Engaging community to develop and implement a theory-based, empirically driven model for the collective practice of kindness.
The science is clear - KINDNESS is vital for human health and well-being.
Kindness is communicated in interpersonal interactions, through organizational leadership, policies, practice, and even built environments. But as much as we want to be kind as individuals, organizations, and communities, we often struggle to communicate kindness consistently. SciKind aims to contribute to the creation of a community of practice to increase kind behavior for the benefit of all.
Kindness is essential
It strengthens our health, relationships, and communities—whether at home, in schools, or at work. Kindness builds positive social connections that support well-being and longevity. In organizations, it boosts outcomes for both consumers and employees. Despite its benefits, kind behavior is still lacking in many spaces. That’s why we use evidence-based models to better understand and promote kindness where it matters most.
Why Kindness?
Kindness supports our health, relationships, and communities. It strengthens connection, improves outcomes in schools and workplaces, and enhances well-being. Yet kind behavior is often missing—so we use research-based models to understand and grow kindness where it’s needed most.
Community of Practice
A group of people who share a concern or a passion for what they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.
- Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002
Discover how kindness is being studied and supported across campus
Explore our science-based approach and meet University of Arizona scholars who are advancing research and practices that promote kind behavior in real-world settings.
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See how students are leading kindness on campus
Learn about the Kind Cats team and explore their creative projects that bring kindness to life through peer-led initiatives, research, and campus engagement.
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Meet the Director
Dr. Jeannette Maré (pronounced Mar-ay) is the Director of the Science of Kindness Community Collective at the University of Arizona. Her path to becoming a community-engaged kindness researcher was a long and winding one. Jeannette’s world changed drastically after the sudden death of her son in 2002. In the incredible grief of losing Ben, learning and sharing about the lifesaving, world-changing power of kindness became her sole focus. With her heart broken open, she founded Ben’s Bells, a nonprofit that inspires and teaches the intentional practice of kindness. Now a research professor at the University of Arizona, Jeannette leads a research collaborative exploring how to increase kindness in interpersonal relationships, organizations, and communities.