While it has been many years since I watched, “Pay It Forward”, the motion picture inspired by a novel written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, I still remember it vividly. Written as a fiction novel, this tearjerker has been a catalyst for acts of kindness and civility across the world since its inception. I believe this story exemplifies Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” for the young man in the story truly starts an epidemic by way of his social studies project. Challenged and inspired by a clever teacher’s extra-credit assignment, the middle schooler puts the needs of others above his own in response to the assignment – make a positive difference in the world.
The concept of “paying it forward” involves paying forward a favor through random acts of kindness while personally looking for nothing in return. Instead, the recipient of the deed is asked to pay the favor forward to someone else. Thus, starting the epidemic of repeated acts of kindness!
The pictures included in this blog entry are, in my opinion, one art teacher and his students’ way of “paying it forward”! Mr. Kuehl and his students at Breckinridge Middle School recently completed an assignment they call “Project Africa – A Work of Heart”. The works of art below were created from pictures taken of orphaned children in Namibia. Most of the children living in the Children of Zion Village have lost their parents to AIDS.
Mr. Kuehl explained, “I wanted my students to create portraits of the children at the orphanage. As the art teacher, I was interested for my students to learn portraiture, which I find to be the hardest artistic endeavor to do well. I was also interested in creating awareness of a worldwide problem. I felt the responsibility of seeing what we could do about it. Children in Namibia probably do not have many possessions, and children in an orphanage may have even fewer things to call their own.” Hats off to Mr. Kuehl and his students for sharing their talents with others an ocean away!
Please share how you and others under your direction spread the epidemic of kindness!
By: Andrea V on July 11, 2008 
Scenic Roanoke is located in the southwestern portion of the state of Virginia. The "Star City", as it is often called, is one of the largest metropolitan areas and transportation hubs that is located between the Blue Ridge and Alleghaney Highlands.
(Not pictured above)