{"id":9175,"date":"2025-07-14T13:34:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T13:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/9175\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T13:34:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T13:34:07","slug":"growing-hearts-brainerd-dispatch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/9175\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing hearts – Brainerd Dispatch"},"content":{"rendered":"

BRAINERD \u2014 When Stefanie DeVries began reading her book, \u201cGrow a Heart,\u201d to an energetic group of children on Thursday, July 10, many of the kids already knew the first words:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can make a heart grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The children sat on a soft carpet, surrounded by their parents and family, while listening to DeVries read. The event was the final session of a three-part program designed to bring children together and teach them about the importance of kindness and love.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve been using what they\u2019re learning from the sessions and the book in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n

Stefanie DeVries<\/p>\n

After finishing the book, DeVries asked the kids how they helped grow someone\u2019s heart since the previous session. One boy said he gave some of the wooden hearts he received at the previous event to his parents. Another girl said she helped out her cousin.<\/p>\n

Each of the small acts of kindness was an example of the program\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n

Pat Dickinson, coordinator of the Lakes Area Justice Table\u2019s public education team, was one of the driving forces behind the program.<\/p>\n

Dickinson said when she first received a copy of \u201cGrow a Heart,\u201d she envisioned it as the perfect book to build a community event around.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018Wouldn\u2019t that be a neat book to do a class around for adults and kids?\u2019\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cBecause we all need to grow our hearts, especially in this era of so much polarity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Children<\/p>\n

Children and parents make friendship bracelets and “heart-o-meter” crafts at the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

Lakes Area Justice Table collaborated with the school district to organize the event. When Dickinson reached out to DeVries with the idea, her enthusiasm was immediate.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was so excited,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cShe\u2019s been so wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeVries, who currently works for the Brainerd Public Schools Foundation and was formerly a teacher, said she wrote the book during the COVID-19 pandemic entirely on her own with Adobe Illustrator and other programs. She published it with the help of a Kickstarter campaign and a friend in the publishing industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI taught preschool for the school district for 10 years, and during that time, I felt like I needed something to help me teach young kids to be kind and empathetic,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cThere wasn\u2019t anything simple enough out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeVries said she liked the phrase \u201cgrow a heart\u201d because it could resonate with even the youngest of children.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted the illustrations and words to be simple enough for young children, and using the metaphor of growing a heart or hurting a heart was something they could understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Kids<\/p>\n

Kids make hearts out of Play-Doh at the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

DeVries created several activities surrounding the book for her preschool classes, some of which were reused during the public sessions.<\/p>\n

Each of the three sessions was slightly different, encouraging kids to return repeatedly. At the first session, each child was given a cape with supplies to decorate it, which they were told to bring back at the next session.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the book, there\u2019s children wearing capes,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cSo they came back the next time with their capes decorated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n 1\/3:\u00a0Stefanie DeVries reads her book, “Grow a Heart,” to a crowd of children on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\n 2\/3:\u00a0Kids and parents make friendship bracelets and “heart-o-meter” crafts at the third “Grow a Heart” session in the Brainerd High School cafeteria on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\n 3\/3:\u00a0Kids parade around the Brainerd High School cafeteria wearing capes and singing the “Grow a Heart” song with Andrea Lund at the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

The third session took place in the Brainerd High School cafeteria and began with an hour for the kids to color, make crafts and enjoy a free meal. Then, the activities started at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Following DeVries\u2019s reading of \u201cGrow a Heart,\u201d Jan Kurtz read a Spanish translation of the book, which she had helped create. Her passionate reading helped the kids become excited about learning a foreign language.<\/p>\n

Then, Andrea Lund, a former music teacher, played a ukulele while singing the \u201cGrow a Heart\u201d song with the children, which she had written to the tune of \u201cItsy Bitsy Spider.\u201d<\/p>\n

After practicing the song several times, all of the kids donned their capes and paraded around the perimeter of the cafeteria while continuing to sing along with Lund.<\/p>\n

The session concluded with more crafts and activities. Each child received materials to make a \u201cheart-o-meter\u201d to show whether their hearts were full, mending or broken. Craft supplies were also provided for kids to make friendship bracelets.<\/p>\n

Because most children attended the program with their parents and family, it created a chance for the adults to bond, too. The program encouraged many parents to continue reading and repeating the book\u2019s message to their children at home.<\/p>\n

\""Grow<\/p>\n

“Grow a Heart,” a picture book by Stefanie DeVries, was the inspiration behind a series of community events by Lakes Area Justice Table and the school district, which finished on Thursday, July 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\u201cThe parents are able to bring what they\u2019re learning home to use as positive behavior reinforcement,\u201d DeVries said.<\/p>\n

About 15 children and even more parents attended the third session. Lakes Area Justice Table, a new local nonprofit dedicated to supporting social justice and public education, funded the event with the school district, Dickinson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe district had some funding, and then we put grants and donations into it and some of our budget from the Justice Table,\u201d Dickinson said. \u201cWe were able to offer this class totally for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n 1\/4:\u00a0Stefanie DeVries, author of “Grow a Heart,” helps two kids make hearts out of playdough at the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\n 2\/4:\u00a0The first hour of the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025 featured time for kids to color, eat and make crafts.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\n 3\/4:\u00a0The third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025 featured supplies for kids to decorate a superhero cape if they had not received one at a previous session.
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

\n 4\/4:\u00a0Kids make “heart-o-meter” crafts and friendship bracelets at the third “Grow a Heart” session on Thursday, July 10, 2025
\n Jasmine Shackleford \/ Brainerd Dispatch<\/p>\n

The program was advertised as a \u201cOne Book, One Community\u201d event aimed at bringing the community together by encouraging everyone to read the same book, Dickinson said. Similar events take place across the country following guidelines from the American Library Association.<\/p>\n

Dickinson said everyone at the Lakes Area Justice Table agreed \u201cGrow a Heart\u201d was the right book to use for the program. DeVries said collaborating with Lakes Area Justice Table was an exciting process.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a few planning sessions and lots of emails,\u201d DeVries said. \u201cThere\u2019s so many volunteers with the group. I had a lot of help. I used some activities that I already had, but I created some additional activities, like a kindness bingo.\u201d<\/p>\n

DeVries said seeing kids learn from the book and embrace the theme of growing hearts is her favorite part of the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been using what they\u2019re learning from the sessions and the book in their everyday lives,\u201d DeVries said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BRAINERD \u2014 When Stefanie DeVries began reading her book, \u201cGrow a Heart,\u201d to an energetic group of children…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9176,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[9160,223,9158,9161,9159,9162,9163,9164,9165,5916,9166,88],"class_list":["post-9175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-books","tag-baxter","tag-books","tag-brainerd","tag-brainerd-library","tag-brainerd-minnesota","tag-brainerd-school","tag-brainerd-school-board","tag-brainerd-school-district","tag-brainerd-schools","tag-community-events","tag-empathy","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9175"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9175\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}