Senior academics invited to 'pay it forward'.

In the 2000 movie Pay It Forward, a teacher's challenge inspires a young student to do positive things to improve people's lives. The movie's premise is to do something good for someone and instead of getting paid back, the recipient of the good deed must do something positive for others, thus "paying it forward."

With 40% of the full-time faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha aged 55 years or older, their anticipated retirement offers them the chance to use their skills, knowledge and talent to benefit others. The same can be said for older faculty across the country.

Dr. Laura Schulte, a professor in the department of teacher education at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, applied the four dimensions of perceptual psychology theory to identify the beliefs, values and attitudes of educators who would likely take advantage of the opportunity to "pay it forward." They are: the perceptions of self, perceptions of others, frame of reference and perceptions of purpose.

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Those people who are strong in perceptions of self are able to "identify with and feel compassion for all persons" the basis for community, said Schulte. Those who are strong in the perceptions of others see others as capable, "which promotes positive growth and development," the foundation of opportunity People who are strong in the frame of reference are "concerned with the welfare of people in contrast to things" and thus value relationships. And those who are strong in the perceptions of purpose "view their work in the larger context, concerned with the development of people as good citizens."

Schulte found several examples of those who "exemplify the dimensions" and who are doing volunteer work that's benefiting others. One of those was Dr. Mary T. Brauch Petersen, director of the Language & Culture School of Omaha (LACSO).

Petersen earned her doctorate from Nebraska later in life after a career teaching English, Spanish and American government in the Omaha schools. She was determined to use her degree to improve the lives of Latina/os living nearby.