Fifty For Fifty
It's August, the month I was born, fifty years ago.
To celebrate this milestone, The Gotham Gal (who turns fifty six weeks after I do) and I are going to raise $50,000 for classroom projects focused on family via Donors Choose.
I've just kicked off this campaign by closing out a project by an LA teacher called The Family That Reads Together Stays Together. That's exactly the mindset we want to encourage with this campaign. Schools can only do so much, we need families engaged and involved, and we need to help teachers get them involved.
So we've curated a giving page full of projects that bring families and classrooms closer together. We are going to keep that page full of projects for the next month and our goal is to raise $50,000 for these projects this month. Sometime today, I will start running a widget on the right rail of this blog that looks sort of like this one below. It will stay there all month reminding everyone to consider contributing to this campaign.
The Gotham Gal is in on this campaign. Longtime readers know that I do this sort of thing at least once a year at AVC, but this is the first time The Gotham Gal and I will do a cross blog Donors Choose campaign. I'm excited about the opportunity to collaborate on something like this with her and the community at Gotham Gal.
So help us both celebrate turning fifty by joining this campaign to help teachers connect families and classrooms. It's a great cause.
Note: If you came here looking for a new MBA Mondays post, I took a week off to kick off this campaign. MBA Mondays will be back next week. You might enjoy perusing this list of all the 81 MBA Mondays posts to date.
Comments (Archived):
What a great way to celebrate a (double) birthday! happy birthday to both of you!One idea for the rest of us (assuming Fred is ok with it): How about if (appart of giving something to any of the projects) we post the widgets in all our blogs? The code to paste is here:http://www.donorschoose.org…A coordinated Twitter action would be nice also. Maybe we can make it a trend if we do it at the same time.
That’s a great idea
I’m in.Happy Bday to the both of you.A lightly chilled Jura red on the beach is part of every perfect summer bday plan.
Thanks Arnold
Fred,Instead of using Twitter to promote donations, why not use it directly to promote literacy? In a way, it already promotes literacy (albeit at a pretty basic level), by encouraging people to write and read short messages. And it has already been embraced in areas with similar demographics to some of the Donors Choose schools (look at the active communication between Newark residents, for example, and their mayor). Granted, the trending topics are often somewhat vulgar, but there’s still a lot of reading and writing going on, and it seems like a far more promising starting point to promote literacy among Donors Choose demos than using board games of the sort that were piled up in that closet in The Royal Tenenbaums (and had nostalgic appeal for the sort of folks who went to see that movie, a group which, I’d guess, included about 0% of the parents those Donors Choose projects are aimed at).In addition to Twitter, you have among your portfolio companies one of the most successful game companies ever. Why not try to create an addictive educational game that works on Twitter and that might appeal to the Donors Choose demos?
Or do both?
“Granted, the trending topics are often somewhat vulgar…”That’s why I set my trends location to tokyo, japan. Regardless of how stupid the trending topics are, they’re in Japanese and I can’t understand them! (Except for the promoted trend — which is always in English.) It’s a great way to neutralize twitter-induced increases in blood pressure.
I’m might do that too. #reasonstobeatyourgirlfriend just about made me throw up yesterday
The better solution would be to allow users to block (“opt out of” seeing the Trending Topics. This used to be an option, but I can no longer find it. I suspect it’s no longer an option because Twitter wants to “force” people to see, e.g., trending topics and accounts. Which is lame, but Twitter’s call. Or maybe I’m just projecting.
below i meant to say “force” users to see promoted (rather than simply trending) accounts/topics.
Yeah me too, and a whole lot of us in the Twitter she-sphere.I also did not like that pseudonymous, malicious dude who hated on JLM and Aaron. WTF????
What should the hashtag be? Let’s disqus!#FredTurns50#Freducation50#HackingFreducation
It’s both Fred and Gotham Gal, so I’d say #WilsonsTurn50 instead. Or #GiveToAvoidAlienInvasion if you feel a little manipulative.
Yes. Critical catch, Fernando. Hashtag MUST include Gotham Gal. Let’s try again #FredandJoanne50for50#WilsonFamily50for50? other ideas ?
