GOOD NEWS STORY: Fearing Her Students Were Glued To Screens, She Gave Each $20 With One Request

Today’s good news story comes from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

At Hatboro-Horsham High School in Pennsylvania, English teacher Kristina Ulmer is proving that even a small gesture can create a big impact. Each semester, she gives her students $20 with a heartfelt request: use it to do something kind.

The challenge began in 2018, inspired by a personal tragedy. Ulmer lost her sister, Katie, in a car accident. When a police officer returned her sister’s purse, it contained over $100 in tips she had earned that morning. Ulmer immediately knew the money had to be used for good.

“Katie was always doing something to help people,” Ulmer said. “So I knew the money had to be used for good.”

That same year, while teaching Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451—a 1953 novel depicting a screen-obsessed, disconnected future society—Ulmer had an idea.

She told her students that the way to prevent our world from becoming Fahrenheit 451 is through kindness and connection. She gave each student $20 and asked them to perform a random act of kindness in Katie’s honor. The project became known as the “$20 Challenge.”

The challenge quickly gained momentum. Students embraced the opportunity, using their $20 to help the homeless, support animal shelters, and even surprise veterans with gifts. One group of girls created a basket of treats for an orphanage.

One story that stood out to Ulmer involved a student visiting family in the Midwest. She spent her $20 on doughnuts, then stood on a street corner with her uncle, handing them out to strangers. The experience touched her so deeply that she now continues the tradition every year.

The impact of the challenge didn’t stop there. After that first semester, donations from the community poured in, enabling Ulmer to continue the tradition year after year. As of this past fall, her students have completed over 350 acts of kindness in her sister’s memory.

The real reward, according to Ulmer, is seeing how much her students learn from the experience.

Through her sister’s legacy, Ulmer is teaching her students a powerful lesson: it doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day—just a little kindness and a willing heart.