They’re yellow and purple and blue, pirates and aliens and giraffes. They’re little rubber ducks, accompanied by kind messages, and meant to spread a little bit of cheer around the community.
One of the ducks with a note of kindness hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program on a sign at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and he and fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
One of the ducks with a note of kindness hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program in a bush at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and he and fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dave Ferrell, second from right, a teacher at Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program, speaks to his students before they hid small toy ducks with notes of kindness around the shops of Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Josiah Jocson, a student at Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program, leaves a duck with a note of kindness in a coffee shop at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Jocson went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and now along with fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine leaving ducks with notes of kindness for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mark Beekhuijzen, of Netherlands, shows off the duck with a note of kindness attached that he found that was hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and he and fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The ducks with notes of kindness before they are hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program around the shops of Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and now along with fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
One of the ducks with a note of kindness before it was hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program around the shops of Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and he and fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Natalia Barndlin, left, and Nikki Korness show off the ducks with notes of kindness attached that they found hidden by students from Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. One of the students, Josiah Jocson, went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and he and fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine, leaving ducks for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Josiah Jocson, a student at Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program, at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Jocson went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and now along with fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine leaving ducks with notes of kindness for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Josiah Jocson, a student at Irvine Unified’s Irvine Adult Transition Program, at the shops at Alton Square in Irvine on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Jocson went on his first cruise last year and heard that people were leaving ducks for others to find. He then brought the idea back home and now along with fellow students are spending two weeks at various locations in Irvine leaving ducks with notes of kindness for others to find. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
It’s all a labor of love for Josiah Jocson, 21, who went on his first cruise last year and learned about the tradition of hiding — and finding — little ducks around the ship. While he hid some ducks, he never found any. His mother posted about the lack of quacks on Facebook, and soon, ducks began flooding in from around the world.
And Jocson decided to spread that cheer.
This week, Jocson and his fellow Irvine Adult Transition Program students hid some 200 ducks around Irvine to share smiles in time for Random Acts of Kindness Day, this year being celebrated on Saturday, Feb. 17. They tucked ducks away around the Heritage Park Library, Alton Square, Irvine Spectrum’s Barnes & Nobel, Woodbridge Village Center and a Del Taco.
Natalia Brandlin and Nikki Korneff were some early discoverers of the hidden Irvine ducks.
“It literally made my day. It made me smile, just like the note said,” said Korneff.
Like other schools in Irvine, IATP has what’s called a Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports program. This is, essentially, a unique way to promote certain characteristics and uplift students who exemplify those traits. At IATP, that mantra is “PRIDE”: positive mental attitude, respect and responsibility, integrity, determination and empathy.
“Josiah is definitely a student who demonstrates all of these characteristics pretty much on a daily basis,” said Karena Gibbs, IATP’s principal.
This is the first time IATP students participated in the hiding of ducks — and Gibbs said almost every student participated — but it might not be the last.
“I think this would be a great annual way to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day,” said Gibbs. “We’re open and flexible with ways we want to honor our students and contribute to efforts they’ve started on their own as well.”
If you find one of the brightly colored ducks, you can either keep it or hide it for someone else to discover. But scan the QR code on the attached note to share photos of your duck on the “Josiah’s Duck Adventures” Facebook page and give an update on just where your duck has ended up.
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