#wil50ns 🙂 will be shorter.
Nice!
So we got hashtag!
I agree with the comments you’ve made.
Done!Happy birthday to both of you!
I saw that. I appreciate it david
This is your blog and it’s your right to make money off of it, or help great causes, as you see fit. And if you ever change your mind about the revenue stream’s destination, that’s nobody’s business but yours.Mirriored Furniture
Happy Birthday, Fred.I hate to be negative, but I have trouble seeing how helpful those projects you and your wife have curated would be. Luring parents into schools 4x per year with board games that they’ve probably never played and couldn’t care less about? Giving free books to kids when most of them already have access to free books (e.g., at public libraries) and dirt-cheap used books (via Amazon.com, Goodwill, etc.)?These projects seem more like ways for donors to feel good about themselves than effective methods to inculcate what used to be considered middle class values (encouragement of reading, expressing interest in a child’s school work) in parents that don’t have them.
Real teachers in real schools have put these asks together. Not me and not donors choose. I’be met many teachers that fund their classroom needs with donors choose. You’d be surprised how elementary their needs are, particularly in inner city schools
I understand that these projects were all submitted by real teachers, but you’re right in pointing that out. I doubt I could curate a better list of projects than you and your wife did. I guess I’m just underwhelmed by Donors Choose in general. My sister teaches in an NYC public school (which I suppose qualifies as “inner city”), so I probably wouldn’t be that surprised about what their supposed needs are.
Has your sister tried donors choose to address her classroom’s needs?
I don’t think so. I mentioned it to her a couple of years ago though, after reading about it on your blog.
I’d love it if she did one tied into our campaign. We are going to generate a lot of demand and we need supply of great projects
I’ll pass that along to her and e-mail her a link to this blog post.
Yes, there are many. I see it all the time. Rural schools as well.
Yes. Rural has the same issues. Great point
I realize this isn’t the premise of your argument, but multiple research studies show that families spending time reading together does more to enhance reading skills than anything else–it’s more influential than family income or level of education. I was surprised when I first read that, but it’s something the literacy community has really internalized. Giving teachers some method of encouraging that family time is probably one of the most effective investments we can make in literacy education. That’s one of the reasons why I donated.
Whether those studies are measuring correlation or causation, I don’t know, but here are my two problems with this, in a nutshell:1) I’m skeptical that you can encourage adults (parents) who aren’t interested in reading to read.2) I’m also skeptical that money is the limiting factor here. A motivated parent could easily find free or dirt-cheap books for her kid to read.
Dave I think it’s partly about motivating the unmotivated parent. If a child comes home with a free book there is a chance that the parent will pick it up and read it to the child.Having said that in inner cities the literacy rate of parents themselves will be a limiting factor that could be difficult to overcome.
You are partially correct. Interest cannot necessarily be suddenly created; it can be fostered however. Money is not the only motivating factor but it is a factor. Many folks do not have enough money to eat; let alone for bus fare even to go to a library.
“Many folks do not have enough money to eat; let alone for bus fare even to go to a library.”You really believe that’s true in the United States Geoffrey? There’s an epidemic of obesity in this country, not hunger. You can buy a used book for $1, in good condition. Poor people in America are eating plenty of Big Macs; get a couple of cheeseburgers from the dollar menu instead, and you can use the savings to buy a used book without going hungry.
Yes I do; I see it in my efforts with our charity all the time!
But obesity has a lot to do with available calories that one can buy on the cheap in a food dessert. I briefly remember when my area of hyde park, chi, was a food dessert – at midnight, if I wanted a banana, I couldn’t get one, because I wasn’t able to buy fruit during the day, except from the dining hall….it was miserable.I could, however, buy an unlimited supply of ice cream.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEA…________________________________
He also ate super low calorie (not typical amounts), and it doesn’t discuss his micronutrient take in…
Hey Dave!So, I took a class in reading to your child, when my first one was teeny-tiny.Rule #1 was — find books that YOU (as a parent) love, so that you truly enjoy it together. Not all books are created equal — there are so many shitty kids books out there!!And — suffice to say, the one you hate is the one your kid wants you to read 100+ times. Makes you want to jump out a window. Help these parents find books the parent and child will love, together — gets them off on the right foot.
