Where it's cool to be kind

Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh won a coveted national title in 2014. Kindness UK is a charity promoting decency and goodness. It named Boroughmuir High as "the kindest school in Scotland," and for good reason. All 450 teenagers at Boroughmuir are taught to be gracious and thoughtful to others in their required Religion, Belief and Values course. Older students can enroll in Happiness Class, and the school hosts a dedicated Kindness Week where each pupil must perform a benevolent act.

Boroughmuir's uniform includes neckties.

What made Boroughmuir stand out to the judges? Well, one selfless 15-year-old took time out to read stories to preschool children at his local library each week for a year. Another raised $100 for the Scottish SPCA by sponsoring silence during school hours for three full days. And teacher Jane O'Thy said school kindness is not restricted to single events. It's embedded into the curriculum. "That's why we won the award," she said, "because we do it all the time."