What IS the Humanity Project?

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

OK, good question. We still hear it a lot: “What is the Humanity Project?” Because we’re quite different from many other nonprofits. Most nonprofit organizations have a single main goal: To feed the homeless, for example, or help disaster victims.

Not THP. Basically, our mission involves putting a profound idea to practical social use. We try to transform a deep psychological insight about human beings into programs that work in the real everyday world. So what is that deep insight, that profound idea? It is this: Every single human being thrives or withers based on a constantly evolving self-image. If that sounds vague, it isn’t. Here’s what I mean. All people feel a powerful fundamental need to believe that we have value as individuals, that our own life is worth something to society.

As the great philosopher and psychologist William James expressed the thought — “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Among many other thinkers over the centuries, Freud recognized this and called it the desire to be great. That basic concept forms the foundation for everything the Humanity Project does. Then we compare society’s needs with our organization’s pool of talent. That is, we review the experience, skills and knowledge of those folks working for the Humanity Project, exploring areas where we can most effectively create innovative programs based on the need for individual value. If you look more deeply at any of our programs, that’s what you will find.

Our acclaimed Anti-bullying Through The Arts program turns bystander schoolkids into a force that exerts positive peer pressure on bullies — because even bullies want to feel appreciated in some way or other. They may try to seem tough or cool or funny or whatever, seeking approval from other kids. Our program teaches bystanders how to constructively show bullies their behavior is unacceptable.

With our I Care: Just Let Me Drive program, we rely on the strong teen need for friendship and acceptance, tapping into this through a special teen-created book and website that help young drivers concentrate more effectively on the road.

And on our website, www.thp4kids.com, older students who have dealt with bullying, sexual identity issues, social isolation and other common youth problems made engaging videos, music, blogs, poetry, games and more. The site offers a unique online friend to tweens and teens who need positive advice and a greater sense of individual value, as you can see for yourself by visiting some of its main features. In addition to these programs, the Humanity Project also has an original philosophy for daily life, something called “shared value.” Like our group, it is empirically based, practical and effective. You’ll read about shared value if you open the “About” menu tab above. We’re very proud of the work we’re doing … and we know it’s only the beginning. We hope you may want to learn much more about the Humanity Project and join our growing team of sponsors, partners, members, volunteers and friends.

Paper Connections for Kids

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

(Editor’s Note: This post is adapted from the October 2013 Humanity Project email newsletter, Humanity News. You can sign up to receive the free newsletter once each month by clicking on the “Go” button in the right-hand column of this home page under “Sign up for our Email Newsletter.” We ask only for your email address.)

Even in our Internet world, important communication still is done the old-fashioned way. On paper. It puts something more permanent into a person’s hands, giving them the chance to pass it along to others. That’s exactly what the Humanity Project is doing with our two newest programs.

The bookmark pictured here is now part of our campaign to spread the word among tweens and teens about www.thp4kids.com — our all-original, teen-created online resource for socially isolated youth, including many in the LGBT community. (There’s a cool photo and other stuff on the back of these bookmarks too!) Then there’s our I Care: Just Let Me Drive books that are the centerpiece of the Humanity Project’s teen driver safety program. We just printed 1,100 copies as a good start to get them into South Florida high schools. We hope for additional funding so we can spread these programs far beyond Florida. We know thp4kids can give badly needed emotional support to thousands of lonely, confused youngsters … and that I Care will save young lives. These paper bookmarks and books are spreading the word among those kids who can benefit most.

Ideas That Matter

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

Have you visited the Humanity Project “Quotes” page lately? You should. It is updated on the first of each month with five positive, thoughtful quotes from great minds. Some of these come from the mouths or pens of famous people. Some come from folks you may not be familiar with.

Here is one of those, a quotation we discovered by an Indian spiritual teacher named Osho, who lived from 1931 to 1990: “The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” We think Osho was right — and here at the Humanity Project, we believe the best way to free ourselves of this obsession with the opinion of others is to focus our attention away from ourselves, instead concentrating our efforts on helping people. That may sound paradoxical but it works. When we take our attention off our personal fears and worries to focus outward on what we can do for others, we somehow don’t dwell on their opinion of us so much. We simply do what we can to help.

