Orion Jean is making the world a kinder place thanks to his good deeds. In a press release, TIME , TIME for Kids, and Nickelodeon announced that the 11-year-old Texan has been named the 2021 TIME Kid of the Year. His good deeds reportedly began with his “Race to Kindness” initiative that began during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I saw a lot of things were happening, people were losing their jobs and losing access to food and homes and all of these essential things,” Orion Jean said in an interview with Angelina Jolie for TIME. “And I knew right then that I wanted to do something to help, but the opportunity actually came around when my teacher suggested that I enter into a speech contest. And if I won the prize money that came with the contest, that means I could start a kindness initiative to help these people.”