Turning Empathy into Action

Fifth graders taking action to make a difference

As a Carrollwood Day School student, you know that character and caring matter. You also know that actions speak louder than words – and, no matter your age, you can make a difference.

These two ideas – empathy and action – blend together beautifully in Dr. Michele Borba’s new book, Thrivers. A long-time friend of CDS, Borba has visited the campus several times through the years, offering her expertise to parents and students trying to navigate an ever-changing, ever-detached world. Borba describes one such visit in Chapter 2 of Thrivers, where she recounts an online video call she had with our students in 2019.

“Each year, Tampa fifth graders in Barbie Monty’s class at Carrollwood Day School engage in a student-driven learning project [Exhibition]. The choice of what topic to study is entirely in the hands of the students themselves . . . [in 2019], the ten- and eleven-year-olds in Monty’s class chose empathy because they realized it was crucial for their lives.”

Chaapter 2 from Michele Borba's Book - Thrivers

Borba goes on to describe the video chat and the students’ desire to not only learn more about empathy, but also teach their peers and parents about what they could do to create a more caring, empathetic world. 

This idea of taking action and making a difference is at the crux of Exhibition, which is the culmination of the IB Primary Years Programme. Each year, CDS fifth graders, in their individual classes, conduct an in-depth inquiry into a real-life issue or problem. Together, they identify, investigate, and find solutions, which are then shared with the community in a school-wide assembly in May. The topics this year include: Wildlife Conservation, Poverty, Diversity, and Pollution.

While Exhibition is a PYP requirement, our students take the assignment very personally and become passionate advocates for changing their communities. The goal is not to be recognized for their efforts, but being advised and then praised by an award-winning author is flattering. 

“Exhibition is an incredible process that offers such an extremely valuable opportunity for our fifth grade students to make a difference - one life at a time,” explains Barbie Monty. “Connecting with Dr. Borba when my students selected Empathy as the focus of our Exhibition was such a huge honor and a phenomenal privilege. My students witnessed firsthand how they actually do have a voice and that it truly does matter to adults who are experts in the field. We were thrilled when she was willing to Skype with us (that was before we all were Zoom experts). She eagerly listened to all of their inquiries and asked for their answers to some really challenging questions. We appreciate Dr. Borba - such an empathy expert -  taking the time to share her wisdom with us. She truly left her imprint on us all and for that, I will forever be grateful.”

Click here to learn about Dr. Borba's seven strengths to help build resilient children.


ˆThank you to Barbie Monty and the entire 5th grade team for inspiring their students to develop the knowledge and passion to create a better world and to Michelle Cáceres for sharing their story.