Tag Archives: global problems

From Knowledge Comes Beauty

Patricia Shafer, July 20, 2015

“From Knowledge Comes Beauty” reads a hand-painted T-shirt, a gift to a high school merit scholar in Rwanda, originally painted by a student in the US . . . Why? Did the US student who painted the T-shirt believe deep down inside that there is a connection between knowledge and beauty? Does the recipient, Daphrose, now feel a sense of connection with a young person thousands of miles away that she may never meet?

We will likely never know the true answers. However, when Mothering Across Continents special projects coordinator Elizabeth Peacock packed her luggage and more than 20 hand-painted T-shirts for a trip to Rwanda, she wondered what magic might be created. T-shirts, she reminded us, have become a global medium of expression, especially for youth. Likewise – hearts, peace signs, flowers and books are images that translate well across many cultures. The languages of love, compassion and quality education are bridge-builders.

Yet, Elizabeth’s bearing of T-shirt gifts had an even bigger purpose. Three years ago, she led an enormous T-shirt painting exercise across middle and high schools in Charlotte, North Carolina. After workshops learning about seven global issues (poverty, education/illiteracy, hunger, water/infrastructure, environment, conflict/peace, and intolerance), students were invited to paint a white T-shirt in a way that expressed what he or she had learned about what can be done to address one issue. Schools and students raised money to participate. The funds were designated to help build a school in South Sudan. The school, Nyarweng Primary, is operating today.

Then what? What becomes of the T-shirts? First, they toured Charlotte, including an installation of 2,000 T-shirts at the annual Sensoria Arts Festival at Central Piedmont Community College. The exhibit was called “Any1Can” – a theme carried on each of the T-shirts and reminder that Any1Can Promote Education, Any1Can Teach Tolerance, Any1Can Stop Hunger, Any1Can . . .

Some have been set aside, almost museum-like, to be untouched, and only replicated through social enterprise products available in the Mothering Across Continents store. Special gifts have been made of others – the group that Elizabeth just took to students in Rwanda, for example. And another group have been looked at, not as T-shirts to wear per se, but as accidental canvases to be upcycled into purses, bags and backpacks – a potential social enterprise to help fund more education projects.

But I digress . . . I’ve started to share the material and potential marketing impact of these T-shirts, which is easy to do, because we’re often told that T-shirts are a powerful and affordable marketing opportunity. Practically speaking, that may be true. But speaking with purpose, what matters more is that students in the US were introduced to the idea of global issues and the idea that Any1Can make a difference; they were asked to react through art; and their thoughts are being conveyed as gifts half-way around the world. Coming full-circle: “From Knowledge Comes Beauty.”

Top Ten List of Reasons our Eyes were Opened, Heads were Left Buzzing, and Spines are Still Tingling

Saturday, April 5, was a big day for us. In January, we officially took the plunge to plan and deliver the Any1Can You’re It! Global Youth Service Summit. It constituted a series of firsts . . . first time we hosted a youth service summit, first time we served as Youth Service America’s local lead agency, first time students from public and private high schools across the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District came together in conjunction with Global Youth Service Day (April 11). We knew it would be a day of surprises – as are all “events.” But we really underestimated how much we would learn in the presence of approximately 125 students who are service leaders at 16 different schools. Given that the event came on the heels of “Top Ten Reasons” originator David Letterman announcing he will retire, we’re offering our “Top Ten List of Reasons our Eyes were Opened, Heads were Left Buzzing, and Spines are Still Tingling.” In reverse order, of course:

10. STUDENTS WILL GO OUT OF THEIR WAY ON A SATURDAY.
When we first decided to move ahead with the event, with limited time to organize sponsors, partners, and commitments to attend, we held our breath. Will students come to a summit on a Saturday? We learned that we underestimated how moved and motivated they would be by the opportunity to come together to learn about and share experiences with service projects.

9. MUSIC MATTERS.
One of our facilitating partners, Leading2Change, insisted that we couldn’t have a youth summit without the right music. They were right. It was one of those intangibles that said “This summit is for you.”

