Classroom desk shortages – by country Sub-Saharan Africa

http://www.tutudesk.org/tutudesk/sites/default/files/files/Tutudesk%20Africa%20Maps%20(April%202012%20landscape%20layout).pdf

The Blue Sweater is the inspiring personal memoir of a woman who has spent her life on a quest to understand global poverty and to find powerful new ways of tackling it. From her first stumbling efforts as a young idealistventuring forth in Africa to the creation of the trailblazing organization she runs today, Jacqueline Novogratz brings us a series of insightful stories and unforgettable characters — from women dancing in a Nairobi slum, to unwed mothers starting a bakery, to courageous survivors of the Rwandan genocide, to entrepreneurs building services for the poor against impossible odds.

She shows, in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking, how traditional charity often fails, but how a new form of philanthropic investing called "patient capital" can help make people self-sufficient and change millions of lives. More than just an auto-biography or a how-to guide to tackling poverty, this book challenges us to grant dignity to the poor and to rethink our engagement with the world.

Change.org is the world's largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see.

http://www.change.org/about

What if we could prepare our youth to engage in the world while helping others at the same time?
"[In my opinion] both teachers and students internalize
the value behind a globally-focused learning adventure. It
allows teachers to be passionate about their own practice,
it equips students with the skills necessary to confront the
many challenges of our ever flattening world."
Susanna Pierce
Teacher
International School of the Americas
San Antonio, Texas

This is a must read...
http://asiasociety.org/files/book-globalcompetence.pdf

As the pace of change in the world increases dramatically, the urgency to prepare all children to be full citizens of the emerging world also increases dramatically. No one can predict the world our children will inherit. The best preparation for children is to develop the passion for learning and the ability to learn how to learn.

The root cause of the rapid change, digital technology, also provides a solution. When every child has a connected laptop, they have in their hands the key to full development and participation. Limits are erased as they can learn to work with others around the world, to access high-quality, modern materials, to engage their passions and develop their expertise.

What children lack is not capability, it is opportunity and resources. The tool with which to unlock their potential is the XO. Put this ultra-low-cost, powerful, rugged, low-power, ecological laptop in their hands and contribute to making a better world. In the first years of OLPC we have seen two million previously marginalized children learn, achieve and begin to transform their communities. We are working to provide this opportunity to millions more.

Here's my draft in progress - a mentor text for students who are writing persuasive pieces (blog posts, speeches, articles, etc.) on their passion area - mine features "The Global Schoolhouse" of course! :) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W8aVKlLp-Lj2TV9qeQHDN5sO3yC3kIPB1q5-uopm7Ig/edit

the sixth graders love checking on the progress of this site! :) Today they learned how to hyperlink, and based on their input in my demo I hyperlinked to "The Global Schoolhouse" of course! Many of them are writing about the water crisis or other global (or domestic) issues - I'm so proud of their passion and empathy! :)  -Jessica Cuthbertson, 6th grade teacher, Teacherpreneur 

"In the education conversation, we have the adults' table and the kids' table. At the adult's table, adults are making decisions regarding the very people sitting a table away. Kids do not deserve to be sitting at the kids' table. Not when the future of the country is on the line." -Nikhil Goyal

This is a must read book written by a leader among young people who are changing the world of education. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974525219/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me&seller

Videoconferencing, social networking, and other communication technologies now allow students unprecedented opportunities to investigate issues of global significance with students around the world—much the way working professionals now operate in global teams. This is our MISSON!