Creator of Kindness Ripples · Retired Educator & Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Leader
Meet Tracey
Hello, I’m Tracey Collins. I’m glad you’re here.
As a former classroom teacher, principal, and school system leader, I devoted my career to the education and well-being of children and families. Along the way, I helped develop and lead Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) initiatives in my classroom, throughout my school, and across hundreds of schools—always with kindness at the heart of the work.
I care deeply about how children experience the world—whether they feel seen, valued, supported, and connected to the people around them. Kindness Ripples is a continuation of that commitment.
I was inspired to create Kindness Ripples because I believe kindness has a wonderful way of traveling. A kind word, a helping hand, or a simple hello can touch someone in ways we may never fully see. That person may carry the feeling into another moment, another interaction, or another act of kindness.
Sometimes kindness begins because we notice someone needs a little care. Sometimes it begins simply because we want to put something good into the world. We don’t have to wait until something is wrong to begin a ripple of kindness.
Through stories, I hope to help children recognize those possibilities, experience the goodness of kindness, and discover their own ways to keep it going.
What Makes Kindness Ripples Different
We pay attention to what happens beyond the first act of kindness.
Kindness Ripples shares short, true and imagined stories that help children explore how kindness can reach beyond a single moment. Who was touched by it? What changed? How might one act inspire another and keep the ripple going?
Sometimes the ripple is visible in the story. Sometimes the story leaves us wondering where it might travel next. And sometimes it inspires us to begin a ripple of our own. That sense of possibility is at the heart of Kindness Ripples.
We extend a gentle invitation.
Kindness here is never an assignment, a challenge, or a competition. Children are invited to enjoy the story, wonder about what happened, and imagine what could happen next. If they choose, they can explore their own ways to put kindness into action, with support from trusted adults.
Each episode offers Today’s Ripple—a gentle invitation to continue exploring kindness in everyday life. Children choose whether and how to take part. They might offer a kind word, share an idea, draw a picture, or quietly notice something they hadn’t noticed before.
My hope is that children continue to recognize and value kindness—and carry it with them in their own way.
We make room for connection.
A shared story can open meaningful conversations among children and between children and trusted adults. Our printable reflection questions offer age-appropriate invitations to Think • Imagine • Share, with room for children’s own experiences, feelings, and ideas.
Episodes inspired by real events are identified as “Based on a True Story.” Links to the original sources are available on our Resources page for those who would like to learn more.
For Children, Families, Caregivers, Educators, and Partners
Our stories are created for children ages 3–10—Little Ripples (ages 3–6) and Ripple Makers (ages 7–10)—along with the parents, caregivers, educators, and other trusted adults who experience the stories with them. While our stories are created especially for children, the message of kindness is for everyone.
Each episode is a shared story for both age groups, with separate reflection questions for younger and older children. Enjoy a story at home, share one with a classroom or group, or return to a favorite moment when a conversation calls for it.
Kindness Ripples begins as a one-person project, bringing together my experience in education and my belief in the goodness children bring into the world. My hope is that it grows into a community where stories and everyday acts of kindness inspire ripples far beyond their beginnings.
If you’d like to share a kindness story or explore a Kindness Ripples collaboration, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at:
Thank you for being here and taking the time to learn more about the heart and mission of Kindness Ripples.
Let’s make more ripples together…
Explore the Stories →
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