8. SPECIAL VISITORS TAKE PEOPLE’S BREATH AWAY.
Our keynote speaker was 18-year-old Charles Orgbon, founder of Atlanta-based Greening Forward. He started his non-profit environmental efforts in the 6th grade. He’s now a high school senior. In six years his organization has supported projects engaging 2,000 students and 10,000 adults in environmental service.

7. LOCALS INSPIRE TOO.
Students and an adviser from Charlotte Latin attended. We learned that this year they’ve raised $35,000 to support a school project in Tanzania, and they’re still going! Two students were the catalysts who proposed the project.

6. See #8 and note…
WE UNDERESTIMATE YOUTH, AND THEY UNDERESTIMATE EACH OTHER.
A common refrain was, “I had no idea other schools are working on stuff like we are at our school. I thought we were the only ones who cared about global issues and service.”

5. BETTER FUEL UP.
If you want a successful event, surprise students with fresh, hot pizza and snacks they like. Thanks, Fuel Pizza. Thanks, LANCE for the chips. Thanks, EarthFare for the apples, bananas and yummy juice. A collective gasp arose and hands clapped when we shared that lunch included you.

4. MISSING SKILL – ADVOCACY.
Asked for examples of their activities in the realms of Awareness, Service, Philanthropy or Advocacy, there were plenty of examples of the first three – almost no examples of the last (Advocacy). Facilitators asked “Why?” Participants responded: “Who wants to hear from
us?” and “We don’t know how to advocate.”

3. IF YOU WANT HONESTY, EXPECT UNCOMFORTABLE MOMENTS.
Like…the student troupe that performed at lunch and named specific issues at specific schools. Like…the dialogue in the economy workshop led a participant to share that his father lives and works in New York, while the family lives in Charlotte, because that’s where his father found the best job to put food on the table. They SKYPE each night, but miss each other a lot.

2. PEACE WINS.
Given seven different themes as options for creating a service campaign (education, poverty, hunger, water, peace, tolerance, and environment), peace and its parallel tolerance win out. But the truth is, we as facilitators don’t know why. We simply noticed a pattern.

1. FIRSTS ALWAYS LEAD TO THE QUESTION – WHAT NEXT?
Some students exchanged contact information on the spot and declared, “Look at me – I’m networking.” Twitter, Facebook and Instagram received their fair share of traffic. And the
general sentiment from students and facilitators indicated, this was a great first step.
And so . . . ?!

What are teachers doing to prepare students for the world of tomorrow?

Adults with children attending school in countries with developed economies are hearing a common theme these days . . . “We need to focus on developing global citizens with 21^st century skills.” But interview teachers (which we often do as creators of The Global Class and Any1Can Project), and you hear the practical challenges at hand. There are high expectations of (and pressure on) today’s educators to effectively teach to established curricula and help students improve scores on standardized exams. So, how and where can they integrate global education in ways that align with what they’re already teaching and are presented in new, innovative and engaging ways that appeal to students – especially teenagers in high schools?

As one contribution to the answer, we offer up Exhibit A – the 9^th grade English teachers and administrators of Myers Park High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. This year, with the support and encouragement of a new principal, Mark Bosco, interested in expanded global knowledge and problem-solving skills, these teachers launched a year-long program that culminates in April.

Step 1: They participated in professional development on how to incorporate seven global issues into the classroom.
Step 2: They introduced the history and context of South Sudan and the former Lost Boys of Sudan into their classrooms through articles, videos, an assembly, and dialogues.
Step 3: They connected classroom learning to efforts of a student club that took the lead on sharing with the rest of the school what was going on in 9^th grade English.
Step 4: Working in an integrated way, the 9^th grade English teachers and student club members planned a 3-mile “Walk for Wisdom” to raise funds for adult literacy in South Sudan. The walk takes place on Friday, April 4, with nearly 700 of the high school’s 3,000 students registered.
Step 5: After the walk, in April, the teachers are leading classroom reflection conversations about the relationship between what students learned about South Sudan and themes of education, conflict and intolerance in classic literature, specifically Romeo and Juliet and The Odyssey.
Step 6: All of the 900 English students in 9^th grade are learning to use online technology to create “memes” that juxtapose images from South Sudan with famous lines from “R&J” and “Odyssey.”

