Who We Are

To develop a generation of compassionate young leaders who create positive change for people, animals, and the natural world — because kindness, when it is lived fully, transforms everything it touches. 

Young people are extraordinary. We treat them that way.

At LivingKind, we believe every young person deserves an education that awakens their sense of purpose — and gives them real tools to act on it. Our programs are built on a powerful conviction: when students are trusted with real challenges and given real support, they rise. With creativity. With compassion. With courage.

We call this humane education — a proven approach that weaves together academic rigor, ethical reflection, and hands-on action. Students don't just learn about the world's challenges. They investigate local food systems, advocate for animals, design sustainability projects, and launch community initiatives that create real, measurable change.

This approach is especially transformative in under-resourced communities, where young people often face the greatest barriers — and yet bring the most energy, ingenuity, and heart to the work. LivingKind meets them there, with an unwavering belief that every student has something powerful to offer the world.

The impact ripples far beyond the classroom. Students gain the critical thinking, collaboration skills, and confidence to speak up for what matters. They stop seeing themselves as bystanders — and start showing up as problem-solvers, community builders, and compassionate stewards of a more humane world.

We believe in the hero inside every young person.

LivingKind exists to help young people find it — and act on it. We support youth in developing the strategies, skills, and confidence to build communities that are kinder, more equitable, and more sustainable — for people, animals, and the planet alike. We don't just inspire. We equip.

Animal Connections The bond between a child and an animal is often where empathy is born.

LivingKind builds on that bond. By exploring the deep connections between all living beings and the natural world — and addressing the root causes of harm — we help young people develop compassion that grows outward: from animals, to people, to entire ecosystems. That compassion becomes awareness. That awareness becomes action. And that action changes communities.

Social and Emotional Learning Skills that last a lifetime, sparked by issues that matter right now.

LivingKind's SEL programming connects young people to real-world animal and environmental challenges that make learning feel urgent and meaningful. Students learn to communicate clearly, listen deeply, collaborate across differences, and challenge their own assumptions — not in the abstract, but in the context of causes they genuinely care about. The result is learning that sticks, and leadership that grows.

Developing Compassion and Empathy In a world that moves fast, we teach young people to slow down and truly see each other.

Our programs help students develop the empathy and ethical reasoning that are essential to navigating today's world — and to making it more just. When young people learn to think carefully about the impact of their choices on others — human and animal alike — they become more thoughtful, more humane, and more powerful in everything they do.

The numbers are clear. The change is real.

LivingKind's impact has been independently validated by Fordham University and CUNY College of Staten Island — confirming that students in our programs show significant, measurable gains in empathy, prosocial behavior, critical thinking, and leadership.

In 2024, through the Youth INC Metrics Program using Hello Insight — a nationally recognized SEL evaluation tool — our results were striking:

• 100% of students reported overall program satisfaction

• 100% showed growth in at least one SEL capacity

• 71% demonstrated improvement in two or more SEL areas

• In Texas: 88% engaged authentically; 100% made measurable gains in social skill development

Educators consistently report students returning kinder, more confident, and ready to lead. Many go on to take action in their schools and communities — advocating for animals, the environment, and one another.

LivingKind has earned national recognition including the Best Humane Education Website for Inspiration (APHE, 2023), Excellence in Humane Education Award (Humane Education Coalition, 2018), the Animal Welfare Education Award (Pet Philanthropy Circle, 2016), and the Spirit of Giving Award (Communities in Schools, 2015).

The world needs kindness for a change. LivingKind is where it starts.

We are living through a moment of profound challenge — for people, for animals, for the planet. And yet we believe, deeply, that young people hold the key to a better future. Not someday. Now.

LivingKind brings together humane education, social-emotional learning, and real-world action in a way that is rare, proven, and urgently needed. We address animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and human connection — not as separate causes, but as one integrated commitment to a more compassionate world.

When you invest in LivingKind, you invest in young people who don't just learn to care — they learn to lead. Who don't just feel the weight of the world's problems — they develop the courage, creativity, and skills to solve them.

This is what living kind looks like. Join us.