Pay It Forward Cincinnati inspires more than 2,000 acts of kindness among local schoolkids

Kindergarten through sixth-grade students from 14 different area schools recently wrapped up Kindness Chain Reaction, a 10-day program initiated by Pay It Forward Cincinnati in which children were encouraged to perform kind acts, then document them visually by creating paper chains in their classrooms.
 
Throughout the 10 days, the students documented 2,061 total acts of kindness.
 
Ideas like being “extra kind to your bus driver” and helping “the teacher clean up the classroom” were provided to students, but Joslyn Havel, a second-grade student at New Haven Elementary School in Union, Ky., had an idea of her own.
 
Jessica Wells and students at New Haven ElementaryShe decided to cut her hair and donate more than 8 inches of her brown locks to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an initiative to provide wigs to women with cancer.
 
“She really is one awesome little girl with a huge, giving heart,” says Jessica Wells, Joslyn’s teacher.
 
As a result of her kind act, Pay It Forward Cincinnati awarded Joslyn with a $250 check for her classroom to spend in whatever way they want, as her gesture was deemed “The Most Inspiring Act.”
 
While the students will use part of the money for an end-of-the-year classroom party, they’ll also use a portion of the funds to continue giving back.
 
“The students voted and decided to make a donation of canned goods and non-perishable food items to our school's program that helps provide food for those who need it,” Wells says. “I'm so proud of them.” 

Do Good: 

• Register to download the Kindness Chain Reaction packet. Though the contest is now finished, acts of kindness are timeless and can be performed by individuals of all ages. 

• Support Pay It Forward Cincinnati by donating.

• Connect with Pay It Forward Cincinnati on Facebook.