The River City Drum Corps and Shawnee High Drum Corps entertained the crowd with catchy cadences that got the audience tapping their feet along with the beats.
The dePaul School singers sang “Together We Can Change the World,” which fell in well with the theme of the event. Louisville city officials and educators convened on the Muhammed Ali Center Feb. 7 to launch the new Youth Engaging Compassion program.
The program is designed to teach students the values of compassion through support and education. An online curriculum at YouthEngagingCompassion.org was established to allow students to come up with activities to help people in the community. More than 150 students from local schools were in attendance to hear Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Donna Hargens and Archdiocese of Louisville Superintendent Leisa Schulz discuss the new program.
The Youth Engaging Compassion program features a Compassion Checklist that assists people who want to actively help in the community find local organizations. Several activities are also listed on the website to get people started.
“As the Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools, I am excited about providing our students with the opportunity to participate in the Compassion Checklist project,” Hargens told the students. “It aligns with our district’s vision of providing opportunities for our students to contribute to our society throughout life. All JCPS students will graduate prepared.”
Schulz said, “The Archdiocese of Louisville and Catholic schools are very excited about being a part of the Youth Engaging Compassion initiative. As students mature within the supportive environment of Catholic schools, they’re challenged to take that gift of compassion and give back to the broader community through their participation and ongoing acts of compassion. We seek to form our students and through them transform our world in light of the gospel message.”
Fischer, a 1976 Trinity High School alumnus, called Louisville a most compassionate city. He encouraged students to keep learning in life and act compassionately by taking care of the people around them.
“That’s what we’re working towards every day,” he said.
Fischer spoke about Muhammad Ali’s works of compassion throughout his life. He said, “Muhammad was fooling us. He didn’t want to be the biggest, baddest athlete, but to be the biggest humanitarian. Don’t seek fame, but seek helping people and to spread compassion.”
Louisville’s Give a Day program is one of the ways Fischer told the students they can spread compassion. Last year, the program boasted more than 90,000 volunteers, and this year’s program, taking place between Apr. 13-21, wants to reach 100,000. He encouraged the students to join.
Speaking more about the Youth Engaging Compassion website, he said, “People want to help, but they don’t know how to help. The new website channels the love and compassion you have.”
The Youth Engaging Compassion platform was launched to not only help students practice compassion throughout the year, but to set the theme for the Dalai Lama’s visit to Louisville on May 21 at the KFC YUM Center.
Hosted by the Drepung Gomang Institute, the Dalai Lama will talk with students about compassion. He will focus on how individuals can engage in compassion from their own religious tradition in order to build world peace.