Empathy Can change the World
Children Mending Hearts believes empathy is developed early in childhood and is vital to a child's long-term health and success. A student's sense of well-being is increased when they have empathy, and their learning environment is improved as well. The development of empathy in children sets the stage for a long-term understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom and in life.
Empathy is transformative. It can reduce the chance of a child being bullied. It can enable world leaders to find peaceful solutions. It can motivate nations to open their doors to families fleeing war and violence. It can inspire future generations of loving and compassionate global citizens.
For 15 years, nonprofit Children Mending Hearts has been doing work in Los Angeles and beyond. Our programs geared at elementary-aged students are located in classrooms across the country. Both students and teachers reported an increase in unprompted empathetic actions. 96% of teachers who have utilized our program have reported improved classroom climates by the end of the year. And almost all students report that they feel like they learned something important from CMH.
Since 2020, we have been especially focused in the community of Watts, and for the past two years we have powered the Jordan Downs Center. We want to provide opportunities for all members of the community while creating a space of empathy and kindness. The goal is to foster creativity, collaboration, and interaction throughout Jordan Downs.
Transforming Hearts
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Changing Lives
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Transforming Hearts 〰️ Changing Lives 〰️
Home is Where The
Is
WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE A PERMANENT HOME IN WATTS, AT THE JORDAN DOWNS CENTER.
Watts is a lower-income, high-density neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles. We are here to provide a space of empathy and kindness, where the families of this incredible and historic neighborhood can get the resources and support that they need. The goal of this center is to take that to the next level and begin supporting the community’s growth, and help the families of Jordan Downs succeed. We want to help not only their basic needs, but their sense of belonging, their esteem needs, and their cognitive needs through appropriate programming.
Join the movement and help us grow a future full of possibility for Jordan Downs, and for all of us.
The ONE Academy & After school
The ONE Academy is our educational program in Watts that exists to close the gap between the children in Jordan Downs, and their more affluent peers. The ONE Academy seeks to elevate and enrich these incredible kids to their fullest potential in all fields.
Daily programs
The Jordan Downs Center offers a variety of programming everyday. These are offered in a such formats as drop-in activities, small groups activities, specialized classes and ongoing instruction. Departments are led by professionals and volunteers, many locals from Jordan Downs.
Community-wide events
We host themed events throughout the year that include games and activities. These may include anything from fun art projects for our students, to food or other critical items our community members need. Our larger events usually see hundreds of families lining up in advance.
The JDC Calendar
Click this link to visit the Jordan Downs Center website to see more about our specific offerings and see the calendar for the month. All programs are offered to community members at no cost, regardless of where they live in Watts.
Empathy Education
Children Mending Hearts is dedicated to ending bullying, hatred, and inequality through empathy education and art. CMH has served students in the Los Angeles area since 2009, and have had our programs running in classrooms nationally since 2018 to universal acclaim. We offer a wide variety of educational programming both inside and out of the classroom, as well as at home. This is because with children, nothing can be taught in isolation. Without day-to-day instructions on how to be empathetic and look at things from another point of view, it is all too easy to forget the lessons we learn.
Empathy is not something that exists in a bubble. Society's success depends on raising children who care for other people. By developing empathy in children, Children Mending Hearts helps them feel valued while nurturing their ability to relate to others. This plays a crucial role in helping to understand conflicts not just in their own lives but in the world as well. CMH empowers students to draw upon their empathy and understand others. We believe that by instilling empathy in children, anything is possible: communities can be transformed, injustices stopped, and lives changed. Empathy is transformative. Empathy can change the world.
Empathy Rocks in the USA
Empathy Rocks in the U.S.A. is an eight-lesson art program for grades 3-5 that explores issues like poverty and natural disasters to heighten children’s social responsibility and sensitivity to the world around them and each other. Students learn about why they should care and how they can help. Topics for the program include the children detained at the border, homeless youth, and the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. To help the lessons resonate with students, each lesson finishes with an art project.
KINDNESS COUNTS
Inspired by the messages we can find in books, Kindness Counts is an eight-lesson art program for grades K-2 that provides valuable morals on kindness, compassion, and understanding to our youngest scholars to help them use kindness as the new standard. Teachers receive reading guides with tailored questions toward finding the empathy, love, and togetherness in each amazing story; art supplies; and a packet of activities for their students. Then students complete a fun art project that helps solidify the message in their mind.
I Choose Empathy
We created “I Choose Empathy” as a free resource for those who have pledged to make their lives more empathetic. We want to help teachers and parents incorporate empathy even more effectively into the lives of children. This includes: Research on the benefits of empathy; Tips and tricks for teachers and parents; Hundreds of easy art projects with lessons of kindness and inclusion; Dozens of books with guided questions and activities to gear the conversation toward empathy; Downloadable games and activities, and much more.
Anti-Bullying Workshops
Global Arts for grade 6-8
Lesson Portal for Teachers
Educational Grants for teachers
Our Other Offerings
Empathy Creates Change
Children Mending Hearts has instilled empathy in over 100,000 children since founding in 2008
Empathy Rocks and kindness Counts have been in over 400 classrooms nationwide
100% Of teachers said CMH programs have improved behavior, respect, and empathy
Students at The One Academy have gone from 70% requiring urgent intervention to only 30%
Our afterschool program is currently at capacity with 75 enrolled students
over 35,000 people have been helped by CMH at the jordan downs center since 2022
What we are committed to:
Change Begins With You
We are always looking for new supporters to join our empathy movement, cause-minded brands to partner with, and new schools and organizations to offer our life-changing arts programming to.
Please contact us if you have something to share or would like to learn more!
Children Mending Hearts Headquarters
4100 W Alameda Ave Suite #300
Toluca Lake, CA 91505
818-940-3577
Our Facility
Jordan Downs Center
9900 Grape Street
Los Angeles, CA 90002
Get In Touch
Empathy can change the world, but that begins with YOU. Your help is more important now than ever as we continue to learn the deeply negative impacts bullying and intolerance have on our youth. Your support will allow us to expand our programming as we integrate our workshops, student learning experiences, and training with our curriculum in schools across the country.
Support Us Today
Empathy Rockstars
