Pay It Forward Movement News

AOL Time Warner and Child Actor Inspired by Pay It Forward Award.

Media giant AOL Time Warner and film star Haley Joel Osment, in association with Warner HomeVideo will "pay it forward" this spring when the release of the film on DVD/VHS hits the shelves on May 15th.

Osment, who portrayed Trevor, the film's lead character, will lead the home video release with a 30 second Public Service Announcement encouraging viewers to participate in the ultimate choosing of recipients of the newly created Pay It Forward Award. The honor, targeted towards school age children, was inspired by Caring Institute Founder and President, Val Halamandaris, with the Pay it Forward Foundation's creator and novelist, Catherine Ryan Hyde.

AOL Time Warner, in conjunction with Bel Air Entertainment and Warner Home Video are overseeing the project with the film's producer Steven Reuther, who cherished the coveted premise from the time he optioned Ms. Hyde's novel in 1999. Inspired by the efforts of the Pay It Forward Foundation, Mr. Reuther said, "It's so refreshing to see something truly positive happening in our school systems. I'm so thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful program."

America On Line will create the keyword, and in connection with Warner's payitforward.com, design the Internet portal allowing virtually anyone to nominate a student and/or school for the inaugural award, to be presented at this year's prestigious Caring Awards ceremony in Washington's Ford Theater in November. AOL Time Warner is producing the assets for the on-line nominating procedure as well as the PSA. Warner Home Video is providing space on both DVD and VHS versions of the film for the PSA.

The Caring Institute, inspired by Mother Teresa, was founded in 1985 to honor and promote the values of caring, integrity, and public service. CI celebrates those special individuals who, in transcending self, devote their lives in service to the disadvantaged. In addition to honoring caring Americans, the Institute assists in fulfilling the last wishes of terminally ill children, provides internships and scholarships for students, and operates the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans in Washington D. C.

The Pay It Forward Foundation operates primarily through payitforwardfoundation.org, and is currently engaged in the granting of funds and resources to schools that participate in the Pay It Forward concept. Literally hundreds of schools have contacted the foundation in an effort to participate. Ms. Hyde has interacted with schools and educators at all levels, from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York to Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City. Currently the Jefferson County, Kentucky School District, with 95,000 students, is preparing a major rollout of their version of the project. Students everywhere are embracing the idea as a way to positively impact, if not change their world.

Since Warner Bros. and Canal Plus released the film overseas, similar reactions have begun to develop globally.