My birthday wish this year is to raise $800 to provide educational scholarships for the following 2 students:

• Gabriela Solis: http://educationgeneration.org/students/student/condor-trust/gabriela-solis/
• Asana Ziblim: http://educationgeneration.org/students/student/condor-trust/issah-asana-ziblim/ 

Instead of presents, please support Education Generation’s cause with a donation to Gabriela or Asana. Every dollar counts, no amount is too small. When you donate on Pay Pal, be sure to mention my name in the “Comments” section so Education Generation knows who has given in honor of my birthday.

Finally, join me on the night of Saturday, May 26, 2012 for a Conniepalooza celebration to finish reaching the fundraising goal and for some drinks. Venue to be announced.

Education makes a huge difference to improve the lives of people and their communities. I have faith that together we can give the gift of education to Gabriela and Asana. Thank you for your support!

I need to mention that though I am graduated it was not easy for me to get education. I must say that I am just one of several students who had difficulties accessing education. It is also worth mentioning that there are still countless people like me who risk being without education as a result of lack of funds to meet their educational needs.

Some of the challenges that I faced while in school and what others are still facing include lack of textbooks, writing materials, basic provisions and tuition fees among others.

There is no doubt that my life has changed as a result of the education that I have had. There is evidence of change in my life. Education has made me aware of basic thing that I can do to stay healthy including eating balanced diet and a clean environment. Through I can now live some form of dignified life and as a young educated lady I stand the chance of having an enhanced status in society.

So many things would have gone wrong if I had not had education. I would have been married by now to have children who would have gone through worst things in live than what I have been through. Also I would have had a very weak economic status. And most undesirable thing that would have happened to me would have been that my dream of being a nurse would have been forgotten and unfulfilled.

Anatu’s education was facilitated through our Ghanaian partner, Create Change Now. Anatu has now graduated with success and has been temporarily posted to the Tamale West Hospital and is awaiting her final posting by the Ghana Health Services. We will be posting new students from Tamale in the next few months and continuing our support for past EdGen scholars.

Hace cuatro años, en Quito, la Fundación Cóndor escuchó hablar de una madre con tres niños que habían sido obligadas a abandonar su casa, porque el padre los maltrataba. Levi, el hijo mayor, era un chico tímido e inseguro, pero con un fuerte deseo de aprender y de ayudar a su madre a crear un futuro mejor para todos. Su sueño es convertirse en un especialista en mecatrónica (una rama de la ingeniería mecánica). Actualmente estudia, pero está en busca de nuevas y mejores oportunidades.

Education Generation (Edgen) es una organización que cambia la vida de los jóvenes, dándoles la oportunidad de educarse. Como Levi, Juan, es otro  de los jóvenes que está en busca de una beca estudiantil con  Edgen. Ésta organización, se ha asociado con distintas instituciones y organizaciones para gestionar becas estudiantiles en todo el mundo. Con donaciones desde $20 dólares, podemos aportar a financiar la educación de los jóvenes que buscan estudiar.

Está buscando la creatividad y el emprendimiento de jóvenes con alto potencial, para financiar sus estudios y ofrecerles la oportunidad de desenvolverse en el futuro como líderes capacitados en el área que se desarrollen. Edgen ha financiado más de 260 becas hasta el momento y cuenta con socios en Afganistán, India, Pakistán, Perú, Ruanda, Uganda y en nuestro país.

Apoyemos a que jóvenes talentos puedan desarrollarse y convertir su futuro en éxito, gracias a su educación. Aportemos como personas privadas o empresas para financiar becas a estudiantes en nuestro país y en el mundo entero.

Texto Original: http://www.karlabravod.blogspot.ca/2012/04/becas-estudiantiles-para-jovenes-de.html

My name is Grace, and I’ll be traveling to Rwanda this summer to act as a liaison between EdGen and the Akilah Institute for Women in Kigali.