Anyway, this blog is really about quotes, isn’t it? But you get the idea. The wisdom offered on our “Quotes” page is worth checking out each month — and worth taking some time to think about.  To see our monthly batch of five quotations just look above at the “Quotes” menu tab and give it a click. In October, you’ll find inspiring ideas by such notables as Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie and Henry David Thoreau. All the quotations are appropriate in some way to the Humanity Project’s mission and innovative programs, a collection of ideas that matter. We think you’ll enjoy reading them.

Anti-Bullying is Back

Teaching anti-bullying on September 20, 2013

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

Last week the Humanity Project returned to the kids! Each autumn we take our acclaimed Anti-bullying Through The Arts program into elementary schools around South Florida … and we continue delivering this program to students right through the end of the school year in the spring.

On September 20, lots of students at Endeavor Primary Learning Center in Lauderhill, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale, got to enjoy our first presentations of the 2013-2014 academic year. And they had the opportunity to learn an important lesson too: “Bullying hurts everyone in this school … and it takes everyone to stop it!” That is the mantra that’s repeated and demonstrated throughout our program, reinforced by our anti-bullying books and posters and music. We’re told that the 400 kids who saw Anti-bullying Through The Arts at Endeavor were attentive and responsive, just as the students were last year when we visited.

Yes, this was a return trip for us. We were invited back by school guidance counselor, Sherine P. Davis, who wanted to make sure we reached her new kids. As she wrote to us in an email before this second visit to the school, “Our students really enjoyed your presentation last school year and throughout the year and even during my classroom presentations. It was evident that they paid much attention to your presentation as they referenced and used quotes from your presentation.” Thanks, Sherine! Our pre/post tests show that the program is highly effective — but it’s great to get added confirmation direct from the classrooms. It’s always nice to hear positive remarks about the Humanity Project’s efforts to improve our complex society. Fortunately, we hear such kind words fairly often. But when the schools ask you to come back year after year, you know you must be doing something right.

A Special Woman at a Special Place

Lotsy Dotsy in the Podcast studio

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

If you’ve never listened to our free Humanity Project Podcast, now is a good time to start. Because you’ll hear a conversation with a remarkable woman: Lotsy Dotsy, otherwise known as Linda Herbert. She is the longtime clown at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in South Florida, where the Humanity Project is headquartered. Click here for a link to that podcast. 

As you can imagine, our chat with Lotsy is both touching and inspiring. And it comes at a good time. That’s because Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is sponsoring the work of the Humanity Project for the third consecutive year now. And we are very grateful. JDCH is among key sponsors of our Anti-bullying Through The Arts program. They also are sponsors of our truly innovative I Care: Just Let Me Drive teen-driver safety program. As partners, we work together to get these programs to as many young people as possible. We value our association with this important health care organization, which provides patient and family-centered care.0

Click to learn more about JDCH. A big thanks to our wonderful friends there … especially Lotsy Dotsy. She helps to make this world a more joyful place.

A New Friend, a New Partner

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

The Humanity Project is very pleased to announce a new friend today. The Fred Gellert Family Foundation has joined our impressive list of sponsors and community partners. This fine foundation, in their own words, “funds innovative programs that encourage a sustainable quality of life for present and future generations.”

Of course, innovation is among the qualities for which the Humanity Project is best known. Indeed the words “innovative programs” are written into our mission statement. We believe that the Fred Gellert Family Foundation is a wonderful match for our efforts — and that we can help further the important goals established by the Fred Gellert Family Foundation. Win-win, which is another hallmark of everything the Humanity Project does.

This foundation was established in 1958 by Fred Gellert, who made a big name for himself in the San Francisco Bay area as a developer and home builder. And as a philanthropist. Now his organization takes its place beside other respected names that provide the lifeblood financial support to the Humanity Project. They include State Farm, Sears, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Broward Sheriff’s Office, Children’s Services Council of Broward County, Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, Dr. David Sharaf and Skin and Cancer Associates and the Center for Cosmetic Enhancement, Barry University and Google, among others. We are proud to work alongside Mr. Gellert and his family’s generous foundation. And we look forward to many years of innovative, effective  action together toward a better world for all.

