Some of the most important lessons of the school year don’t happen at a desk. They happen when a group of kids rolls up their sleeves to help someone in their community and discovers how good it feels to give back. At Right At School, we call that Right Club Gives Back.
Right Club Gives Back is a curriculum unit that empowers students to make a positive impact, locally and beyond. Students learn empathy, leadership, and the joy of giving through hands-on service projects like creating goody bags for first responders, organizing food drives, and becoming pen pals with seniors. Together, we’re helping the next generation grow into thoughtful, compassionate citizens.
A look back at Right Club Gives Back projects from Right Club programs across the country.
It starts before the kids walk in
Ahead of each unit, our Area Managers sit down with school leaders to talk through service ideas that fit that specific school campus. Site teams loop in school staff and look for ways to rally the whole building, like inviting Right Club kids onto the morning announcements. The result is a project that belongs to the entire school community.
The Right At School educators guiding those projects are local, too. We hire from within the community, so programs are run by familiar faces who know your students and show up for them all year long.
That’s what we mean when we say all education is local.
Kids lead the way
Every fall, more than 60,000 Right Club students across the country give back to their local communities through Right Club Gives Back. The unit runs over six program days, and every project is driven by kids’ own ideas and passions. They start by talking about what service means and trying a simple act of kindness together, like writing cards for someone who could use encouragement. Then they brainstorm ways they can make a difference in their community, pitch their ideas to each other, and vote on the project they’ll take on as a team.
From there, Right Clubbers put their plan into action by designing posters, decorating donation bins, writing announcements for classmates, and getting to work. Along the way, they practice smaller acts of kindness too, from welcome kits for new Right Club friends to thank-you notes for the school staff who care for them every day. It’s hands-on, it’s kid-powered, and it’s a whole lot of fun!
Kindness with care
Giving back starts with respect. Our educators help kids talk about the people they’re serving with warmth and dignity, using words like “neighbor in need,” so kids learn to see every person first. Projects flex to fit every community: some collect, and many create, like cards, bookmarks, and welcome kits, so every child can contribute fully.
Locally inspired, community-wide
In fall 2025, that local spirit showed up in a big way in Northeast Ohio. Kids in more than 20 Right Club programs across Ohio collected new socks for Walls of Love, a Cleveland nonprofit that provides basic necessities to neighbors experiencing homelessness. They decorated donation bins and spread the word to classmates ahead of a community drive.
On October 4, 2025, the community-wide drive our kids helped fuel collected 17,715 pairs of socks in one hour, setting a Guinness World Record.
Giving back, all year long
Right Club Gives Back is just one of the ways Right Club helps kids learn, play, and grow into thoughtful, compassionate members of their communities. Because when kids discover they can make a difference, that’s a lesson that lasts long after the school day ends.
Families: Find your school and enroll at www.rightatschool.com so your child can choose a cause, lead a project, and discover the joy of giving back.
School and district leaders: Curious what Right Club could look like in your schools? Connect with our partnerships team to learn more.
