If you stopped by the Santa Clara Marriott the third weekend in March, you might have thought the hotel had been taken over by teenagers.
That weekend, the Marriott was host to the California Academic Decathlon (CAD) — dubbed AcaDeca by participants — and for a weekend, Santa Clara was the home of some of the smartest young people in California. New Decathlon partner Kindness is Free (KiF) was there with its message of making a better world, one kind act at a time.
Santa Clara County’s hometown team was Evergreen Valley High School, a team so stellar that they moved up a division during the competition. The team took home 4 gold, 1 silver and 5 bronze medals among 55 teams.
Collegial Competition
For team members, the attraction isn’t just the opportunity to show their smarts. Team members describe a collegial environment where “learning how to learn” matters as much as mastering information, said team co-captain 11th-grader Sneha.
Because the competition spans history, economics, arts, culture and math, it’s an opportunity to expand horizons.
“I joined Decathlon because I realized most of the competitions I do are primarily math,” said 9th-grader Anish. “I need strength in other subjects because math alone is not going to carry me through life.”
“Decathlon lets me explore all of my options without committing to just one subject,” said another 9th-grader, Ayanash. “It lets me branch out and see what I want to do later.
“I wouldn’t have gotten into art history at all, or even considered that art history could be interesting, if I hadn’t joined Decathlon,” said 11th-grader team co-captain Sneha. “You become well-rounded because you learn more about things you hadn’t even considered.”
Evergreen Valley English teacher and team supervisor Melissa Marfia Rosa says the team fosters collaboration by including students in different grades, different interests and different GPAs.
“In Decathlon, we rise together,” said Rosa. “Someone strong in math helps someone strong in economics, and we all succeed as a team.”
For nearly 60 years, the California Academic Decathlon has brought together high school students from across the state. The competition covers 10 areas, and the competition not only tests knowledge, but communication skills as well.
California Academic Decathlon Board President Kathy Northampton, former Calaveras County schools superintendent, has led the nonprofit for 16 years. With no state funding, the organization relies on donations and affordable venues to keep the competition accessible. Rising costs prompted a move to Santa Clara, because, she said, the Marriott offers central access and strong community support.
No Competition in Kindness
Kindness is Free (KiF) began as a small program at a Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club and grew after a Wall Street Journal feature spotlighted students’ acts of service. To help students relax and recharge, KiF offered a Kindness Room, where students with comfortable bean bags, calming lighting, and soothing music
“Our program got started in the year 2020,” said Chief Kindness Strategist, Scott Ehlers. “There were a lot of negative things going on in the world — COVID lockdowns, schools were shut down, civil unrest. There was just a general feeling of negativity.”
Founders J.R. Zubak and Laurie Milgaard launched program in the Boys and Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley Eastside to bring some light into that dark time. After a story on the Wall Street Journal Today, KiF grew rapidly.
Today, the organization runs a 10-session curriculum on kindness to self, others and online behavior, and hosts large-scale events like a 2,000-kid carnival and backpack giveaways for underserved schools. KiF has participated in the Rose Parade for four years and invited Academic Decathlon students to join the 2027 Rose Parade contingent by submitting a “kindness story.”
“Every day, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of choices,” said Kindness’ Ehlers. “One choice is to go out of your way and be kind. One small act of kindness can have a ripple effect and you don’t know where, how far it will go.”
Academic Decathlon students already know this from experience. As 9th-grader Nihal put it: “That’s how we grow — together.”