Back to School is a pretty ironic term.There’s nothing back about it. It’s all about moving forward. And there has never been a better time to celebrate forward progress and highlight positive role models for others to follow.

“It Takes a Village” is a short documentary film paying tribute to the community leaders that are right now dressing our kids with kindness, confidence, creativity and possibility.

The 'Forward with' campaign of short films began releasing at the start of Back to School season during the month of August on gap.com and GapKids social channels highlighting individually our community heroes. The short documentary culmination film “It Takes a Village” then released on GapKids You Tube Channel on September 21, 2017 at the height of Back to School.

While garnering 500,000 views on Gap’s YouTube Channel, it’s impact on our kids and community heroes is immeasurable.

We know that following our Campaign, third grade teacher Jasmyn Wright gained widespread local press along with community engagements including Push Through Chants with the Philadelphia Eagles and TedTalks in Dover. She has now become an international speaker — who’s classroom ‘grew to a much larger and diverse one.’

We hope that more educators & schools are inspired by Andres Gonzalez and are breathing self-love & self-awareness into communities.

We hope that Sasha Sicurella has encouraged more opportunities for children to explore self-expression through art.

We hope that we helped R.J. Palacio remind more kids & parents the importance of acceptance, empathy and kindness.

While engagements, reach & impact was never measured by the brand, we rest assured that more kids and communities are moving forward with confidence, focus, creativity & kindness.