When kids learn the truth about the ways animals suffer in captivity, they want to take action—and that’s just what these students did!

Learn how these first-graders put their compassion into action.

First-graders at The Magnet School of Global Studies & Leadership in Queens, New York, “adopted” an elephant named Minnie at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. These kind kids also held a walk-a-thon—in which students, teachers, and community members participated—to raise funds for her care.

They even went on a virtual tour of the sanctuary, learning about Minnie’s past, when she was forced to perform in circuses, and what they can do to help elephants who are abused in captivity.

TeachKind is honoring these mighty first-graders—and their teachers—for setting a compassionate example by supporting a reputable sanctuary.

You can be a hero to animals just by doing simple things: getting your cats and dogs spayed or neutered, adopting from shelters and never buying an animal from a pet store or breeder, reporting abuse and neglect whenever you see it, and never going to any circus, aquarium, or roadside zoo that exploits animals.

Elephants like Minnie, who are forced to perform in circuses, lead miserable lives and are denied everything that’s natural and important to them. While elephants in the wild travel as far as 30 miles a day in close-knit family herds, those held in captivity in circuses, at fairs, or at roadside zoos may be confined to tiny enclosures in near-isolation, which often leads to arthritis and mental distress.

These heroic young elephant allies are leading their generation in making the world a kinder place.

If your class is planning a trip to a circus that uses animals, share this story with your teacher and class to inspire them to take action for animals and remind them that you’re never too young to help animals.