Small actions, big connections
Simple acts that foster connections at the heart of ‘Do a ___ Thing’ campaign
With the mayhem brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the winter season and its long nights, it’s not surprising that many are feeling disconnected. Lockdowns, selfisolation and working from home, while a necessity, can be hard on the body and mind.
Sara Colburne, managing director at Engage Nova Scotia, says her team saw a need to remind people — and especially children — about ways to stay connected. This led to launching the Do a ___ Thing campaign, to inspire kids across Nova Scotia to stay connected, and do all kinds of things, in and outside the classroom.
“It can be overwhelming for kids, their parents, and for teachers in that whole environment of working from home or at school,” says Colburne. “So, we thought, what if we gave teachers something that would help support the well-being of a collective as well as the individual kids in a class.”
The campaign officially launched in January 2022 and has drawn inspiration from the notion of an advent calendar, where participants do a daily activity, big or small.
“We wanted to create space for people to do a kind thing, a family thing, a class thing, a team thing, or a hard thing — any kind of thing that’ll make you and potentially those around you feel better. It’s going to knit us together as a stronger community,” she says.
Since its launch, Colburne says about 6,000 students in more than 200 classes across Nova Scotia have signed up for the ‘Do a ___ Thing’ campaign. Her team has also received inquiries from workplaces, and hopes to launch a version of this project for offices later this year.
“It’s really hard for us to work half at home and half at the office, and still stay connected,” says Colburne. “This gives us a reason to reach out to a colleague and say, ‘hey, just checking in,’ or reach out to a colleague with a note and say, ‘thank you for your help.’”
Though the pandemic was one of the catalysts for the creation of this campaign, Colburne wanted to remind everyone that simple acts of kindness and gratitude are always needed, whether during a pandemic or otherwise.
“Tell someone why they matter to you or say good morning to someone. Many of us are fortunate enough to be near others, but not everyone has that,” she explained. “Our communities, and the relationships of people around us, grow stronger when we consider the simple things.”
For more information on the Do a ___ Thing campaign, visit engagenovascotia.ca/do-a-thing.