And there’s a culmination. By May, these memes will be curated for presentation at the school and in public.

Next time you hear someone say, “What are teachers doing to prepare students for the world of tomorrow?” feel free to think about this moment in time that links a photo of a few teachers sitting in a circle of student desks and what emerged from it.

We learn a little more each time…

Alas, we won’t be meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Even when we don’t “win,” we love writing grant and contest applications. The experience forces you to define and re-define what you’re trying to do in the world, how you will go about it, and results for which you aim. If we hadn’t recently entered the Compassion & Technology Contest from Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, we may not have discovered this wonderful quote from center director Prof. James Doty: “[Compassion] . . . is that key that will address the issues that we all think are isolated issues, such as global warming, war, conflict, poverty . . . These are problems of the human heart.”

That one quote again affirmed that we’re on the right track with our program The Global Class & Any1Can Project, which helps teachers and students become familiar with seven complex global issues that touch every community on the planet: poverty, education/literacy, hunger/nutrition, water/infrastructure, environment/sustainability, social attitudes/prejudice (tolerance) and peace/conflict resolution.

In our application, we made the case that schools help infuse youth with a spirit of responsibility and skills to engage in service projects. However, studies by the Corp. for National & Community Service indicate that during the 2000s, the percentage of schools integrating service learning into classroom academics declined. Service is widespread, but not service learning – with calls for investigation, preparation/planning, action, reflection and learning demonstration/communication. Fewer principals and teachers engage in and sustain academic-based service learning (especially global service learning) when faced with budget cuts, lack of easily accessible materials, and a sense of overwhelm.

We proposed transforming The Global Class & Any1Can Project Resource Guide into an iBook linked with an online learning management system. In 2012-13, more than 10,000 teachers utilized our Resource Guide and professional development support. Participating in the Compassion & Technology Contest helped us clarify how the Apple iBooks format could expand and add interactive flexibility to the Resource Guide as a unique, multi-touch format with video, diagrams, 3D objects and movies and facilitate engagement in Apple-compatible Smart classrooms and through Smartphones and mobile devices.

Perhaps, though, our biggest learning was how generous experts are with their time in an effort to make a difference to young people. We wouldn’t have dared apply if it weren’t for Adam S. Brooks, a professional who understands technology application to education pedagogy and extensive experience as a senior developer, learning content manager, and systems administrator on eLearning initiatives. He volunteered his time and counsel without hesitation. And we are grateful.

Now, we just need to find another way to get support and funding to put the idea to work!

Scholarships Change Lives

Patricia Shafer writes…

I sometimes think “seeking sponsors” is the hardest phrase in the English language to write. Our volunteer catalysts and I have visited projects where children are in such extreme need of educational support – Rwanda, South Sudan, Liberia . . . – there’s no doubt that scholarships make a huge difference. But what if you haven’t been there? How do I convey to you that there’s something special, unique and useful about scholarship support in faraway places? Then, I get over myself, just share what I know, and hope for the best. For example:

In Rwanda, the 1994 genocide left behind a population that’s 70 percent female. When the bloodshed stopped, women picked up the pieces to rebuild. Today, there are still more women than men. A Rwandan saying is that a woman is the heart of the house. There are more women in Rwanda’s parliament than any other country in the world. The scholarships that we directly ask people to support in Rwanda go only to girls. At Mwiko Primary School, where our efforts in Rwanda began, 6th grade girls in the Top Ten of their class would not be able to go to secondary schools without scholarships. Their families are too poor. We send every girl who is sponsored to the Institute for Women’s (IWE) Excellence, the only all-girls’ private school in Rwanda that focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. We’re also beginning to collaborate with nonprofits Seeds of Hope and ALARM to help make sure that girls who graduate from IWE will be guaranteed access to a specially-designed year-long institute to prepare them for lives as influencers. Today, there are more women in Rwanda’s parliament than any other country in the world.

