Centenary Graduate Teaches His Students to "Pay it Forward"

Hackettstown, N.J. – Matt Marciano, a Centenary College alumnus and Long Valley Middle School teacher, emphasizes the importance of “paying it forward” with his students. 

The concept of “paying it forward,” which is the idea of having a good deed be repaid by helping others became popular after the 2000 movie “Pay It Forward,” which focused on this philosophy, was released.  For the third year in a row, Marciano, who graduated from Centenary with a master’s degree in Educational Leadership in 2009, is having his sixth grade Social Studies classes complete various projects to improve their community in various ways by completing a “Change the World” project.  Some examples of projects include running a soccer clinic for students who have cerebral palsy, implementing a local recycling program, setting up a scholarship in honor of a deceased family member, making teddy bears for battered women, establishing a pet therapy program in a local nursing home, helping a homeless family in Passaic County and donating flowers arrangements to individuals who belong to the Long Valley Senior Citizens Club.
 

He added a new twist to the assignment this year by offering the project to the parents of his students.  About 15 parents decided that they wanted to establish their own “Pay it Forward” campaign under his direction.  Some of the parent projects included 100 acts of kindness between September through June and volunteering for the Market Street Mission in Morristown.

“This project has taken on a life of its own,” says Marciano.  “It is such an accomplishment to be able to motivate individuals in this manner and see what a positive difference each individual can have and see what an impact they are making on other people’s lives.”

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary College’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary College’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County).  The Centenary College School of Professional Studies offers degree programs in three locations: Hackettstown, Parsippany and Edison, and at corporate sites throughout New Jersey.  The School of International Programs recruits international students for study at Centenary and Centenary students for study abroad.

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