The top 5 projects in the American Express Member's Project were announced today. It's good to see a couple that I am a supporter of in the winner's circle. The top 5 are:
One of these projects will get $1.5 million in funding from American Express and the others will share $1 million among them. These organizations have been chosen by American Express members who have voted for these projects out of many submissions. These five are to be congratulated for their hard work and the positive impact that they have on the world. These and all the other projects that were submitted are inspirational to me and I look forward to learning from and sharing in their success.
Yesterday I received a letter from San Francisco Food Bank. Their brochure has some alarming facts about what it means to live in San Francisco. I'm sure you can learn all about it on their website, but I want to share it here as well:
Rental prices in San Francisco are up 12% in the last 6 months. Food prices are up over last year and San Francisco has the third highest gas prices in the county.
The cost of living in San Francisco is 46% above the national average.
The San Francisco Food Bank feeds over 132,000 people per year.
60% of families using a Food Bank pantry have a least one employed adult in their household.
Seniors who use a Food Bank pantry have an average monthly income of $933
Every $1 donated to the San Francisco Food Bank provides $9 worth of food
I'm betting you're one of the lucky people who can afford to support this worthy cause. Consider a gift to the San Francisco Food Bank and consider teaching for this cause.
"No matter how much or how little money you have in your pocket, or the amount of free time in your week, or your talents and interests, you can do something to improve the lives of others, and in so doing, strengthen the fabric of our shared humanity. That is what CGI is all about." -- Bill Clinton about the Clinton Global Initiative
That is what Classes for Causes is all about too. As an instructor you can share your skills and knowledge with others, connect with people interested in your subject and also contribute to doing something that will improve the lives of others. Do you believe in shared humanity? I do. I believe we can all pitch in and make a difference.
Isabel pointed me to Google's Project 10^100 for their 10th anniversary and is encouraging Classes for Causes, Inc. to apply. What do you think? Do we have a chance? Are we making a difference? My vision for the company is that we will.
If you could suggest a unique idea that would help as many people as possible, what would it be?
On Saturday I ran 20 miles as part of my Chicago Marathon training. I ran with Club Run SF and we started at Little Marina Green in San Francisco. The route for the run was along the bay, past PIER 39 under the Bay Bridge and past the ballpark. (That's 6 miles.) Then we turned around at Mariposa street, ran back to the marina and then along Crissy Field to Hopper's Hands at the Golden Gate Bridge. I need to do four more miles that the others in the group, so I did a solo run across the Golden Gate Bridge and back to the starting point. It was a perfect day for running and I felt fabulous afterwards. All that oxygen plus an ice cold dip in the bay for 20 minutes (1 minute for every mile) was really refreshing.
Along Crissy Field and at PIER 39 there are various globes decorated differently. I have been wondering what these were and finally discovered that they are part of the Cool Globes project, which is project established to raise awareness about gloabl warming and to inspire individuals and community leaders to embrace solutions. Cool, huh?!
Even cooler is the wealth of information the website offers about how we can all contribute to the cause. Check out "top tips." My top five are:
Go Vegan
Buy Organic
Recycle!
Keep up the pressure
Bag Your Own
and there are many more that are all very easy to do if you just think a little and act with intent.
Need a lesson plan to teach your kids or kids at heart about Global Warming? You're in luck there too: See the Cool Globes Lesson Plan!
Go to Crissy Field and check out the globes they are much much cooler than global warming!
Today is my birthday and I turned 36. A special friend sent me and email explaining the significance of my new age and I think it's amazing. Take a look.
The California Academy of Sciences opens it's doors September 27th after several years of construction. The newest feather in San Francisco's green cap, the Academy contains a planetarium, aquarium, and natural history museum, under one Living Roof. It's also platinumLEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and leading by example in it's commitment to sustainability. Featuring solar panels, radiant subfloor heating, water reclamation, and a host of green practices, the California Academy of Sciences is a bastion of green leadership. The Moss Room restaurant even features local, organic and seasonal ingredients.
With the mission of exploring, explaining and protecting the natural world, this is definitely a cause worth supporting. I can't wait to visit. The website even provides directions by Spacecraft!
55 Music Concourse Dr. (415-379-8000). Admission, $15-$25.
"The biggest conference on green innovation" is happening Sep 25 - 27 in San Jose. If you mean green just like you mean business, then this show is for you.
Homeowner Day; Sep. 27, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.); 408 Almaden Blvd., San Jose (800-724-4880). Homeowner day pass, $20; with admission to Al Gore's keynote address, $84.
If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties. - Sir Francis Bacon
Crosby, Stills and Nash gave us this timeless classic and the lyrics continue to ring true.
You, who are on the road Must have a code that you can live by And so become yourself Because the past is just a good bye. Teach your children well, Their father's hell did slowly go by, And feed them on your dreams The one they picked, The one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why, If they told you, You will cry, So just look at them & sigh And know they love you. And you, of tender years, Can't know the fears That your elders grew by, And so please help them with your youth, They seek the truth, before they can die. Teach your parents well, Their children's hell, Will slowly go by, And feed them on your dreams The one they picked, The one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why, If they told you, You will cry, So just look at them & sigh And know they love you.
A while ago I posted this about Dine Out America. It's a good reason to dine out and work towards solving children's hunger in America. If we can solve it here, we can solve it in other countries of the world as well. Here's a little more about what Share Our Strength is up to. They believe that "everyone has the strength to share." I love that because it emphasizes my belief that Classes for Causes teachers can share their strengths for causes like this and many others.
