Will Smith and Chris Gardner. Photo by AP Images/Jennifer Graylock.

The popular AFT booklet "Hard Work Pays" has an interesting connection to a new Will Smith film, "The Pursuit of Happyness," which opened in theaters Dec. 15. The booklet was underwritten by a grant from the brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co. Inc. That's the same Christopher Gardner who is the subject of the film, which is based on his rags-to-riches true story and chronicled in his book by the same title. The AFT booklet that Gardner underwrote emphasizes the importance of doing well in high school and taking academically challenging courses. (For a few years, Gardner also funded a $10,000 award that accompanied the AFT's Albert Shanker PSRP Pioneer Award, with the money split between the winner and a project in the winner's local union or school district.) When "Hard Work Pays" was in production, Gardner was "really into it" because he recognized the importance of education, recalls AFT staffer and the booklet's writer, Dan Murphy. "He was a pleasure to work with, and brought a lot of energy and excitement to the project. Thanks to his support, we were able to distribute our booklet and its critical message to more than 100,000 middle school students nationwide," Murphy notes. (Check out the cover of "Hard Work Pays." That's Gardner's Ferrari pictured at the bottom.)