Hi Tereza,The truth is that there are parents who aren’t interested in reading any book. That’s why they don’t have any books in their homes, but do have TVs, Nintendo Wiis, etc. Truth may = addictive, but for them, books aren’t.
It pisses me off, too, Dave, when money is spent on luxuries — and I do call these luxuries — in place of basics like books which the kids need. And too often those items are actually functioning as the babysitter.That’s where Big brother/Big sister programs come in. Or programs like SMART which we’ve been expanding in Westchester (Students and Mature Adults Read Together), where we’ve matched at-risk youth with seniors to excellent result. If a kid doesn’t have a parent to read to at home, pair them with available people in the community who can and wants to.But these programs don’t run through classrooms per se so I don’t think they can do Donors Choose.
I didn’t say it pissed me off. The SMART program you mention sounds interesting though.________________________________
Read it between the lines, my friend.
You read something that wasn’t there. It really doesn’t piss me off. I’m not that judgmental about strangers’ leisure/child rearing practices, unless they directly effect me. You want to play Wii with your kid instead of reading to him? Fine with me. Bring your screaming toddler to the midnight showing of a movie I’m attending? Not fine with me.________________________________
Of course I have to start with the US moves production to China and now China will move production to Robotics.We HAVE to get these kids reading, building vocabulary and so on.1) There is a way to do it bypassing the problem parent if need be.2) Doing it right in the first place enables a lot more for a lot less… minimizing the time frame of the right tools getting into the classrooms in poorer districts.And no… you don’t have to boil the oceans ;)Your concern is warranted.
I don’t quite understand where you are heading with your preamble: US moves production to China –> China moves production to robotics –> So we need lower class kids to read more books so they can grow up to do what, exactly? Become part of Richard Florida’s creative class? Wouldn’t it be simpler to keep more production here so those kids could have a shot at decent-paying manufacturing jobs when they graduate high school?
That was not meant as critique. Just going back to what I’ve maintained regarding the coming decade.If the Chinese are going as close to automative as possible due to suicides happening on the production line, then those jobs will not go back to the human.At the same time, jobs that become replaced here with the automated will have same effect.Even GAP uses automated in the warehouse, so not long from now the fork lift driver in the production warehouse that is so vital to whichever local economy will become automated.Kids need a better education starting with reading in order to communicate better, understand the more complex and stay ahead.Just wish we could get ahead of the parents you refer to who tell their kids not to believe anything they’re told in school. It is a real problem.
It sounds like you are making Thomas Friedman’s “chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cherry” argument. I mentioned the problems with it in a Donors Choose thread here a couple of years ago, http://www.avc.com/a_vc/200…________________________________
This one is to the Whipped Cream… Amen.FWIW, I gave a presentation of the future (kept it to the next 20-25 years) per request. You’d love some of the questions asked by Juniors and Seniors.One brought up our inevitable becoming lazy if we could just program info to the brain. I laughed and told him all of us are already lazy and have been. My point is going after enabling the Have Nots as well as the Haves… and not to worry for now. For if there was already a way to directly input intelligence to the brain, but only the Haves could afford it, wouldn’t Mrs. H (of hotel fame) have bought it for her daughter (same name as Euro city)?The Have Nots laughed their asses off.
Paris is laughing her way to the bank. In a celebrity-obsessed culture, she has built herself into a highly profitable brand. I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that there’s no intelligence at work there. Count me as agnostic on that.________________________________
Re Paris- true, but I had come up with something on the spot ;D
I thought Freakonomics showed that those studies weren’t very useful! 😉
I find that kids get incredibly excited when they bring the people they love into school and involve them in the work.And trust me you don’t want to be the kid whose parent did not show up.I’ve also seen that parents who themselves were not successful in school can be very nervous when they go into schools, interact with teachers, etc. Their insecurities about school project forward. So helping the parents feel more confident, through involvement … why not?
Exactly Tereza.RE:”I’ve also seen that parents who themselves were not successful in school can be very nervous when they go into schools, interact with teachers, etc. Their insecurities about school project forward. So helping the parents feel more confident, through involvement … why not?”
