Meet Sharon Stewart: 5th grade teacher and global “Pay it Forward” Foundation Ambassador

ORLANDO, Fla. — An Orange County teacher is making the concept of “Paying it Forward” a part of her curriculum.

Sharon Stewart teaches 5th grade at Sunrise Elementary School. She’s also a Global Ambassador for the “Pay it Forward” Foundation, an organization that encourages people to perform good deeds for others without asking for anything in return, except that they “Pay it Forward” to three other people.

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Mrs. Stewart says she decided to bring those lessons to her classroom.

“I saw a book online, ordered it for the students, and I knew the message about the book was teaching the students how to do more for others,” Stewart said.

The class is assigned to finish the first Pay it Forward book by April 28, which has been proclaimed as Pay it FOrward day by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.

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“This helps the kids grow into being good people in today’s society, because we certainly need more of that,” Sunrise Elementary School Principal Denise Bainbridge said. I’m so very proud of my students and my teacher, Ms. Stewart, for doing this, and hopefully this is a life-long lesson.

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