Seeds of Caring marks 10 years by expanding youth-led service projects and school-based kindness programs

A decade of kid-centered volunteering in Central Ohio

Seeds of Caring is marking 10 years since its founding in 2016, a milestone that reflects a broader shift in how many nonprofits design volunteer opportunities for children. The organization focuses on youth ages 2 to 12 and pairs them with “caring grown-ups” for structured projects intended to be age-appropriate and community-need driven.

Based in Worthington, the nonprofit operates programming in the Columbus area that blends hands-on service with guided learning activities. Projects are built around community needs such as literacy support and basic-needs assistance, with an emphasis on helping children understand the purpose of the work before completing it.

Measured growth in participation and volunteer hours

Over the years, Seeds of Caring has reported a sharp rise in youth participation, from 285 child volunteer experiences in 2016 to 38,830 in 2024. The organization also reports 71,683 volunteer hours and 57,109 child volunteer experiences supporting 77 nonprofit organizations, along with 3,882 books collected for literacy efforts.

Those figures describe cumulative outputs rather than long-term outcomes, but they provide a quantitative snapshot of scale: how many children participated, how much time was contributed, and the number of partner organizations served.

How the model works: service projects plus reflection

Seeds of Caring’s approach centers on projects packaged for families, classrooms, and groups. The model typically includes a short educational component—such as a story, discussion, or activity—followed by a tangible service action. The aim is to connect the act of volunteering to a clear community need and to reinforce social-emotional skills such as empathy and perspective-taking.

• Target ages: 2–12 for many family-centered projects
• Structured volunteer activities designed to be child-led where feasible
• Reflection components intended to explain who benefits and why

Kindness Corps: school-based service for grades 2–4

In Columbus, the organization also runs Kindness Corps, a school-based program geared toward students in grades 2 through 4. Seeds of Caring describes the Columbus Kindness Corps as more than 1,000 kids strong. The curriculum is designed as one lesson per month for six months, with each lesson taking about 90 minutes and aligned with state learning standards.

For schools eligible for Title I schoolwide programs, the program is provided at no cost; other schools may participate with a per-student fee. Seeds of Caring supplies curriculum, educator training, books, handouts, and project materials, aiming to reduce logistical barriers for schools.

Seeds of Caring’s 10-year milestone arrives as youth engagement and family volunteering continue to be shaped by structured, safety-conscious, and age-appropriate service design.

What the anniversary signals

Reaching 10 years positions Seeds of Caring among a growing segment of nonprofits that treat children not only as future volunteers but as current participants capable of meaningful, developmentally appropriate service. The organization’s reported growth in child volunteer experiences and its expansion of school-based programming illustrate how that model has scaled in Central Ohio over the past decade.