That seems to be a critical question to answer: If you dropped out the first time around – how do you help your kids feel comfortable so that they don’t do what you do – which means getting over bad feelings about school.You generally can tell as a teacher which parents those are. (been there, done that). I wish I had a way of helping with that more.
Not just dropouts, but parents who just did not have success at school.I realized this in observing my mother-in-law interact with teachers. She was nervous and I just didn’t get it. Turns out she was dyslexic and the teachers did not treat her well. So she finished, but it was like taking medicine and she couldn’t get out soon enough. She went on to be a quite accomplished nurse. But even in her 70’s was scared to interact with teachers. I was shocked; but then realized this is probably the case with many parents and even moreso the ones that never finished school.Parents who did not succeed at school need to release their baggage and learn how to work WITH teachers. Some can do it on their own, but I’m sure many cannot. Which is where these programs can help.
This post makes me so sad….
I could not disagree with you more. Any opportunity to push reading with a child is a wonderful use of funds and resources. Most parents do not get involved with their children’s education and have a rather difficult time finding the excuse to get involved. I have three children and we can see even a small amount of time reading with the kids makes a huge difference in their desire to be good students, be inquisitive to everything around them and to love books.My oldest son has been in the regional children’s hospital the past twenty days and there is a book table with free children’s books and a goal for parents, siblings and the patient to read with each other. Amazingly, every day there are new books out and the number of pages keeps going up and up.Any chance we can promote reading with children and finding an opportunity to show parents how rewarding it is to invest time to read with their children is one of the best opportunities to invest in our collective futures.
Great comments Brad. and many times it is not that financially struggling parents do not want to read but is just a matter of limited resources – pay for food/rent or buy a $10 children’s book given I make an effective hourly wage of federal minimum or less. We see this all the time. We did a book distribution 2 Monday’s ago where a parent came up to our book distribution table and started looking with their child. The parent came across a Dr. Seuss book (I forget which title) and said they loved this one when they were a kid. The parent literally opened the book and just started reading to their kid right there at our table. Desire has to be met by resources (the logistics of finding and encouraging this desire across all communities is the tricky part). This parent, while facing economic hardship, had every desire in the world to share with their child. They just do not have sufficient resources (books, flash cards, computer, etc.).P.S. We provide children’s books to a children’s hospital in our community as part of our program. Our program with the hospital in our community allows families to even take the books home if the child is responding to the book and wants to keep it. Best wishes and hopes that your son recovers fast and completely. ~ Geoffrey
Good job Geoffrey!
Absolutely agree, desire is only the beginning. Many people do not even have the understanding or confidence to start. Not only that, but everyone learns a little differently and my children are no exception.It is sad, but I really do not believe most children have a parent that will read to them. My wife volunteers at my children’s elementary school, and a lot of parents look at school as a free baby sitting service. Unfortunately, that is most likely because their parents looked at it that way as well. The question is how do you fix this cycle?I think it is great that you provide books to kids in the hospital. We have seen some pretty sad cases the past three weeks and the community outreach and volunteers truly make a difference.Thank you for your wishes to my son. Great kid and tougher than nails.
Send my best to you son.
Thank you Shana, I will pass this on to him.
Oh, Brad — really hope your son will be better soon. Makes me think I’ll donate our books to the local hospital when we’re done instead of the library.Did you know that the founder of Klout came up with his idea (and his tenacity) when he was bedridden for a year?Fingers crossed for your little guy.
Thank you Tereza. It is amazing the ideas that come up during a time of difficulty. The human mind (and body) are resilient and quite amazing. We have spent a lot of time in the hospital with him the last 12 years, and we are truly grateful for our challenges as we know we can handle them.I did not mean to mention the hospital for outreach to my son, rather that I love the fact that books are being donated to the hospital for these kids. Great distraction for them from their own issues.
I know you didn’t mean to. But guess what — you get outreach for your son. It’s our human response.
