Lesson 3 From You to Others Once I started high school, I took action.

The idea

You probably know of great souls who sacrificed was to spread kindness by posting notes with

themselves to help others and make the world a positive messages all over the school. I spent an

better place to live in. It may seem difficult or entire weekend making positive notes, such as

practically impossible for ordinary people to live up “You’re amazing!” and “You are worth more than you

to what Dr. Schweitzer did. But small actions that we think!”

take for our family and friends in our everyday lives The following Monday I put them up around the

can make a difference toward creating a better school, and named my campaign “Positive Post-It

world. Today we are going to listen to the stories of Day.” Guess what happened next. I was scolded for

two teenagers who have taken such actions. making a mess! But don’t be disappointed yet. It

didn’t take long before the campaign gained

Spreading Kindness with Positive Messages attention and support. To my surprise, teachers also

-Annie from Ottawa agreed to make it official, and friends joined me to

Hi, everyone. Nice to meet you all here today. I’m create an SNS page for the campaign. We are now

Annie from Ottawa. You know what these yellow getting support from people all over the world.

sticky notes are for and probably use them for many Positive and powerful words are taking the place of

purposes. I am here to tell you how I use them. It’s negative and hateful ones in our school, in our

to encourage people, give them strength, and help community, and in the world. What I learned from

them feel happy. this experience is that there is something we ordinary

When I was in middle school, someone broke into teenagers can do to contribute to making a better

my locker and used my smartphone to post hateful world.

things on my SNS page. It was so hurtful and No matter how simple it is, it can bring a change to

difficult to overcome. But after a lot of thinking and our family, school, and community. My friends and I

talking with my parents and closest friends, I are looking forward to spreading our positive sticky

concluded that although bullies use words to hurt note messages over the entire world next year. Why

people, I should use them to encourage others. don’t you join us?
Using My Computer Skills to Help My Grandfather

To make this system work, I made a small wireless

- Greg from New York City

circuit with a thin film sensor attached to it. This

Hi, I’m Greg. I live in New York City. I love playing circuit is planted in a sock or a shoe. When the

computer games. Who doesn’t at my age? I even patient steps out of bed, the pressure causes the

learned computer programming because I wanted to system to send an alert to a smartphone application

make a computer game of my own! But recently I that I also programmed. To my delight, it worked!

found another way to use my skills, and I’m excited

I will never forget how deeply moved and excited

to share it with you today. My grandfather is dealing

my family and I were when we first saw my device

with Alzheimer’s disease.

detecting my grandfather’s wandering. At that

As some of you might know, Alzheimer’s patients moment, I was struck by what I could do for people,

often suffer from wandering. Well, my grandfather using my knowledge and skills. Now I am making

sometimes wanders without knowing where he is more sensors to donate to nursing homes for

going. Wandering around at night is especially Alzheimer’s patients.

dangerous. In fact, my grandfather had several

What I really wanted to tell you today is that your

accidents because his caregiver failed to wake up

knowledge and skills, whatever they are, can be used

when he started wandering in the middle of the

to help others. It’s exciting to imagine what would

night.

happen if all of us were to join in to help others

with what we can and like to do best. I don’t know

I really wanted to help my grandfather. So I set out

exactly what such a world would look like, but I’m

to design a wireless system that triggers an alert on

certain it would be a much better world. Thank you

a caregiver’s smartphone when a patient steps out of

so much for your time!

bed.