Generosity for Students

Generosity means giving good things to others freely and abundantly, often prioritizing others’ needs above your own. Generosity can take many forms among young people– from being generous with their time or talents – like helping a peer with their assignment; to providing tangible resources – like sharing their lunch or school supplies with a friend. We can also be generous with our compassion and understanding.

While humans can sometimes act out of self-interest, research also shows we have instincts for generosity, with deep evolutionary roots. Human beings, and some other species, like bats and bonobo monkeys, are hardwired to offer help and resources to others, even at no immediate benefit to themselves. Toddlers as young as 14 months are capable and motivated to be generous and altruistic. We even get a flood of feel-good hormones when we are generous.

Very young children (30 months) have been observed to give their favorite toy to a researcher who looks sad.

At the same time, generosity continues to grow with age, as children’s cognitive abilities develop, including self-regulation and the ability to understand others’ perspectives. A child’s personality, empathy, and emotions also influence how likely they are to show generosity to others. For example, positive emotions, such as awe and gratitude, can inspire young people’s generosity.

External factors, such as social circumstances, available resources, and cultural influences also impact prosocial behavior. The cultural norms, religions, and moral values children are raised with shape not only their motivation to be generous but also how they express it and who they are generous to. Children also tend to be more generous with people they believe are in need or are morally deserving, and after they receive generosity themselves. Interestingly, research has found that rewarding children for being prosocial can actually reduce the chances of them acting prosocially in the future.

A student might be more likely to share their lunch with a peer who doesn’t have lunch, or one who recently helped them on an assignment. Meanwhile, other students may be more generous when there’s a chance to gain a good reputation.

Schools have an opportunity to teach and model generosity. They can help students see the value and humanity in everyone through exposure and education, encouraging kindness and generosity to all people. By building empathy, compassion, and an awareness of others’ emotions, schools can inspire kids to be more generous.