The Power of Real-Life Kind Stories
March 5th, 2026
By Amelia Saris, Kind News™ Manager –
I feel like I hear it more and more lately: Why does this world seem so harsh? Why are we seeing so much animal cruelty? What can we do about bullying? It can leave many who care about animals and children alike feeling discouraged and powerless. Where do we begin?
Though there isn’t a simple solution, I think we have the power to create change. Simply put – it starts with teaching the next generation. That’s why we’re working to #SpreadKindNews, starting at RedRover.
That’s what inspired me to become an elementary school teacher many years ago, and what spurred me to bring what I learned from teaching to my current position as Manager of Kind News, RedRover’s children’s publication about animals.
As a K-12 teacher, I had to help kids learn strategies for impactful writing – what makes a piece compelling. “Show. Don’t tell. Make your reader feel like they were there, too.”
That is the magic of Kind News magazine: Kind News shows heartwarming stories of animals being rescued, and engages kids with tales of Humane Heroes – children, like them, who make helping animals a reality. Rather than telling kids what to think, it asks them what they think: encouraging them to draw their own conclusions about animals and how to treat them.
During my 11 years working with this magazine, I have heard from educators time and time again about the power of stories to inspire kindness in kids. And what’s even more exciting? Teachers tell us how children then turn that compassion into action.
“My second grade students connect with the articles about animals and how people are helping them,” Heather Stewart of Lake Tapps, Washington, tells us. “It allows them to realize ways that they can help animals and make a difference.”
Pam Ellis, K-4 teacher in Joliet, Illinois, reports: “Kind News brings the animal kingdom into my classroom. My students enjoy reading, hearing, seeing and connecting with students like them and most importantly how to respect and love animals. Many of my students may never visit a zoo or an animal sanctuary, and Kind News has brought this unique experience to them.”
Cites a third grade teacher in Victorville, California: “[After reading Kind News], my students show more empathy regarding the importance of animals and what roles they play in the community. A few of them said that over the summer, they want to volunteer at shelters or other places to help animals out!”
“When [my students] see young kids doing things to help animals or the planet, I think they feel that they can also do something similar to help,” says a third grade teacher in Kingwood, West Virginia. “They sometimes even come up with their own ideas on how to help animals in different ways.”
Trisha Schlachter, middle school teacher from Sherwood, Ohio, summed it up: “Empathy is an emotion that is best learned through life experiences or reading about true life experiences, like those found in Kind News.”
At RedRover we believe pets are family, and we know you agree. You have the power to make an impact! Help us create a kinder world today: Join us in spreading the power of Kind News.
