Teacher's $20 Kindness Challenge Expands After TV Story

When Kristina Ulmer first gave her students $20 bills and challenged them to help others, she thought it would happen just once. Seven years later, her kindness project is spreading to new schools and touching hundreds of lives.

Ulmer, a teacher at Hatboro-Horsham High School in Pennsylvania, started the challenge using money her sister left when she died. She wanted to teach young people about empathy while honoring her sister's memory.

The concept is simple but powerful. Each student receives $20 and must use it to make a positive difference in their community. Some buy supplies for homeless shelters. Others purchase groceries for struggling neighbors. The creativity and impact have been remarkable.

After Action News covered the story in 2025, donations flooded in. Ulmer received so much support that she created a foundation to bring the challenge to other schools. "We received so many donations we've been able to do it every semester, twice a year, since fall 2018," she said.

On Friday, the program reached its first expansion school. Five Hatboro-Horsham students traveled to Ewing High School in New Jersey to launch the challenge there. Their destination was particularly meaningful for Ulmer because the teacher leading the program is Siri Bowman, her own former teacher.

"It's so nice to give back to her because she's given so much to me," Ulmer said. The visiting students arrived with a $460 grant, enough for Bowman to give $20 bills to 23 of her tenth graders.

The Pennsylvania students shared stories of their own experiences with the challenge. They talked about how good it feels to help others and showcased the creative ways previous participants found to maximize their impact.

The Ripple Effect

What started as one teacher's tribute to her sister has touched hundreds of students across two states. Each participant learns that even small amounts of money can create meaningful change when paired with creativity and compassion.

The foundation's growth means more schools can join the program. More students will discover the joy of giving and the power of thinking beyond themselves. Each $20 bill becomes a lesson in empathy that students carry long after spending the money.

Bowman expressed excitement about watching her students discover what Ulmer's classes have known for years. The challenge teaches that kindness isn't about grand gestures but about noticing needs and taking action.

The best part? Every student who completes the challenge becomes an ambassador for kindness, potentially inspiring others to give back in their own communities.

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