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Cambridge Celebrates “Dude, Be Kind Week”
While educators in the Cambridge City School District always encourage students to be nice, to be friendly, and use their manners, the district is putting an added emphasis on being kind the week of Valentine’s Day. 

Cambridge Schools are partnering with Mid-East Career and Technology Centers to participate in “Dude, Be Kind Week” February 14 through 18.

The goal of Dude, Be Kind Week is to start conversations and create activities to promote kindness, gratitude and inclusiveness throughout the school and school community.

This initiative reminds people to be kind to everyone they interact with, especially people that are often an afterthought in everyday life.
“Dude, Be Kind Week” was founded by Muskingum Valley ESC Communications Coordinator Kim Tatman – now the communications director for Mid-East Career and Technology Centers – in 2017 after she and a friend were discussing the lack of kindness in the world. 
Dude, Be Kind Week hopes to inspire students and adults to build a positive community by recognizing a person or group in a fun, creative and meaningful way. 

Each school in the Cambridge District is promoting Dude, Be Kind Week by encouraging their students to do kind acts. Every day of the week has a theme that includes ideas like: Be Kind to Yourself, Give Someone a Compliment, Be Kind to Your Teachers and Staff, Random Acts of Kindness, and Be Kind to Our Planet. 

“This is positive approach to remind students and our community to be nice to one another,” Superintendent Dan Coffman said. “As educators we do this every day. But is great to have the message reinforced with a special week. I applaud Mid-East Career and Technology Centers for taking the lead on this initiative and for inviting us to be a part of it.”  

The Cambridge Board of Education passed a resolution at their Board meeting Thursday officially proclaiming Dude, Be Kind Week. 

Guernsey County Commissioners also are passing a similar resolution and have arranged for the Guernsey County Courthouse to be lit up in yellow to celebrate the week. Cambridge City Council plans to pass a similar proclamation during their meeting on Monday, Feb. 14. 
Local businesses, churches and other organizations are invited to join the initiative by sharing an encouraging message on their sign boards. 

The goal of Dude Be Kind Week is to counter negative actions and viewpoints with positivity and kindness by empowering staff members, students, and the community to think of creative ways to build each other up and to remind each other that we can all make a difference.