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Kid PresidentOur favorite student we’ve never taught is Kid President. Known at home as “Robbie,” this little 11-year-old truly embodies the term “inspiration.” His Facebook messages, tweets, and videos will put a smile on your face and warm your heart. Now he has a book – The Guide to Being Awesome – set to be released this month, and includes tips on how to make the world a better place (Editor’s Note: our favorite is sending a pizza to someone you’re fighting with, because who doesn’t like pizza!) We sat down with Kid President for a rare interview. Enjoy!

 

Jake Miller, The Educators’ Room: So, Kid President, let’s get right to the important questions: what did you get for Christmas? How did you enjoy your break?

Kid President: I got to spend time with my whole family. We took an “ugly sweater picture,” which is where you find a crazy looking Christmas sweater and wear it around like it’s cool. Except mine really was cool.

JM: How did this whole Kid President thing get started?

KP: My big bro Brad was like, “Let’s make a video!” So I was like, “You have some really great ideas, Brad.” We talked about what kind of videos the Internet needed more of and decided it needed more good news, more happiness and more awesome. And we decided I should be Kid President. I make the fun parts and Brad makes the boring parts.

JM: Many teachers have found solace in your message. What’s one thing you’d like to say to them?

KP: Teachers: keep teaching. (That’s from my book.) Changing big stuff in the world can start in a classroom. It can start with you, the teachers! Brad always says life is one big classroom. Everybody is a teacher and everybody is a student, so we can all be learning from each other.

JM: So, I have to ask – which teacher has had the most impact in your life? Why?

KP: My third grade teacher, Rosemary McKnight. She taught me a lot, she made learning fun, and she’s really nice. She had this Kindness Chain in her classroom and if kids saw other kids being kind, they could add to the chain. She always had the paper and stuff set up so we could always add a chain. And it was a really, really big chain.

JM: What’s your favorite thing about school?

KP: My favorite thing about school is learning about people and the world. One time we got to do a cool science experiment that was AWESOME!

JM: What’s been your favorite part of being Kid President?

KP: Meeting all the real life people who are making the world more awesome. Some of them are kids, like me. Some of them used to be kids, like Brad. It makes me feel good to know that people are as excited about changing the world as we are.

JM: Do you like dressing up?

KP: Have you seen how good I look in a suit and tie?

JM: I’ve read that you regularly deal with brittle bone disease. What’s dealing with that like?

KP: It can be annoying sometimes, but I don’t really think about it. Everybody’s got something. You just have to find a way around it and keep being who you are. The doctors told my parents I might never walk, and that’s kind of true because I mostly dance.

JM: What’s it been like writing your book, The Guide to Being Awesome?

KP: It was like Brad and I did a million book reports, but all of them were about our own book. Brad was in charge of most of the writing, and I was in charge of enthusiasm.

JM: Can you talk about your program to help eliminate child hunger?

KP: It made me so sad when Brad said how many kids don’t get to eat without school lunches. It’s so many. It’s too many! So ConAgra foods donated 11.1 cents for every view, like or share on this video we made. At first we thought we could donate a million meals, but so many people like the video that ConAgra donated TWO million. Now THAT’S a lot of food.

JM: How can our readers help?

KP: Check out ChildHunderEndsHere.com or FeedingAmerica.com for ways that you can help in your own community!

JM: Do you ever plan on running for adult president?

KP: Everybody should think about running for adult president. You can change your mind if you need to, but everybody should at least know they could do it if they wanted to. Personally, I think it’s too much paperwork.

JM: If someone who’s never seen you before should start with one video – let’s call it your best video – which one should they watch?

KP: Brad and I think The Pep Talk is a good place to start. We thought it might be our last video, but it ended up being our biggest. I don’t even know how many people have watched it now. Maybe the whole Internet. We can all use a pep talk sometimes and it makes me happy that it makes people happy. Or you can start watching my videos here: KP from 1 to 75.

Mr. Jake Miller is the 2016 National History Day Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year, a 2017 NEA Global...

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