We all have a couple of teachers who we remember fondly from our school days. There are sometimes other unsung members of school staff who have also left a memorable impression. Think back – was it a librarian, cafeteria worker, coach, or custodian?
At Heritage High School in Brentwood, CA, one of those people was a school resource officer known as Officer Mitch. Students wanted to thank him for keeping them safe and being a relatable, down-to-earth cool guy. With help from the dude. be nice team, they launched a serious, but secret, recognition plan.
The folks at dude. be nice not only run an apparel company, but they also assist communities with hatching campaigns that promote kindness and positivity. Though they don’t always do the hands-on event planning for making somebody feel special, the dude. be nice Project offers a range of ideas to get things flowing.
Kids at Heritage High wanted to throw an event of mob-like proportions to celebrate their nice dude. Just listen to all the sweet things the students have to say! Since Officer Mitch is heavily involved with a school initiative targeting social media issues, they set up a nice surprise trap for him.
The first part of their plan was to create a fake video leak depicting a student at party in a compromising situation. They would call the officer to the office and ask for his advice on how to handle the leak, luring him to the right place at the right time.
As it so happened, once Officer Mitch viewed the video, it wasn’t that at all! In fact, it was the faces and words of countless students expressing their appreciation for him. Outside of the office, Brent from dude. be nice was there to tell him that there was more.
A throng of students was waiting outside cheering him on and lining up for flash mob dance routine. After draping him with props, they walked him down a parade route while performing one of his favorite tunes, “Downtown” by Macklemore. A small pep rally greeted him where he was escorted onto the stage to receive a slew of gifts.
Handwritten notes scribbled on softballs, an autographed football jersey, and game tickets were presented to Officer Mitch among a huge crowd of students, family, school administrators, and fellow police officers. As students got on the mic to thank him for his support, one of them mentioned how the officer has created an environment where they always feel accepted and wanted. Awww!
It’s so heartwarming to see these students connect with this officer as a friend. They’ll remember him for a lifetime. Watch the entire video to hear all the kind things these kids had to say, and to see Officer Mitch’s reaction to all this love. We won’t even bother to tell you not to cry, but we will say it’s okay if you need to pull your shades down like Officer Mitch.
What do you think of these kids’ efforts to be nice their dude? Have you ever heard of dude. be nice and this project? Who out there has someone from their school days you’d love to celebrate this way? Share with us in the comments!