Creating a sense of community (e.g. board games even) can foster a trusting environment. Over time this adds up and adds value – look at AVC commnity as an example. And I can tell you from firsthand work in giving kids free books that they do not have access as easily as you think. $8.00 for a single book is an investment to someone who is making minimum wage, or less. While I agree the WILL to learn and grow is important so is having the resources available to match with this will to learn. Having both is great, having one is good. But having neither the will nor the resources available is recipe for failure in my opinion. I see this weekly in our efforts with our charity.
Libraries lend out books for no charge. Book stores such as Barnes & Noble sell plenty of used books — often in good condition, sometimes in hardcover — for $1.
You have built in assumptions that everyone:(1) has internet access for Amazon(2) transportation to a Barnes & Noble(3) time to get away from working their 3 minimum wage jobs(4) a Barnes & Noble in their community(5) transportation to public librariesI see firsthand families with limited to no means of transportation. How do they get to the public library? You are correct though that libraries are a fantastic resource for communities.
Speaking of libraries – why are so many public school libraries (the ones in schools) closed during the day? Why isn’t there free time to just go to the library and hang out with books (I still do this)
There have been a lot of posts recently on AVC that ask the reader to buy something . Just be aware that this can deter loyal readership by some.
Can you name them? I’m having a hard time figuring out what you are talking about?
yeh, I’m so fed up with you flogging me stuff too – that Ab Glider System I bought, it just doesn’t work, what’s the return address 🙂
Actually, weirdly, if you know how to use it, it will work (though you can get a lot of the same benefit with an exercise ball)Reason I know: my personal trainer just got me on one of them.Reason I have a personal trainer (who I would highly recommend): I needed to get rid of shoulder, back and knee pain before I hit thirty. It is working, and as an added benefit, I grew a 1/4 of an inch from relearning how to stand up straight.
Shana – I think you need to specify which product here………
Combo of freeweights, some special stuff because I’ve injured myself, an exercise ball, and an ab roller type thing to balance on (it is this thing: http://www.amazon.com/Perfo…
Shana – there might be a timing issue on the thread, but when I read it, the choices were AB Glider or Penis Extender…….. 😉 Sorry, just having fun.James
Really? Fred’s Ab Glide worked great for me. I think he must be talking about the penis enlargement kit. I spent $$$ on it and the damn thing DID NOT WORK.
LOL…damn I missed that deal. Hopefully he’ll run it again.
to be clear, I’ve found some of the blogs that read a bit like ads useful and I’ll read your blog no matter what. But the ones that come to mind are:-This one-Venture Deals book (I bought it, it’s a decent read)-The CEO coaching in Berlin-The kickstarter projectsmerely an opinion!
hmmi see those as heads up for cool things to get involved withi guess there’s more than one way to look at them
Context is a fickle mistress.
Fred’s promoting an idea, you don’t have to donate money – just reading and knowing about the idea has value in itself. I’m not sure why you’d feel offended or why you’d feel obligated. No one’s trying to guilt anyone into giving. It’s good if you believe that’s a solution even if you can’t afford to give – don’t feel guilt about it though.If you’re in FOG …FearObligationGuilt
+1 Amy, so trueAnything that supports that 15 min/day of reading with your child — small, cheap activity and a world of difference.
so true, it’s a real gift reading with your child.OT – ping me if your kids like the Gruffalo, I have something I’m sure that they will love
I can’t believe in our ~1000 books I hadn’t heard of Gruffalo! Awesome tip. BTW for all you entrepreneurs who also happen to be teaching a little kiddy to read, check out “Today I Will Fly!” by Mo Willems. It will make you L your AO. Or maybe just for your own little confidence boost. We all need ’em some time. xoxoT.
The first 4 ( maybe all if you are a big fan ) Oliver Jeffers books are irreplaceable ( http://www.oliverjeffers.co… ). Exquisite art work, touching themes & very good ( albeit sparse ) writing. They are the last 4 titles on the list on the linked page. My daughter & son both loved them.Gruffalo is very good. Lots of fun.
Tereza!!!! <3 to you 🙂
Awww. Missin’ y’all! Been crazy busy.
Crazy is usually good.
🙂
Same. We’ll have to do a phone call again sometime soon. I just graduated a 200-hour yoga teacher training Friday, so my weekdays are freed up again. 🙂
You couldn’t be more correct Tereza.Editing a just discovered video clip of my father reading to me when I was 3-4 years old.Hauntingly intimate and powerful.
