FARMINGTON – A group of 100 seventh-graders at Mt. Blue Middle School have learned that random acts of kindness can make a huge difference in someone’s life.

They’ve also learned that kind acts, large and small, that benefit others can hold a key to their own happiness.

An assignment to perform three acts of kindness over Christmas vacation has become the norm.

“We’re just doing it naturally now,” Danika Morin said.

“Giving kindness comes back to me 10 times over,” classmate Sarita Crandall said.

After recognizing the students’ compassion for others, teachers Jayne Flagg, Mark Simpson, Joel Smith and Maureen Oswald decided to capitalize on it, Oswald said.

Awareness of the impact of simple acts of kindness – holding a door for someone or using a teacher’s name when the student says hello – turned into a long-term study called the philanthropy project.

Students were asked to see what they could do to make an impact on the lives of others or the community. The project includes subject areas such as language arts, social studies, science and math and will be graded. Students proposed projects to the teachers, who helped guide their plans and they were asked to make a movie of their project to show parents in May.

The projects vary from walking dogs for the animal shelter to visiting residents of the Pierce House, each requiring volunteer time and energy as a group or individual.

Born in Micronesia, Hanna Deon, along with partner Amanda Moody collected more than $1,000 in donations, bought school supplies locally and sent 10 boxes of supplies to underprivileged schools on a small island called Yap.

Crandall was part of a group that spent eight hours helping the Children’s Task Force set up a father-daughter dance in Phillips. Morin created handmade pillows for Wilton’s Early Childhood Center’s auction this Friday.

Sam Jones, along with his father, walked an active animal shelter dog named Spike, while Courtney Austin’s group was collecting stuffed animals to donate so police can comfort children during a traumatic incidents.

Learning about the lives of residents of Pierce House enriched the lives of Emily Rice, Sarah Wade and Eli Cohen as they visit there every Friday afternoon.

Mason Kinsey and his family picked up trash, cans and bottles along roadsides while Silas Rogers and Sophia Burnell played music for residents of local nursing homes.

“Once we learned the definition of philanthropy it took a little effort and some time,” Morin said, explaining how it also made the students feel better to help.

“It’s a life skill … giving back and seeing the little things in life. It’s something we’re going to need again … doing little things like adults do,” Silas Rogers said.

Each day the students amaze Oswald as they share the random acts they perform, she said.

Tuesday, some students left the comfort zone of their friends and their usual lunch table to sit with another student who was sitting alone, she said.