July 26, 2025 – Mumbai: Actress and youth icon Ananya Panday has taken a powerful step toward nurturing a more empathetic and emotionally resilient generation through a groundbreaking educational initiative. Her digital social responsibility platform So Positive has partnered with the arts-based education non-profit Slam Out Loud to launch the Kindness Curriculum, a unique and creative social-emotional learning (SEL) program for children across India.
At its heart, the Kindness Curriculum is built around one of the most essential yet often overlooked values—kindness. Developed using art-based pedagogy, the curriculum empowers children to explore emotions, express themselves, and learn empathy through storytelling, poetry, visual arts, and more. It is a first-of-its-kind effort that places emotional intelligence at the center of learning, helping children not just understand kindness but embody it in their everyday lives.
What sets this initiative apart is Ananya Panday’s direct involvement in shaping and presenting the curriculum. Known for her commitment to creating safer and more positive spaces—both online and offline—Ananya lends her voice and personal experiences to guide children through various modules. Through this personal touch, she not only engages students but also inspires them to see kindness as a strength and an essential life skill.
“Kindness has always been at the heart of everything we do at So Positive,” said Ananya. “It’s something I deeply believe in—not just as an idea, but as a way of life. I truly feel that if we can instil kindness in kids from a young age, it becomes second nature to them as they grow up. That’s why the Kindness Curriculum is so close to my heart. With everything going on in the world, I feel an even stronger need to help build a generation that’s more empathetic, emotionally aware, and simply… kind.”
The curriculum is being implemented on a large scale through Slam Out Loud’s Jijivisha Fellowship and its Arts for All program, reaching over 2.5 lakh children across cities in India. These programs operate in low-income communities, where children often face limited access to emotional learning resources. The inclusion of the Kindness Curriculum in these programs ensures that social-emotional growth is not just reserved for a few but made available to the many.
To further increase accessibility, the curriculum is also being rolled out online via So Positive’s YouTube channel. This move allows parents, educators, and children from across the globe to engage with the material at their own pace. Additionally, efforts are underway to integrate the curriculum into the Indian Government’s DIKSHA portal, which would take this initiative into the formal education system and ensure a far-reaching impact.
In a world where children are growing up in increasingly complex digital and emotional landscapes, the Kindness Curriculum could not have come at a more crucial time. Social-emotional learning has been gaining global recognition as a critical component of holistic education. Research shows that students with strong social-emotional skills perform better academically, manage stress more effectively, and build healthier relationships.
By infusing classrooms with creative expression and emotional awareness, this initiative equips children with tools they will carry for life. Whether it’s understanding a classmate’s struggles, managing their own emotions, or choosing compassion over conflict, the Kindness Curriculum lays the groundwork for a better future—one child at a time.
Ananya Panday’s commitment to this cause reflects a powerful shift in how celebrities can influence social change. By using her platform not just to speak, but to educate and act, she’s helping to create a more humane and emotionally intelligent society.
As children across India begin to explore this journey of kindness through art, expression, and empathy, this initiative reminds us of a simple truth—the future is in their hands, and kindness is the way forward. 💛🌱