Making Caring Common
Raising kids who care about others and the common good.
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Mission

Making Caring Common, launched in 2013 at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, supports parents, caregivers, and educators in raising children who care for others and for the common good.  

By innovatively combining research, theory, the wisdom of practitioners, and strategic communications, we bring fresh, energizing, and evidence-based resources and activities to schools and parents that develop in children empathy, self-awareness, a commitment to fairness and justice, and other key moral and emotional capacities. We also work with the national media to elevate crucial conversations and to provide guidance about how to raise moral and emotionally healthy children.

Our mission

Making Caring Common, a program of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, works to create a better and more just world by supporting educators, parents, and caregivers in raising children, teens and young adults who care for others and the common good.

By innovatively combining research, theory, the wisdom of practitioners, and strategic communications, we bring fresh, energizing, evidence-based resources and activities to schools and parents that develop in children empathy, self-awareness, a commitment to justice, and other key moral and emotional capacities.

We also work with the national media to elevate crucial conversations and to help provide guidance about how to raise moral and emotionally healthy children.

Given the challenges and perils currently afflicting the United States, including fierce political polarization, spikes in bigotry and hate crimes, escalating gun violence, widespread public hostility and high rates of loneliness and mental health challenges, we believe there is nothing more important that we can do than to raise children who care about others, their communities, and our collective well-being. It is children with these capacities who will become strong family members and friends and constructive community members and citizens who can strengthen our democracy, mend the fractures that divide us, cultivate meaningful relationships and work together to solve our country’s urgent problems.

Our vision is a world in which children, teens and young adults:

  • treat people well, including those who are different from them in background, character and ideology

  • experience, understand and seek equity and justice;

  • develop the kinds of sturdy, caring relationships that support their own and others’ mental health and flourishing.

We welcome you to explore our reports and programs, use and share our resources for families and for educators, stay up-to-date with our newsletter, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and contact us with any questions.

Contact us
mcc@gse.harvard.edu