No one knows exactly where the spark comes from.

But the urge to do good, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you, vibrates not deeply enough in many of our bones.

But it is often there nonetheless, humming along and moving our society forward by inches or by leaps and bounds. This urge can motivate people to volunteer, to share their food, to mentor the young or assist the aged -- to just plain lend a hand to help the greater community.

A handful of University of Maine students are getting a taste of it periodically this year, as they participate in "Random Acts of Kindness" jaunts around Augusta. They're part of a community-service program, sponsored by the University's Office of Civic Engagement, which sends the students places without their knowing in advance what their activities will be.

From where does the do-good chromosome come?

Is it guided by parents and family mores? Can it be nurtured by churches? Is it something that can be taught in schools?

Yes, yes and yes.

In Maine's schools, it comes by many short-hand descriptions, sometimes described as community service, or outreach or, as central Maine residents were reminded recently, as "service-learning projects."

Whatever the name, the goal is right and a handful more of our kids have been honored for doing good work.

Seventh-grade students Derick Ouellette, Morgan Coyle and Steffanie Begin, of Forest Hills Consolidated School in Jackman, assembled books to send to children in Uganda, learning along the way about the African nation and its people.

Winthrop seventh-graders Aubree Ahearn and Chase Robbins created digital stories about people in their community, introducing some residents to one another. They picked up filmmaking and editing skills, too.

Madison High School students Katie Kirk and sisters Margo and Ali Russell organized two community blood drives this winter, netting 103 pints of blood. That will save lives.

Good, good and more good.

These students were nurtured by their teachers and a non-profit Auburn-based group called KIDS Consortium, which helped pay for the students' materials and pamphlets.

You know the old saying about what grows from little acorns. There's a lot of seeding going on here, and these kids will continue to grow up knowing the value of doing interesting, community-based service projects -- and that those efforts can themselves be valued.

These students and their projects -- activities that combined community service with academics -- were praised last week by legislators, the governor and interested citizens at the Statehouse.

Several good deeds can inspire others. Pass it on.