Oddbjørn Lund from Norway was bored in college and began collecting paper clips just for fun. He linked them together, one by one, making chains across his room.

Soon, his friends joined in. Then classmates. Then entire schools.

By the time he graduated, Oddbjørn had collected over a million paper clips. But he didn’t stop there. He started “Clips for Classrooms,” a global campaign that turns each collected clip into a donation for schools in low-income areas.

Today, kids in 27 countries send in clips with notes like, “This one’s for a new chalkboard!” or “Hope this helps someone learn.”

What started as a dorm room hobby became a worldwide symbol of how little things can lead to big change.

Oddbjørn says, “I never imagined a paper clip could change a life. Now I know it can.”