Education Generation first impressed me by their positioning of education as the critical conduit to meaningful opportunities. As the daughter of an educator whose values relied heavily on fostering knowledge acquisition (summer vacations to historic monuments, anyone?), I am so grateful for the access that learning has bestowed upon me. I also see much value in EdGen’s approach of addressing social inequity through individuals by individuals. Doing this creates transparency, measurable success and empowers donors as they actively dictate the course of their support. In my practice as a health care practitioner, I strive to maintain a holistic approach with my clients, seeing them as unique individuals, which aligns ideologically with the vision of Education Generation.

I was drawn to join in the Fellowship program because it offers a valuable, participatory role requiring interaction and mutual exchange of ideas between the organizations. Being the first Fellow to travel to Akilah (they partnered with EdGen in October 2011) has both its’ challenges and its’ coups, and I intend to unabashedly impart these to the readers. I will endeavour to offer numerous accounts of my experiences in Rwanda as I learn about the country, its’ education system and how the efforts of Akilah and Education Generation are transforming access to education for women. I’ll also do my best to offer (with consent) cameos and narratives of the individuals I interact with, both their struggles and triumphs, and attempt to be a lens through which the supporters of EdGen can view how each contribution is creating agency for its’ receiver.

Please consider making a donation to my fundraising page (found here—link). I encourage and look forward to your insights, questions and comments as we solidify our partnership in the ‘land of a thousand hills’–hmmm a sea-faring gal at altitude, this could get interesting….

At Education Generation we are anticipating an exciting and intense year full of aggressive timelines, ambitious goals and big ideas! To help us get there – we are recruiting an Assistant Operations Director to help manage our volunteer teams and scale our programs – part of this role will include overseeing programs while our Executive Director and Director of Operations are visiting partner organizations in East Africa during summer 2012. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of growing something incredibly impactful.

We are looking for entrepreneurial, dynamic, energetic, passionate and creative individuals who are up for a challenge. If you think you are the one – tell us! Apply!

About Education Generation 

Education Generation is re-imagining the role of education in developing a generation with the confidence, capacity and determination to help shape their local and global communities. We work together, $20 at a time, to fund scholarships for young leaders to participate in some the world’s most forward-thinking education programs

Our crowdfunding community already has over 900 members and has funded over 300 scholarships in 10 countries in the developing world.

Responsibilities

A. Marketing and Communications 

- Develop and implement a marketing strategy to sustain a minimum of $140 in donations to students per day, en route to reaching an average of $300/day by the end of 2012.

• Strenghten EdGen’s messaging and communications. This includes finalizing core messaging and brand guides; define and execute on communication types, targets and schedules; improve website copy, demonstrating value, etc.
• Coordinate with Marketing team to ensure successful execution of Birthday Campaigns, Blog strategy, etc.
• Manage inquries from the EdGen community and general public.

B. Business Development

• Liase with the Business Development Team and help ensure that team goals are met according to the scheduled timeline.
• Schedule weekly check-ins with the team to monitor progress.
• Together with the Business Developmetn team, fundraise a minimum of $10,000 for operations from May-July (not including funds raised by the Riding to Break the Cycle Ecuador tour).
• Set team in place for EdGen’s Birthday Fundraising Celebration in November.
• Oversee work of Satellite Event Partners Manager.

- Coordinate with Riding to Break the Cyle Ecuador tour volunteers.

C. Field Partnerships 

• Manage Partnerships with EdGen partners in India, Sri Lanka and Kenya.
• Manage student pipeline and student update collection, collect student profiles and populate website back end to the end of August 2012.
• Manage payment disbursements for partners.
• Collaborate closely with the Marketing team to ensure posted students match marketing targets.

D. Fellowship Program 

• Along with the EdGen Fellowship team, run pre-departure training workshops for Fellows and be the main point of contact for Fellows and Partners before and during Fellowhsip terms.
• Coordinate Fellow updates and schedule bi-monthly check-ins with Fellows.

E. Team Management 

• Manage the EdGen volunteer team, set up regular check-ins and ensure teams move ahead with their work plans.
• Set a plan in place to ensure plans are implemented through to the end of August.

