ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Just around the corner from Katie Poorman and Autumn Twist's classroom at Romulus Central School District, you'll find a giant map. However, this is more than just a lesson on geography, it's a lesson of love.

“We thought maybe getting a couple of cards from maybe a couple different states, and it turned out to be way more than we ever imagined,” Poorman said.

They're introducing their kindergarten class to the project Hearts Across the World. 

What You Need To Know

  • A kindergarten grade class at Romulus Central School is receiving Valentine cards from all over the world as part of a project called Hearts Around the World

  • Its lessons focus not only on geography, but learning from acts of love that leave the most lasting impacts

  • Teachers Katie Poorman and Autumn Twist are still on the lookout for more cards from the community

“I wanted the kids just to see how big the world really is,” Twist said. “You know, outside of just a little Romulus and Mrs. Poorman sent a message and was like, ‘Hey, what do you think? Like, do you want to try this? Let's do it.’” 

It's the classrooms’ goal to get a Valentine’s Day card from each of the 50 states, placing a sticker on its classroom map from the state it was sent from. 

“It's really heartwarming to see how many people actually care about a simple kindergarten class in rural Romulus here,” Poorman said. “It's a great opportunity to throw in geography and spread love and kindness.”

With the help of social media, the cards continue to pile up. 

“We immediately shared it on social media and within 24 hours between the two of our posts, it was shared over 300 times,” Twist said. “We have received cards from at least 31 states and one other country and some multiples.

“The cutest question was when we got the package from Germany and one of our friends said, ‘Can we go on a field trip there, Miss Twist?’ The fact that just people that don't know us, we're just willing to send us cards and to just be kind and do something really cool for these little kiddos. And it's been great and we are so thankful.”

As the hearts continue to spread across the map, so do the smiles on their faces.

“One kind gesture leads to another and to another and to another,” Twist said. “And this is really solidifying that for the kids. They're seeing kindness spreading all across the world. Just picking a Valentine's card or a postcard and sending it brings so much joy to other people.”

Poorman and Twist are still on the lookout for more cards from the community. With combined classrooms, they have collected more than 100 cards from more than 30 states and five countries. Several locations still needed are as follows: North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin, South Dakota, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Maine, West Virginia and Virginia. 

If you are interested in sending a valentine to Romulus Central School, it can be mailed to Mrs. Katie Poormon, 5705 State Route 96, Romulus, N.Y. 14541.