Mahatma Gandhi's quote "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is one of my favorites, and that's why I like bethechange.org which led me to helpothers.org. Help Others is about sharing stories about acts of kindness and provides ideas for how to be kind. Whenever I do something kind I feel good. The action may be small, but the feeling is huge and showing someone you care is always important. Another of Gandhi's quotes is "Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
We teach what we like to learn and the reason many people go into teaching is vicariously to reexperience the primary joy experienced the first time they learned something they loved.
-- Stephen Brookfield
What do you love? What do you want to learn? What would you love to teach?
Teaching is always better when the students are participating in the learning experience instead of just listening. I hadn't heard of power teaching until today, but I think it's a great way to encourage participation, increase engagement and ultimately help the students learn. Take a look at this video to see what's it's all about.
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
-- Albert Einstein
Imagine what you could do if you thought you could never fail. Imagine what you could accomplish with the help of a few people who believed in you. Imagine how wonderful life could be if everyone imagined a beautiful world. Imagine peace. Imagine the end of hunger. Imagine diversity. Imagine environmental conservation. Imagine freedom. Imagine education for all. Imagine solutions. Imagine love. Be creative and imagine ways you can be the change you wish to see in the world.
My colleague, Ellen was telling me about a talk she went to the other night where the speaker was clearly very knowledgeable in the field of sustainable fishing. Ellen didn't really enjoy the talk however, because she didn't come away with any clear ideas on what fish to eat or not eat and how to be more conscious of sustainability when it comes to eating fish. The speaker told the audience that the web has plenty of information and to go and do some research. Sounds plausible enough if you are really interested in the subject, but if you just want someone to tell you what to do, you'd feel you'd been left hanging too.
This got me thinking about the way I teach and how I make my students explore websites to find answers to questions about the subject matter I'm teaching. Perhaps that's not the best way to do it. I do think you learn more if you do the research yourself, and while I am a nurturing kind of teacher, I don't believe in spoon feeding. However, it's important to remember that there are many different kinds of learners and students in every class and you have to have be a little IKEA like and have something for everyone.
For the students that just want the facts, include a checklist or bulleted list of action steps or tips for success. For the learners that are a bit more curious, provide assignments or challenges for "extra credit," (even though you know C4C classes are not for credit,) where the students can go and find the answers to your carefully planned questions through their own investigation and collaboration with other students.
A good cellist friend of mine once told me that you're only nervous if you are unprepared. "If you feel prepared you won't feel nervous." Said another way, planning is the path to success or failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
Be respectful to your students and they will respect you and probably learn more too. You'll get more bees (or A's) with honey than with vinegar!
At our most recent board meeting, (a very exciting strategic planning evening,) we discussed that we'd like to partner with other organizations who can help us to make sure the money being donated through Classes for Causes is getting the maximum benefit to the cause. Charity Navigator is an excellent site for researching and staying on top of the facts about where your money goes when you are donating to a particular nonprofit. Take a look at the 6 Questions to Ask Before You Donate page and see whether the charity you are supporting is the most appropriate for the cause you believe in.
I'm reading Three Cups of Tea - One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin right now and although I have barely started, I am loving it. That's also how I feel about Classes for Causes. While I feel like I have been trying to make it happen for a long time, I also know that I have barely started and I am loving it.
Tonight, the board of directors met for a strategic planning meeting and it was a meeting of true collaborative spirit sparking new ideas, addressing issues and finding ways to move forward. Serving on the board is certainly a learning experience and we have only just begun.
I love quotes and Three Cups of Tea starts every chapter with a quote. Chapter 3 is titled "Progress and Perfection" which is fitting as we are making progress and aiming for perfection even though it seems a long way off. The quote for the chapter is one from another book, a conversation between Sir Edmund Hillary and Urkien Sherpa, from Schoolhouse in the Clouds.
"Tell us, if there were one thing we could do for your village, what would it be?" "With all respect, Sahib, you have little to teach us in strength and toughness. And we don't envy you your restless spirits. Perhaps we are happier than you? But we would like our children to go to school. Of all the things you have, learning is the one we most desire for our children."
Three Cups of Tea is a winner of the Kiriyama Prize. I am honored to have taught Jeanine Stronarch, who is the Prize Manager for the Kiriyama Prize and after starting the book, I have a much better understanding of Jeanine's work and the incredible books she gets to read in order to award prizes. The quality of the writing and storytelling in Three Cups of Tea is absolutely award winning in my opinion and I look forward to more recommendations from The Kiriyama Prize. Thanks to Jeanine and her team.
Yesterday I hiked from Tenaya Lake to Clouds Rest in the high sierra of Yosemite National Park. It's a 14.4 mile round trip day hike with a 1,700 foot elevation gain. Yes, that's a lot. We completed the hike in five and a half hours including stopping for lunch at the top. The views from Clouds Rest are amazing, in fact I am not surprised the clouds rest there, anything and anyone getting to that height needs a rest. It is a well deserved rest, but well worth the climb too. Wow! What a spectacular view on a clear day.
Doing things like this helps me remember who I am. It helps me realize my place in the universe and how lucky I am to be able to experience the earth's magnificence. That's why we need to keep going in the fight against global warming. Keep going in the fight for environmental conservation. Keep going in the fight for social justice and keep going in advocacy for all people who need our help. Let's come together and protect our beautiful environment and all the special people who live in it. Life is short, let's keep (it) going.