F. Other

• Improve and document proccesses and activities
• Drive and oversee the overall EdGen strategy
• Maintain communication with voulnteers, Tribe Leaders, Advisors, Board of Directors, etc.
• Surpass our expectations!

Skills and Experience required: 

• Experience in client and account management is an asset
• Business development experience is an asset
• Experience in an education sector is an asset
• Superior written and verbal communications skills, coupled with highly developed interpersonal skills
• Solid project management skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders effectively
• Ability to manage large amounts of data effectively
• Creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit
• Willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done- put in late nights, early morning and be sure to learn and have fun along the way.

Time commitment required

Full time from May 20th to July 31st.

Renumeration

Stipend based on experience.

To Apply 

Submit a letter of interest and CV to eileen@educationgeneration.org by Thursday May 3rd, 2012.

My birthday wish this year is to raise $800 at our foodie and hot pot potluck night! The money will provide educational scholarships for the following two students:

• Grace: http://educationgeneration.org/students/student/akilah/grace-m-uwingabire/
• Christian: http://educationgeneration.org/students/student/condor-trust/christian-lomas/

Please come to one or both foodie events. If you can’t make it (but I hope you will!), please consider making a contribution. Please email me for location details at melissa.chungfat@gmail.com.

• Friday, May 4 from 7:00 p.m. onward: We will have a homemade hot pot station going and I will cover the ingredients for this. Please bring a dish to share in addition to hot pot.
• Saturday, May 5 from 7:00 p.m. onward: Potluck! Please bring a dish to share.

My good friends began Education Generation a few years ago and recently went to Austria to receive a UN Award for using educational technology to eradicate poverty. 

Please contribute what you would have bought me in shots, dinner or other gifts to these students Even if it’s a dollar or a few, it will all add up. I have full faith with all of our networks and friends, we’ll be able to reach this goal together.

Thank you!

At Education Generation we are anticipating an exciting and intense year full of aggressive timelines, ambitious goals and big ideas! To help us get there – we are recruiting volunteers to carry out some our key tasks.  Learn about the field of international education while building a start-up at Education Generation. This is a truly unique opportunity where you will have a chance to be a part of growing something incredibly impactful.

We are looking for dynamic, energetic, passionate and creative individuals who are up for a challenge. If you think you are the one – tell us! Apply!

About Education Generation 

Education Generation is re-imagining the role of education in developing a generation with the confidence, capacity and determination to help shape their local and global communities. We work together, $20 at a time, to fund scholarships for young leaders to participate in some the world’s most forward-thinking education programs

Our crowdfunding community already has over 700 members and has funded over 300 scholarships in 10 countries in the developing world.

Partner Relations Manager

Partner Relations Manager is responsible for establishing and managing relationships with Education Generation’s field partners.

Reporting directly to the Director of Scholarship Partnership Programs, Partner Relations Manager will establish partner relationships from identified partner leads. This involves confirming that the identified partner lead satisfies Education Generations partner selection criteria and determining a clear process of collaboration going forward.

Partner relationship management involves constant collaboration with the partner organization, which includes (but is not limited to) student and scholarship management, student updates management, partner payment disbursement and partner documentation management. Partner Relations Manager is also responsible for collaborating closely with Education Generation’s Marketing team and Fellowhsip team – so that the both are aware of the student pipeline on Education Generation’s website.

Responsibilities: 

• Evaluate partner leads
• Establish partnerships with selected organizations
• Manage relationships with the portfolio of partners
• Manage student pipeline and student update collection
• Support payment disbursements for partners
• Manage partner documentation
• Collaborate closely with the Marketing team
• Collaborate closely with the Fellowship team

Skills and Experience required: 

• Experience in client and account management is an asset
• Business development experience is an asset
• Experience in an education sector is an asset
• Superior written and verbal communications skills, coupled with highly developed interpersonal skills
• Solid project management skills
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders effectively
• Ability to manage large amounts of data effectively
• Creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit
• Flexibility in volunteer hours
• Requires attending some events on weekends or evenings

Time commitment required: 

~6-8 hrs a week

This position has a minimum of a 12 month commitment from start date

How to apply

Be excited. Be passionate. Be awesome. => Tell us all about it!