Okay, writing the above, my angst is gone. If you’ve ever thought for even a moment about becoming a scholarship supporter, let us know. Indeed, write me directly and I’ll personally identify candidates for you. [email protected]

Change girl’s lives, improve communities

The UN recognizes October 11th as International Day of the Girl. This day is set aside to recognize the unique challenges girls face around the world.

While it’s true that in many parts of the world BOTH boys and girls don’t have access to education and literacy, girls are disproportionately disadvantaged in many communities. For instance, in the villages where we build schools in South Sudan, only 2 percent of boys traditionally graduate from primary school. Hard to imagine it could be worse for girls, but it is. Historically, only 1 percent of girls with finish the sixth grade.

Absent change, the long-term negative impact on communities can be devastating. Dreams and a sense of empowerment and self-reliance never develop.

That’s why several of our projects focus on providing a stable learning environment for girls and young women. We think it’s a moral imperative and a natural part of a “hand up” vs. “hand out” development strategy. There is also overwhelming evidence that girls’ education, especially at the secondary school level, reduces numbers of early pregnancies, HIV/AIDS infection rates, and infant mortality. Data from the World Bank and IMF suggest that literacy and access to vocational education for girls can improve the overall GDP of a community. As a tool for transformation, educated girls help fuel democratization and income equality – societal qualities that help achieve stability and sustainability.
Girl Rising Photo
High Hopes Haiti is a flagship example of efforts by Mothering Across Continents project catalysts like Courtney Jackson to empower high school girls and young women. In a community of rural northern Haiti, four workshops have been delivered to help participants dream about the future, imagine careers, and identify skills they need, specifically English, computer literacy and small business management. In August 2013, a record 30 participants completed a three-week institute as a foundation for a year-long program of English, computer and small business training. Find out how you can be a part of our GlobalGiving campaign and positively impact the life of a girl at: http://goto.gg/14935.

Join us in celebrating International Day of the Girl!

Testimonials say it all!

We greatly appreciate the testimonials and reviews we have received from a variety of people we have worked with. Here are a few examples…

“Mothering Across Continents assisted our school in becoming a part of a global service project and helped our faculty understand the complex problems that surround need in developing countries. We wanted to focus our service project around the idea of clean water and discovered their global classroom materials online. They came to us to deliver staff development, as well as, student leadership development. Students grew in their knowledge of global problems and became partners to affect change in South Sudan. They have gained a better understanding of issues like poverty, conflict, hunger, and resource management. Most importantly our school understands that we have a place in the global community and our responsibility is to educate students, our own community and to reach out and partner with those who need help.”
~ Amy (Teacher)

“I had the opportunity to work with Mothering Across Continents on a project my senior year of high school. Not only were we successful in our project, they were very helpful at letting the students learn the ins and outs of the business. We were treated like peers and adults but at the same time if we needed help with anything they were always there. The people from MAC that we worked with were incredibly personable and I still keep in touch with one which I think really shows that they care about more than just raising the money but the people they are working with as well. I still continue to donate money to the causes they have and I hope to even work with them in the near future as an intern or still as a volunteer!”
~ Shelby (Student)

“A Lost Boy of Sudan, James Lubo Mijak, and I had a dream to build a school in South Sudan back in 2009. We were floundering until we met Mothering Across Continents. Since then, with their tireless direction and support, we’ve raised more than $300,000 and have completed a school in one of the most remote places in the world. We simply could not have done it without them. And, there is so much more work to do and MAC is committed to seeing it through with us.”
~ Phillips (Project Catalyst)

“Mothering Across Continents has created a solid framework by which our team is in the process of creating two sustainable school projects in South Sudan. Even though working in South Sudan is extremely difficult, our project, designed by Mothering Across Continents has met goals that other groups have only hoped to achieve.”
~ Karen (Project Catalyst)

To read more, or add your own, visit our page on Great Non-Profits where we received one of the first Top-Rated Awards of 2013.