The Story Behind The Ollie Project
The Ollie Project began with a simple idea from an extraordinary kid.
Ollie is a proud Sad Nuggie superfan. Like many kids, he connected deeply with his Nuggie. Not just as a plush, but as something comforting, familiar, and safe.
“Sad Nuggie is important to me because I love them! They are sooooooo cute, and they help you out. Sometimes, if you're sad, a hug from a Sad Nuggie can cheer you up! They always make you happy!” - Ollie
One day, Ollie asked his teacher if he could bring his Sad Nuggie to school. That small ask quickly turned into something bigger. With the help of a friend who even drafted a “contract” for the teacher to sign, Sad Nuggie Fridays were born! A day where students could bring their Nuggies to class.
Ollie’s teacher shared how quickly the impact became clear:
“These little Nuggies opened up the opportunity to discuss emotions, check in with each other, and provide support while building confidence. It also helped create a sense of community.”
— Tracy Leonard, Teacher
Through these Fridays, Nuggies became part of the classroom in ways no one expected. They helped start conversations. They provided comfort. They helped students feel safe opening up and supporting one another.
But Ollie noticed something important. Not every student had a Nuggie. Even though classmates brought other stuffies, Ollie didn’t want anyone to feel left out. So his family reached out to see if there was a way to include everyone.
What happened next became the moment that inspired The Ollie Project.
Ollie visited our adoption centre and hand-picked enough Sad Nuggies for every student in his classroom to have their own. Ollie and his sister Lillie arrived early one morning and set up a full Sad Nuggie Adoption Centre, where each classmate could meet, choose, and welcome their new friend.
“The classroom was alive with excitement and joy.”
— Tracy Leonard
From that day on, Nuggies became a true part of classroom life.
They read together. They solved math problems together. They wrote stories together. They even designed brand-new Nuggies together.
Students completed STEAM challenges by designing and building Nuggie homes for both large and mini Nuggies.
“Now each Friday, the Nuggies join us. They read with us, we do math problems about them, we write about them, and we have even designed new Nuggies!”
— Tracy Leonard
What started as a single idea turned into something powerful and meaningful.
Why The Ollie Project Exists
The Ollie Project was created to help bring that same feeling to other classrooms.
It exists so teachers can create safe, supportive spaces where emotional learning is encouraged, no one feels left out, and students are free to imagine, connect, and grow together.
Through classroom adoptions, supporters help place Sad Nuggies into real learning environments. In addition, $1 from every Sad Nuggie adopted goes into our Classroom Fund, which helps us support classrooms around the world with essentials, comfort tools, and other supplies where they’re needed most.
Where It’s Going
The Ollie Project will always be rooted in the values Ollie showed from the very beginning:
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Inclusion
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Empathy
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Comfort
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Imagination
Our goal is to support classrooms of all kinds, across all ages, communities, and learning environments, and to help make emotional well-being a natural part of the school day.
“Thank you seems like such a trivial thing to say for such an incredible gift. Please know that what you do matters, and that it does not go unnoticed.”
— Tracy Leonard
That’s how The Ollie Project started and it’s only the beginning.