Sunday, January 29, 2012

Please Help Build the She's the First Digital Penpal Program


My friend Brianne from She's the First needs our help.  The post below is from Brianne.....please read and lets see what we can do!  

"A Quick Survey to Help Build She's the First's Digital Penpal Program!" 

Meet Elizabeth. She's 18 and about to graduate from high school in Tanzania. She loves Bollywood movies, wants to fight discrimination against women, and dreams of studying business in London one day. She's asking me for advice on college and telling me what she's planning for her graduation party. We talk about New Years traditions, cupcakes, and United Nations Week. 

Elizabeth's education is sponsored by She's the First (link toshesthefirst.org), a not-for-profit sponsoring girls' education in the developing world, helping them be the first in their families to graduate. In the process, She’s the First fosters leadership and self-awareness in young Americans, by inspiring them to lead creative fundraisers and correspond with sponsored students.

As She's the First's penpal coordinator, I have the amazing privilege of being able to connect with Elizabeth in Tanzania from my desk in New York City.  Shannon Miller's group of girls from the Van Meter chapter of She's the First are doing the same with Neema, the Kisa scholar they sponsor in Tanzania. And now, we're innovating a new penpal program that will break barriers and give students all over the United States and the girls we sponsor around the world the chance to communicate, connect, and learn from each other. But first -- we need your help!


We want to hear from educators across the board on digital penpal programs, and how you feel your students could benefit from communication with their peers in other countries. 


Please take a few moments to fill out our brief survey -- and forward the link to your colleagues.
Your input will shape our strategy for communicating with the 150+ girls She's the First has sponsored so far, creating learning opportunities in US schools and abroad, and cultivating friendships that may last a lifetime.

Please forward this short survey on to your students as well. We need their voices to
 help us in this game changing effort to connect students around the globe. 


Thank you for taking the time to make a difference in girls' education!

(Any questions, comments, or concerns, please email brianne@shesthefirst.org -- I'd love to talk penpals with you!)

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