Read the Humanity News

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

This is going to be a brief post today, For a couple of good, short reasons: First, it’s Labor Day and we don’t want you to labor much as you read. It’s supposed to be a day of rest in the United States, right? (And if you’re reading this outside the U.S., as many of our friends will be, we urge you to relax today as well!)

Second, this blog is here to suggest that you sign up for our free monthly Humanity News email newsletter, which itself always is brief. Quite intentionally so. We know you lead busy lives in a demanding, hectic society. We try to put together our newsletters so each one requires no more than 180 seconds, just three minutes or less, to read. In return, you’ll find information about our genuinely innovative programs and the great sponsors who make our programs possible … along with other inspiring stories and quotes.

So what do you need to do to get these newsletters? Not much, honestly. Just give us your email address. Nothing more complicated than that. Look in the right hand column of this website, below our Humanity Project “thinking head” logo. See where it says, “Sign up for our Email Newsletter”? Click the “Go” button and add your email address. That’s it. You won’t get email pitches for money and we won’t add you to other email lists you don’t want to be on. Nope. But you will get a good smile on the first Monday of each month — and perhaps some positive feelings to begin your week.

Welcome, Barry University!

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

Today the Humanity Project announces an important new partnership. Barry University in Miami, Florida, has officially joined with us to help take our two newest programs to the teens and tweens who most need them.

As you may know, those programs are our innovative teen driver safety program called I Care/Just Let Me Drive (www.thehumanityproject.com/icare) and our website for socially isolated students called thp4kids, which stands for The Humanity Project 4 Kids (www.thp4kids.com). Both were created by talented high school students for their peers and, in the case of thp4kids, for younger students too.

State Farm is the major sponsor for these programs, providing the funding that allowed us to create them. Now our friends at Barry University will commit some of their sociology majors to bring both I Care and thp4kids into South Florida high schools and middle schools during the current academic year. Part of their efforts will focus on making sure I Care and thp4kids reach many more students. But Barry’s sociology majors also will conduct research to establish the effectiveness of the programs and to identify any areas where we may be able to make improvements.

A huge thanks to Dr. Laura Finley, VP of the Humanity Project Board of Directors, for helping to head up this work in her role as assistant professor of sociology and criminology at Barry University. Like Laura herself, Barry University believes in the importance of service aimed at establishing greater justice in our society. Laura is a longtime peace activist with a special interest in ending violence toward women. Barry U indeed has hosted some of her events and often is the site of meetings and activities intended to encourage a more peaceful world. In addition, the university was recognized for the third consecutive year in 2013 by Forbes magazine as one of “America’s Top Colleges.” We’re proud of our new association with Barry University and welcome them to the Humanity Project family of community-minded sponsors and partners. Now the real work begins, engaging kids with our new programs. We’ll keep you posted on our progress in the months ahead.

Charter for Compassion

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

We are pleased to announce a new Humanity Project collaboration. It is with a respected worldwide organization called the Charter for Compassion International. We were honored that they extended an invitation to the Humanity Project to join their coalition, which includes more than 150 cities and 300 other partners working to take compassionate action that improves lives.

Among the many notables who have signed the Charter for Compassion are Muhammad Ali, Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Paul Simon, Quincy Jones, Deepak Chopra and Queen Noor of Jordan. The Humanity Project is in good company indeed. You can take a look at their website for yourself, and sign the charter while you’re there: Visit the Charter For Compassion website.

As the good folks at Charter For Compassion explain, the charter is a document now signed by nearly 100,000 people worldwide, transcending religion, ideology, politics and other differences among us. Instead this project aims to bring compassionate thinking and especially compassionate action into the real everyday world.

To quote from the Charter, “Compassion is the principled determination to put ourselves in the shoes of the other, and lies at the heart of all religious and ethical systems.” We agree. Despite the relatively small things that divide us as human beings, we have far more in common than we have differences. As individuals, we all need to feel a sense of our own worth. We all want to be healthy. We all want a network of close family and friends. We experience much the same emotions as everyone else, something that great works of art demonstrate to us. We share a common humanity. At the Humanity Project, this belief is among our core ideas. Just look at the PeacePage, a special photo gallery you’ll find listed on the website menu above this blog. The faces of those people from all seven continents show us what we see every time we look into the mirror. We are each fundamentally the same. The Charter For Compassion is helping more of us to recognize this underlying humanity — and to act on it. The Humanity Project is proud to now be part of that effort.

