Actively Caring is defined as any behavior that exceeds one expectations for helping others, or put simply, an act that goes beyond the call of duty for the welfare of others.

In the fall of 2008, five individuals approached Dr. Geller about creating a culture shift at Virginia Tech and beyond. David, Vince, Joey, Brandon, and Shane purchased 2,000 green “Actively Carting 4 People” wristbands that could be used as a way of “paying-it forward.” When students witness someone else being kind, they are encouraged to thank the person for this kindness, offer him or her their green AC wristband, and ask the person to “pay it forward” when next he or she witnesses an act of kindness. A wristband has the potential to connect us all through acts of kindness and create a more compassionate world.

The Actively Caring Movement has started…

The Wristband: pass the wristband on to someone you see perform Actively Caring behavior. Remember to  thank him/ her for caring, and tell him/her to pass it on (pay it forward)!

The Thank You Card: pass the thank you card on to any individual that performs Actively Caring behavior. Remember to tear off the top part to give to the caring person and return the bottom part for data to measure the caring of the Virginia Tech culture.

Actively Caring For Elementary Schools- a bullying prevention initiative: children in elementary schools are learning the concept of Actively Caring and the importance of helping others.

The Actively Caring For People Scholarship: a Virginia tech scholarship ($4500) will be given to one student who provides a written report of how he/she has actively cared in the past, actively cares now, and will continue actively caring in the future.

The Actively Caring shirt (Ut Prosim design): help the movement spread

The Book: Dr. Geller’s new book focuses on the importance of competence, choice, and community and how they lead to self-motivation

Our mission is to change the world with small intentional acts of kindness. We need you. If every individual took 50% of the energy used to complain and put it towards doing something nice, we would be in a near perfect word. Take an active approach to everything, especially caring for people. Small acts of kindness, like “hi” and holding a door, impact people, in fact, these ‘little acts’ might have the ‘greatest effect.’ “Every act of kindness has a ripple effect with no logical end.” Start the ripple and change the world with us! Actively Caring for People, foresees a world of courage, compassion, and belonging; a community where kind gestures are not classified as random, but rather intentional acts of kindness. We will unite the community around the common commitment of helping others. Everyone has the ability to care for others; all we need is a proactive approach. Most importantly, caring for others is easy. Little sacrifice or deviation from your typical routine is required. It takes only seconds to do someone a favor, but the contagious nature of such acts is undeniable. Through caring for others, as a community, we collectively possess the ability to make an impressive difference in each other’s lives. I challenge you, next time you step out the door, to make someone’s life a little easier. Bringing a smile to a stranger’s face, yields a level of fulfillment that is second to none.