Please provide your resume and a short paragraph telling us why you are interested in joining the team and how this position aligns with your skills and interests. Please email them to info@educationgeneration.org

It’s time to celebrate! 2011 was a fantastic year and I expect 2012 to be even better. And to ring in another milestone year, I want to celebrate with all of you. 

The Cause: As many of you know, I believe in supporting worthy causes. Last summer, I biked around Ecuador to support an organization called Education Generation. They raise money for students that need scholarships to pursue their careers and be role models within their communities. 

So if you feel compelled to give, please save your presents. Instead, I highly encourage you to support Education Generation’s cause with a donation. I would feel great turning another year older knowing that Karina and Stalin can get the support they need to enroll in their programs. Karina will need your help before April 10th to pursue her dream of being a nurse. Stalin has become the father figure in his family and wants to pursue a career in Food Technology to support them. His scholarship deadline expires on April 23rd. Simply click on the links below to donate:

Thanks again and I hope to see all you lovely people in a couple weeks!

Cheers,
Peter

Editor’s Note: Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a framework for legalizing crowdfunding for equity on to President Obama for his signature, and we took a look at one unique platform for crowdfunding internships that’s legal and up and running now. 

Today, another profile of a platform that’s not waiting for any new law to take effect and crowdfundiing educational opportunity right now. The following is a guest post from Christina Wu, community director for Education Generation.

At Education Generation, we see a need to re-imagine the role of education in solving pressing global problems. Education systems are struggling to find answers, and over-simplified solutions like school building seem to dominate the set of imagined solutions – we felt a need to highlight and celebrate emerging organizations, and to give a leg up to the future leaders they support.

We work together with donors, to fund scholarships, $20 at a time, for young leaders to participate in some of the world’s most forward-thinking education programs. We partner with organizations that are results-driven and are looking to affect systemic change. Organizations such as the Akilah Insitute for Women are developing models for “transformational higher education that can be replicated in economies around the world.” As we hand-pick some of the most innovative educational programs around the globe, we see tremendous opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

A few factors combine to create the right timing for Education Generation:

1) New and progressive education programs are emerging, incorporating new approaches in preparing young leaders with the confidence, capacity and entrepreneurial skills to shape their local and global communities.

2) Donors have begun to think differently about how they give, demanding increased transparency in where and how their money is making an impact. Finally,

3) We see a hopeful shift in charity towards respecting the dignity of those they serve as individuals with potential, if not the resources some of us can take for granted.

Instead of a one-way “pity-driven charity” model, we saw crowdfunding as a model that cuts organizational overhead and high costs for donors. By working with implementing partners we are able to reduce costs of scholarship delivery; and through our platform, we create streamlined processes that allow for scale. The platform also provides the ability for students to tell their powerful stories, creating a one-to-one connection with donors through profiles and regular updates.

These efficiencies allow us to grow more effectively. In our pilot stage, we have a donor base of 700 and have funded nearly 300 scholarships in 10 countries in the developing world.

- Christina Wu is community director for Education Generation. To learn more about Education Generation visit www.educationgeneration.org or contact info@educationgeneration.org.

We are very pleased to share that our partner, Educate!, based in Uganda has received approval from the Government of Uganda and the United Nations to incorporate their social entrepreneurship curriculum into the national education system. This announcement means that 45,000 young leaders and entrepreneurs in nearly 1000 schools across Uganda, will be creating and driving real solutions to the local challenges in their very own local communities through building social enterprises.

“No longer will students simply be encouraged to memorize facts for the national exam, but now they will go out of the classroom and start enterprises,” says Eric Glustrom, Educate! Co-Founder and President. It is a giant leap forward to see governments believe in the value of curriculum like Educate!’s, and of course believe in the potential of young leaders who will be the future of local economies and communities.

Who says that learning has to be defined by standardized tests and traditional classrooms? Join us in investing in a young leader today. View our current students. Remember to check back in the coming months to find new Educate! students who are soon to become young entrepreneurs!

View the full press release.