Libby Elementary School to launch ROAR, which stands for “Respect, Organization, Attitude, Responsibility.”
With $5,000 of her own money, Noble seeded #KindIsTheNewCool, a program to reward students for demonstrating kindness around the school. Teachers wear #KindIsTheNewCool t-shirts on Mondays, which is when student names are called over the intercom to be recognized for kind acts they performed during the week. Those students may then take a trip to the principal’s office to choose a prize—such as movie passes, ice cream cones, #KindIsTheNewCool swag—all donated by community partners like Lincoln County Credit Union (LCCU).
“I love this program,” said Libby Elementary School Principal, Kaide Dodson. “It recognizes the good in our students and provides a way to share it with others to observe and learn from.”
Added Lindsay Beaty, president and CEO of LCCU, “Teri reached out to us for support as a member of our credit union, and as soon as we heard about the initiative we knew we wanted become not just a financial supporter, but a real partner in this movement.”
Students also recently visited the credit union for a tour and a talk about managing money. They decorated ornaments for the branch Christmas tree and received a goodie bag to take home. Staff at LCCU plan to wear their #KindIsTheNewCool t-shirts every Monday to spread the word and support the teachers and students at Libby Elementary School, the credit union said.
With the success of #KindIsTheNewCool at Libby Elementary, Noble hopes to bring the program to surrounding elementary schools and has her eyes set on the community of Troy next. Her goal is to see entire communities support the idea of modeling kindness to youngsters through positive reinforcement and leading by example.
Noble was presented with a donation of $500 from LCCU to keep the program running at Libby Elementary in 2019. The initiative costs $5,000 to run each year.