A group of 24 students and four adults, as part of an initiative run by the Community Caring Council, is trying to make our region a better place by performing three acts of kindness a day -- not collectively, but individually.

That will be more than 10,000 acts by the end of the school year.

The THRIVE program stands for Teach, Hope, Reach, Involve, Value, Encourage. Many times, adults are so caught up in teaching youngsters that we forget that young folks have many lessons to teach us as well.

That's the case here, where these 24 students from Cape Girardeau and Jackson are setting an example we all should follow.

Three acts of kindness a day.

How hard can that be?

It's something we all ought to try.