Taking Care of the Kids

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

The Humanity Project took part in a fun family event this past weekend: Baby Love & Family Expo. It was put on by our wonderful sponsor, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. 

Above, you see a photo of our volunteer, Gwendolyn Lai, helping one of the many kids who stopped by our booth at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center on Saturday. We had puzzles for the young kids, advice and information for the parents. From us, adults learned how to stop school bullying.

Elsewhere at the huge expo, they heard about other important topics such as healthy habits for families and poison prevention. There was music, there were arts and crafts. Kids got fake tattoos and sat down to hear storytelling sessions. The remarkable clown named Lotsy Dotsy also was around to entertain the children. Lotsy is a special woman who’s employed by JDCH to help sick kids feel better — and she will soon be our special podcast guest at the Humanity Project. We’ll let you know when that program is available on our podcast page.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital recently renewed their sponsorship of the Humanity Project for the third consecutive year and we’ll be telling you more about that before long too. For now, we hope you’ll enjoy knowing that something like this expo took place … an event designed to bring families together in a spirit of fun and learning. For more information about Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, just check out this link: http://www.jdch.com. We are proud to be sponsored by such a fine organization, one of many that provide the funding and support the Humanity Project requires to offer all of our programs to the public — for free. Thanks, JDCH!

Team Up to Stop Bullying

POSTED BY: BOB KNOTTS

The Humanity Project is a proud member of the Team Up To Stop Bullying coalition, a group of groups, really. It was put together by the long-respected Sears brand, which also is a Humanity Project sponsor. So we want to tell you about a promotion going on from August 11 through September 7.

If you visit your local Sears store during that time, you can help the Humanity Project and the other fine organizations that work to stop bullying around the United States. Just purchase the denim sports bag you see in this photo. The cost is only $5 and Sears will donate $1 of the purchase price to Team Up to Stop Bullying. Plus, Shop Your Way℠ members get a coupon to earn $5 back in points (5,000 points) on your next qualifying purchase of $5 or more.

There’s another way you can put money in the Team Up To Stop Bullying pot, helping the Humanity Project and our fellow anti-bullying groups. You can enter a free sweepstakes to win a pair of signed “Kardashian Kollection” jeans at this link: Enter the Sears sweepstakes. For each entry, Sears will donate $1 to Team Up to Stop Bullying. Our coalition of anti-bullying organizations is dedicated to connecting students, parents and educators directly to solutions they can immediately use.

Learn more about Team Up To Stop Bullying at the Sears website: Visit Team Up To Stop Bullying website. We’re grateful for the assistance of Sears in the battle to stop school bullying. Our own acclaimed program, Anti-bullying Through The Arts, teaches elementary schoolkids a simple lesson: That bullying hurts everyone in a school and it takes everyone to stop it. The support from Sears and other great Humanity Project sponsors make our program possible. Thank you!

THP: A Look Back in Pics

Among many high school staffers who worked on our new thp4kids.com this year.

(Editor’s Note: This post is adapted from the July 2013 Humanity Project email newsletter, Humanity News. You can sign up to receive the free newsletter once each month by clicking on the “Go” button in the right-hand column of this home page under “Sign up for our Email Newsletter.” We ask only for your email address.)

We’ve all earned a little time to chill during another hot summer. For the Humanity Project, the school year is a busy period — and the coming 2013-2014 session looks like no exception. So as we end July, we decided to do something we’ve never done. Here’s a blog made up of some of the memorable pics from major moments in the Humanity Project’s nearly eight-year history. They’re fun, engaging and just right for a warm summer day. Thanks so much for taking a look.

Our Anti-bullying Through The Arts has reached more than 14,000 kids so far!

The new I Care website home page

A few members of our University of Miami I Care design team.

11/16/08: First mass kids march against bullying in the United States ... organized and led by the Humanity Project.