School Service Project Ideas?

[Guest]

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[Kim]

My husband, Rob, are former Peace Corps Volunteers (Colombia), and new KIVA lenders.  I'm a teacher at an elementary school just north of the Mexican border-crossing at Tijuana. I have already gotten the go-ahead to begin a Service Project with my 5th graders starting in July.  Any suggestions on getting started, or things to consider in doing this with students?  I'm wondering if any teachers out there have some nifty curricular connections-- I read someone's suggestion on making a Google Map-- I will definitely follow up on that idea.  My students are mainly English-Language-Learners and have very limited concept of the greater world, so the geography connections are powerful.  It's the person-to-person contact that I think will impact them most..  How will they make their decisions on which entrepreneurs to fund? Why?  It will be an interesting project to get underway.  So many thanks to those who make it possible.

OOPS--- I made an attachment by error.  Can't figure how to delete it.  Sorry.

[RichardF]

Hi Kim, welcome!

Another teacher, lissteach, started a discussion at Can you help Kiva grow in the public school system? and I listed a number of school groups at Group Lenders. More and more educators are starting to connect here.  I'm sure we can help each other out and get a very dynamic network going here.  Why, I'll bet at least half of the people here have been to a school at one time or another! 

[Kim]

Thanks, Richard --- I'm on my way to check them out.

[Spartan]

Aloha and welcome! I wish you the best for your project. Service learning is the best way to educate young people about the world in my opinion.

Additionally maybe you guys can hook up with the teacher that set up the 7th grade class project. Then springboard from there and establish a consortium of primary schools projects. 

[lissteach]

Look for an e-mail containing some ideas and things I have used for 7th graders in NJ.

[Agent001]

Our group (www.agentsofchange.ca) recently completed a 2000 mile cycling trip from Vancouver, Canada to Tijuana, Mexico. We raised over $30,000 that we're now using to help youth connect to the global fight against poverty through Kiva by having youth directly manage the fund. We're going to be delivering talks in a lot of schools in the area (Vancouver) and building a global citizenship program out of all this - wondering if anyone out there has any expanded classroom/presentation, curriculum or other input as we build out this program, partcularly related to Kiva/Microcredit?

Thanks!

--Shawn

[cpbailey]

I might suggest that it be done thru a service club thru the high school.  CSF for example.  Most classes only last 6months to a year.  Thru a club there would be some transfer of membership and knowledge from one year to the next. 

Colette

[Henry]

I just sent an email and offer to fund to a friend who is a principle and to another friend who is over 14 of the schools here in Birmingham.  My offer is to fund loans if they design a program around KIVA.  (I also suggest they could find ways to raise the money on their own) but figure - if  it's easier, they might be more proactive in setting this up. 

I wish them luck! and really hope they do something, there is truly so much that could be taught to school children in regards to life outside these united states as well as everything else there is to learn from KIVA.

EDIT:  I really wish one of you educators here would design a program that could be a start for other schools to incorporate into their program!  HINT HINT!

[Henry]

I'm so pumped on this idea....  I'm asking for everyone's help in coming up with something to present to the county's school system (eventually - pilot school first i guess).  I've decided that if we can create something, and it is implemented into the schools here that I will fund or find the funds for a starter loan for each class participating. 

We can place the program into the KIVAPedia for other schools to utilize as a starting point.

I hope you all will help create a syllabus or program.  I can't even begin to think of what grade(s) would benefit from a program.

[Henry]

Richard....  question....   

Couldn't the idea of creating an educational program designed around KIVA be something one of your college students could do for some class they are taking?      I would think some people who are taking classes to become educators might have assignments like this?  In fact, several could do it, for different grade levels? This might be a good project for one two or three...  Just not fast enough for me!!!!!!