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“The leaders of NCF realized early on that there were generous communities of believers all around the country, and the best way to serve them wasn’t from a single, national office…”
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National Christian Foundation’s Jill Foley Turner discusses
Research-backed ways to share generosity with your kids
“Over the last 15 years, study after study has revealed the importance of sharing generosity at home. Research shows that children of generous parents become more generous adults. But that doesn’t often happen by accident.”
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The Power of Generosity: Oak City Academy
July 15, 2023
At Oak City Academy, our Upper Elementary (UE) students are continuing the Generous Classroom curriculum that we beta tested this year alongside the Christian non-profit, “I Like Giving.” Student lessons begin each day with a gratitude journal and teach that we can be generous in 7 ways - our thoughts, words, money, time, attention, influence, and belongings. This curriculum has changed the culture of our UE classroom and the language they use with each other in beautiful ways.
Last week during carpool, several students were buying treats from the High School Entrepreneurial business, “The Snack Shack.” A few students forgot their money and weren’t able to get a treat that day. One of the UE students noticed that three of his friends were not buying a treat. When he discovered that they forgot their money, he generously gave a dollar to each of those students from his own wallet. During their generosity class meeting, a student honored him for being generous... not only with his money but also with his attention! He noticed that other students forgot their money and were disappointed by that. This young man then sought to bless others through being generous with attention and money. We love hearing these stories of transformation and impact! Our ultimate desire is that OCA students would model the heart of Jesus in how they experience the multifaceted aspects of having generous hearts.
By Kari Breed, Oak City Academy Chief Visionary Officer
June 7, 2023 School’s Out … for the Summer! When I first heard Alice Cooper “scream” that song, I thought, “Summer here I come!” which I imagine is how every student and teacher feels come May!
This past April, we had the opportunity to host a thank you luncheon at the Angus Barn for teachers and educators from 18 different schools and home school groups across the Triangle. The food was delicious, and we all had the unique opportunity to hear from Brad and Laura Formsma, founders of Generous Classroom.
Generous Classroom was created to foster cultures of caring, kindness, and empathy in schools. How? By practicing generosity. Now we are not really talking about money here; generosity is so much more than just money.
Oak City Academy, a Christian Montessori school for students in grades K-8, introduced the Generous Classroom curriculum across the whole school and shared that it has transformed the school culture! As a result of their experience, Oak City Academy leadership adopted a new core value – “Joyful Communities are Generous and Grateful” – to reflect the centrality of the message and practices of generosity to their school community.
Generous Classroom teaches students about the following seven ways to be generous, motivating them to live out generosity with… 1. Thoughts, 2. Words, 3. Time, 4. Attention, 5. Influence, 6. Money, and 7. Belongings.
Which one of these sticks out to you? Which one can you “lean into” within yourself and grow within your spheres of influence – family, neighborhood, school, work, church?
We have all heard it said that “life is a journey.” At Generosity Triangle, we believe that generosity is a journey – one of the most important and transformational journeys we’re called to embark on in our lives. We invite you to join us in living openhearted and openhanded, generous lives!
Explore sample Generous Classroom lessons and learn more about how to bring this impactful program to your school!
Bringing Generosity to Triangle Classrooms
Tom and Mary Vande Guchte founded Generosity Triangle to inspire people of faith in the Triangle to experience the joy of living generously.