Think of it as a pyramid scheme for the altruist.
Students from West High School business teacher Lisa-Marie Burns’ marketing class have taken it on themselves to extend a favor to three people for every good thing that someone does for them. The idea: To “pay forward” a good deed instead of paying it back.
In doing so, West High students plan to make the world a kinder place, one good deed at a time.
Inspired by a movie released in 2000 called “Pay It Forward” about a boy who takes it upon himself to change the world for the better one good deed at a time, Burns’ marketing students aim to get the social movement off the ground in Tracy this holiday season.
Several have already started over the Thanksgiving Day break, by feeding strangers, doing extra chores for their parents or babysitting for younger siblings — without expecting anything in return.
West High junior Tristan Pulliam gave a woman $10 at a San Francisco BART station last weekend because she said she lost her purse and needed to get to Daly City.
“She looked so worried, like she didn’t know what to do, so I just gave her the money,” the 17-year-old student said. “I told her about the movie, and what we’re trying to do and told her to pass it on.”
It seems like an experiment more suited to a sociology class than a business class, but Burns said part of business, part of success, is sharing with people less fortunate.
“It’s not enough to be successful, to ‘make it,’” said the business teacher. “You have to share that with people who need it.”
The teacher ordered white-and-black bracelets for her students emblazoned with the title of the inspirational movie.
Already, she said, students outside the class have started sporting the rubber bracelets after students from her class passed them on with their simple acts of kindness.
“So if you see the bracelet, if you see someone wearing it this holiday season, you can be aware of what they’re up to,” Burns said.
The lesson to “market” goodwill is something several of her students have seriously taken to heart and put into practice.
“If we take responsibility … and take these small steps, we can change the world,” Pulliam said. “It can start with one person.”
2 comments:
Check out http://www.akoha.com for a web 2.0 version of Pay It Forward! They are going live in 2009.
You get a deck of 24 cards, which you register on the web site. Each one has a mission, such as “thank someone”. When you thank someone, you give them the card. They can then look the card up on the web site and see where it has travelled. They can then register the card and play it to someone else. Each recipient can also sign up and play themselves.
I bought 5 starter kits for $15, so it isn’t an expensive game to play.
Bill
Bill,
We would like to highlight this program on the Pass It Forward Movement's website also. Take a look at www.aunitedworld.org
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