How did Pay It Forward start at Great Neck South Middle School?
The notion of creating a Pay It Forward club was brought back from a trip to the Holocaust Museum and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove. Students wanted to reduce tension, diffuse bullying and create a better environment in the school, their community and in the world around them. This notion was brought to the Shared Decision Making committee, eventually becoming a fully recognized activity within the school. What activities has PIF been involved in? The PIF Club at Great Neck South Middle School, in just over a year and half, has organized three “Senior Proms” at the Bristal Senior Living Center and set up an active online PIF Wish list where individuals have been able to pay forward living room furniture, computers, printers, game boys, clothes and even an automobile! In addition, the PIF Club organized a school-wide “Read to Feed” program in order to promote literacy, while raising over $2,400 to benefit Heifer International, an organization that seeks to end hunger and heal the earth.
