Apropriate Development

Two teenagers outside of Boston, the Bergquists, have been collecting used cell phones for the last three years and recycling them for about five dollars each to buy phone cards for soldiers in Iraq. The CBS Evening News tonight said that they had started the project when they heard about a local soldier that had rung up over $8,000 on a cell phone trying to call home to keep in touch with his family. They did lots of fundraisers to pay off his bill and then started the project. They just got a huge donation from AT&T and AT&T has also set up cell phone recycle drop off boxes. I am really excited to see these kids doing something so positive and beneficial to others. Check them out at www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.

Check out takingitglobal.com. It's a great website for youth that are interested in sharing ideas, information, and jobs/internships and ways to get involved. Youth from around the world can share stories about their countries and share ideas and solutions, informing each other and crossing cultures! There are articles, poems, galleries, different databases, bulletin boards, and more. I am not quite sure what constitutes "youth," but I don't feel too old to be looking and participating on this site. They are a non-profit and work with the UN as well as corporations. Check it out! www.takingitglobal.com

In today's Providence Journal, I read a story about Photographic Memory. Much like Kids with Cameras, this class gets kids that might be "having a tough time" and gives them an opportunity to develop a skill and use photography as an outlet. The founder, Scott Lapham, started this program after teaching a few classes at the Training School - which is a juvenile prison in Rhode Island - and seeing the effects that photography can have on people. The program gives kids the cameras as well as lessons in how to create, change, and shape images as well as how to develop the professional skill of photography. It's helped at least one student get into the Rhode Island School of Design by helping her develop a strong portfolio. I am glad to see this going on here in Rhode Island and in a city struggling to engage it's low-income students. Another good, and local, program helping to make each life filled with a few more smiles.

In Jamaica, one of my projects was teaching computer lessons to teachers and community members at various schools in nearby communities. Another volunteer (my husband now!) and I worked together to meet a growing demand. Many teachers and principals had approached us because they had a few computers at their schools, but they were not very comfortable using them and were afraid the children would use them improperly. Also, community members were interested in expanding the skills they had so they could be more employable. Mark and I came up with a curriculum which we implemented over 10 sessions. We taught general topics such as the parts of the computer, how they fit together, how to keep them clean from the dusty country air, and how to prevent against frequent power surges.

There is a continuous buzz in the non-profit fundraising world about using technology such as the internet and even cell phones to bring in donations. At the same time, non-profits are trying to connect with the younger generation of donors, and so technology seems like the most inteligent way to make these connections. Since many people manage their bills and banking online, it makes sense that you wouldn't write a check for a donation, but rather make that donation online as well. The Chronicle of Philanthropy noted a couple of networking sites where non-profits have set up their own profiles to draw in donors. They mentioned that Gather at www.gather.com has been used for this purpose, and also My Space where there is a page for the non-profit, People Helping People. The Red campaign is also on My Space.