Interpersonal Skills: Pay It Forward
by Laurie Wilhelm
Everyone reading this is probably familiar with the pay it forward concept: someone does a favour for another but instead of repaying the giver, the receiver does a favour for another person.
The novel Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a story about eleven year old Trevor who is given a project in his social studies class to come up with a plan that will improve the world through direct action. The concept the teacher is trying to convey is that anyone, of any age and of any means can make a positive change in the world.
Trevor’s idea is to do an unconditional good deed for three people who would then each do a good deed for three other people, who would do a good deed for three more people and so on. He suggests, “it doesn’t have to be a big thing. It can just seem that way, depending on whom you do it for.”
Since the novel was published, Catherine Ryan Hyde established the Pay It Forward Foundation in September 2000. The mission of the organization is to educate and inspire students to pay it forward and the Foundation can provide educational resources and seed money to schools who qualify through their Mini Grant Program. If you’re interested in bringing this generous idea to schools visit the Pay It Forward Foundation’s educational project page.
And if you’re an adult wanting ideas, information, or inspiration, check out the Pay It Forward Movement website. This is a great way to work on your interpersonal relationship skills.
As part of the Foundation’s awareness program, they offer free Pay It Forward Bracelets to schools, organizations and individuals around the world. However, they need to raise funds to be able to provide these at no cost so the Foundation is launching a Pay It Forward Bracelet Web-a-thon on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008. If you’d like to participate by donating to their fundraising event and help spread the Pay It Forward concept all over the globe, visit their website. You can make a general donation to the Foundation here also.
You can also participate by implementing the pay it forward concept on November 18th and do a favour you normally wouldn’t for three people and encourage them to pay it forward. Of course, you don’t have to wait until the 18th. You can get a head start and do it now.