I know some parents who travel for business (and I’ve heard of some who’ve been deployed) — who’ve videotaped themselves reading books for their children, for their kids to watch when they’re away.Also grandparents.I’ve been meaning to tape my kids’ ‘nite nite’ song, which they require at bedtime (sometimes I have to phone it in!). Gotta get that done!
Just do it…Those 40 sec of film taken when my dad was less than half the age I am now are beyond priceless. They are how I choose to remember him.
Yeah there’s something about video and voice, eh?I held on to the last voicemails I ever received from my mom and my died for as long as I could. Whenever I felt blue I’d just listen to them.
Early Happy Birthday to you and Gotham. 🙂
Thanks
As of 8:30 Central, see some debating back and forth.Guys and Gals… we cannot control who is the ‘good’ parent or ‘bad’. Instead of focusing on the bad, let’s just concentrate on helping the kids.READ OUT LOUD!!!! At this time, we have the ability of kids gaining books with the audio of their grandparents. What blows me away is we are so consumed with ourselves that the flipping of that concept, have the 2nd-4th graders supply the audio and send to grandparents.Encourage the children to read out loud pouring passion into the story. They will learn at a younger age the use of tempo, volume, anticipation and resolution.Happy Birthday Fred, you got me beat by a couple.
Some things are sure in life- death, taxes & Fred’s annual Donors Choose campaign…lol. Does this mean that you’ll have a joint evening get together in the fall? Donors Choose is a great program. I wished they could expand globally. There are so many regions in the world where this approach can make a huge difference.
We may do a joint event. I need to talk to her about that
That would be great. I usually time a NYC visit around your event.
I’ll be needing to head to NYC ‘soonish’ too
Happy soon-to-be 50 Fred (and Gotham Gal) Yesterday’s post about advertising on AVC had me thinking about the annual fundraising challenge – and now it’s here!
Happy Birthday FredAnd Yay for donor’s choose.
Great idea and Happy Bday-to-be to both of you. 100 years of knowledge. 😉
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very appropriate title need to say))) thanks for sharing!
Here we go… donorschoose season again. Happy Birthday, Fred. Thanks for doing this.
Great idea! Oh, and Happy Birthday to you and your wife! (I am also glad to find out that you are only a “shade” younger than I am!)I have been promoting Donors Choose all over the place today because I think it is a great idea! My father served two tours of duty in Vietnam and every week we would get a little tape (they were small reel to reel tapes) of him talking and then reading a book to me and my sisters. We still have those tapes and they are precious to say the least and once a month we each would have to make a tape of ourselves reading from a book.Thanks once again!
You rock. Really, you rock (even and more than ever at fifty).
Wish you a happy birthday Fred. It’s a hot time to be born in August. So stay cool and good luck with your joined social enterprise. Best, Esayas
Anything which simultaneously promotes education and stronger family ties is a no-brainer in my book.It feels slightly odd donating to (what remains) the richest country in the world from a country which is rapidly sinking into the Mediterrean – but it’s the principle that counts.Nearly all web memes start off in the States. Hopefully, if this initiative is successful, other countries will copy it.So I’ll do a Warren Buffett, and take the long-term view 😉
I have a project on Donor’s Choose (Go EMAIL Your Parents) and woke up this morning to about $300 in donations from your 50th Birthday Celebration! I had to research who you both were…lol! Wow! That’s all I can say. Thank you so much for including my project on your list. These donations are making my day…and will make my school year!! You have no idea what this means to me.
it makes my day to read this commentthanks for taking the time to come and share this with us
Oh my goodness..someone just gave another $250. Seriously, I did not think this project would get funded before school started or at all and I only have $369 remaining. It was at about $900 as of yesterday. Today has been on of the best days of my life. Teachers go back to school tomorrow and I can’t wait to share this news with my faculty on our first day of pre-planning. I know I already wrote you but I need to say thank you again for this awesome idea. If you are ever in the Tampa area, I’d love for you to visit my classroom and see the effect of your efforts :)[email protected]