OneNote—a collective ripple

The OneNote team can proudly say that the power of the collective has resonated throughout the country.

Shortly after our first event that honored University of Central Florida engineering student Albert Manero, The Collective Project and Robert Downey Jr. collaborated to surprise Alex—a child in need of a bionic arm—with his own Iron Man arm. We were all blown away by the power that story had as it circulated the Internet immediately after Robert Downey Jr. released the video on March 12th. The touching video brought tears to viewers everywhere, and thanks to the generous people involved, we all discovered the stunning impact that one action has when people selflessly come together to create something for the greater good.

After making a huge splash, it was time to give a new group of students the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of others. The OneNote Collective Project team landed on the Penn State campus on March 16th to rally students around inspiring student Neha Gupta and her cause—Empower Orphans. Recent winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize, Neha started her charity at the age of nine with a simple, local garage sale.  She has since helped over 25,000 orphans around the world through her fundraising efforts. She is a powerful example of how one person can make a big difference. She believes strongly in the power of the ripple effect, where one person’s small action can ripple out to create big change.

The Collective Project wanted other students to feel that even if you might not be able to devote all your free time to helping others, you can still start a ripple of change. Armed with gift cards and purple notecards detailing small acts of kindness, The Collective Project brand ambassadors spread throughout the Penn State campus. Touched with a ripple of kindness, students were encouraged to visit the “Empathy In Action” wall and complete their own small action—from holding the door for their fellow classmate to volunteering to tutor at nearby elementary schools. Over 500 acts of kindness were completed from the “Empathy in Action” wall. The impact of the event will have lasting effects as well. Over 50 students volunteered to become part of Empower Orphans, helping Neha continue to grow her organization.

In the wise words of Neha Gupta, “It is our time to be the igniters of change. Find a cause that touches your heart. Convert your empathy into action and let those actions ripple out.”

We look forward to seeing the power that words can have when we highlight our next story, already live on OneNote.com/CollectiveProject.