Thanks To My Teacher is channeling many, many individual memories into a collective and powerful grassroots force.

We are video-recording a wide spectrum of people, documenting their individual, very personal memories of a teacher who made a difference in their life. In the process, we are giving them a platform from which to formally and publicly express their gratitude to that teacher.

Some of our contributors are instantly recognizable, some have impressive credentials, and some are faces in the crowd. But each short video – which run the gamut from professionally produced to candid selfies – is a compelling testament to the formative contribution one teacher made to one student's life. Together, they are a vivid reminder of the value teachers bring to society as a whole.

We will pro-actively distribute these simple, inspiring videos to targeted audiences through a variety of traditional and new media channels, with special emphasis on social media, blogging and podcasting. By doing so, we will mold this profusion of heartfelt individual thanks into a collective, grass roots force that can help society rediscover its lost tradition of respect for teachers.