ANNOUNCING OUR NEW EDUCATION DIRECTOR....ANNA UNKOVICH

We are pleased to announce that Anna Unkovich, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul in the Classroom (with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen), is offering her considerable life experience to help the Pay It Forward Foundation. Anna has more than thirty-five years of teaching experience in Michigan and California, has received multiple national and local teaching awards, and has been named Who's Who Among American Teachers five times.

With a background like that, we're sure you can understand how pleased we are to announce that she has volunteered to serve as the Foundation's Education Director.

Watch this page for an inspiring exchange of new ideas by teachers and for teachers.

Dear Educator,
Helping our children recognize the impact they can have on the lives of others is, in our minds, one of the most important lessons we can offer our students. The Pay It Forward Foundation has been established to educate and inspire students and others to realize that they can change the world and provides opportunities, suggestions and a forum for sharing this possibility. The Pay It Forward concept, doing unselfish acts of kindness, a service for someone, and asking them to pay the kindness forward instead of paying it back, is a powerful idea. The primary and simple lessons that one person can make a difference and the power of exponential math as illustrated in the story can capture our hearts and imagination.

A Pay It Forward Project is appropriate for any age or group. By using the materials contained in this website you can introduce the concept to the youth in your class or group, monitor the results, and integrate it into your regular curriculum. You can also apply for mini-grants for funding projects developed by your students. Through this website you will be able to communicate and share ideas with other educators and groups. The foundation is meant to be a vehicle for ideas, suggestions and good educational practice. These examples are suggested in order for you to gain ideas to help your students. Classroom or community projects should be carried out with consideration given to the particular age of your students and context of your community, as well as within the rules of your institution, and laws of the legal jurisdiction.

Once you have initiated a Pay It Forward Project, please tell others of your experience on the page entitled Share Your Story.

This is a wonderful idea for students to learn and share. The role of the foundation is to shepherd and protect the basic premise of the story, facilitate the exchange of ideas and energize those people, groups and institutions that wish to carry these ideas forward. The foundation will primarily share its influence through the website and small mini-grants.

Students tackling real issues by giving of themselves is something that can change their world. Let the optimism and idealism of youth be the heart of this movement. Our best to you, and keep watching and sharing and paying it forward on the website.

Please See our other educator resources in the upper left hand corner in the navigation section.