The most important consideration is that we are actively working with the Sherriff's Dept. - their head of IT & cyber crimes now has one of the computers, which he is checking out - and NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) is actively engaged in this program. Amelia at NCMEC will be joining us the very first day of the program (June 9th) to certify the kids in an online safety program, and she will be back to work with us every time we have a new batch of children. Safety online comes through education, and (as a father of two young girls), that is of paramount importance.
...Along those lines, it is important to realize that many cell phones now enable Internet access. So the question isn't, "Will these children be going online?" but, "Will they know how to stay safe from predators and bullying when they do?"
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Laptop Update
Tomorrow we will be meeting with the principal at Lake Trafford Elementary School. Hopefully, he'll match us with a teacher who will help us in the pilots this summer, and who will be the resident Immokalee laptop specialist, on hand to coach other teachers in Immokalee going forward.
So far, here is what we have:
* Classes will be held at Beth El Assembly of God. The kids will meet 3 times a week, one hour each time, throughout the summer. There will be 2 pilots running simultaneously, each with 21 kids - one group from RCMA, the other from Lake Trafford. All are going into 4th grade. There will be 3 teachers who will be certified teacher-trainers for this program by the time the pilot ends.
* The "XO" laptops are made by OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), a nonprofit started by professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. They are child-sized, drop-proof, waterproof, dust-proof, have Wi-Fi that is four times better than anything we adults can buy for ourselves, and they have the only screen in existence that works well in direct sunlight. Again, we adults just can't buy that, no matter what we're willing to pay. They come with a still- and video-camera. They are theft-proof (they turn off when stolen), and even if they aren't connected to the Internet, they still instantly "mesh:" they recognize when another XO is within range, and hook up to it automatically, making collaboration a breeze. Because OLPC is a nonprofit, the computers themselves are only $220 each, including shipping. Including the training, this program costs $500 per child.
* The software (or "courseware," as it's called) that the kids will be using in class has been created by an organization out of Pennsylvania called Waveplace Foundation (http://www.waveplace.org/). I am on the board of directors. The founder and president of Waveplace, Tim Falconer, will be leading the first week of teacher-training. That is 30+ intensive hours, most of which are the 3 teachers and Tim alone, going through the entire course that the kids will be taking this summer.
* Waveplace courseware is designed to teach the kids computer skills, including writing code, graphic design, animation, and digital story-telling, among other things. The children will even be using high school geometry - yes, these are 4th graders. Waveplace lets the kids explore and learn; the teachers help them along. Rather than "drill and kill" through rote memorization, kids have fun learning. They stay engaged this way. I've seen it in action. Let me tell you, it's amazing.
* We have had two previous pilots, one on St. John (US Virgin Islands), the other in Haiti. Results were great both times, though we're confident the kids in Immokalee will do even better with their projects because of the ground laid by those first two pilots.
* Once our two pilots are done, we're ready to roll out courses to as many students as we can raise funds for. Our first priority is to bring Waveplace training and OLPC computers to all of the 4th graders in Immokalee; ultimately, every kid from kindergarten through eighth grade will go through this program and have a computer of their own, but that is going to take some serious fund raising. We will also be bringing the same opportunity to the other Title I (poor) schools throughout South Florida, as funds permit.
* Our goal is to be done within ten years. Right now, no kids have this training and these computers. Ten years from now - 2018 - every single kid in South Florida will. That is what we are doing.
Here are the organizations and people involved:
* Waveplace Foundation/Tim Falconer. www.waveplace.org
* OLPC. The computer its self is called the XO. www.laptop.org.
* One-by-One Leadership Foundation of SWFL. This is a faith-based organization that has spearheaded our fundraising, brought key players to the table... John Lawson, the executive director, is one of the true heroes of this story.
* www.NaplesSocialAction.org - that's my wife Jane and me, and our partner/technology guru Michael Junkroski, owner of www.VSM.net on Marco. I'm on the board of Waveplace. I put Tim and John together. We are running the pilots. Jane is one of the three teacher-trainers, and will manage the other teacher-trainers.
* Laptop South Florida. This is the nonprofit that we are forming to run local efforts here in this region. One-by-One is "giving birth" to our 501(c)3, i.e. helping us get established with the state and the IRS. I am building the board.
* Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA)'s Community School - the kids from our first pilot are coming from there.
* The Summer Migrant Program, headed up by Earl Wiggins - the kids from the second pilot are being funded through this project.
Other items of interest:
* There are hundreds of thousands of OLPC computers being used in third-world countries as we speak. Peru and Mexico are leading the movement with 600,000 in use or ordered.
* Our pilot begins Monday, June 9th. WGCU and NPR are both sending reporters to cover this story.
* We will have a presence at the Immokalee Kids Games on Saturday, June 14.
So far, here is what we have:
* Classes will be held at Beth El Assembly of God. The kids will meet 3 times a week, one hour each time, throughout the summer. There will be 2 pilots running simultaneously, each with 21 kids - one group from RCMA, the other from Lake Trafford. All are going into 4th grade. There will be 3 teachers who will be certified teacher-trainers for this program by the time the pilot ends.
* The "XO" laptops are made by OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), a nonprofit started by professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab. They are child-sized, drop-proof, waterproof, dust-proof, have Wi-Fi that is four times better than anything we adults can buy for ourselves, and they have the only screen in existence that works well in direct sunlight. Again, we adults just can't buy that, no matter what we're willing to pay. They come with a still- and video-camera. They are theft-proof (they turn off when stolen), and even if they aren't connected to the Internet, they still instantly "mesh:" they recognize when another XO is within range, and hook up to it automatically, making collaboration a breeze. Because OLPC is a nonprofit, the computers themselves are only $220 each, including shipping. Including the training, this program costs $500 per child.
* The software (or "courseware," as it's called) that the kids will be using in class has been created by an organization out of Pennsylvania called Waveplace Foundation (http://www.waveplace.org/). I am on the board of directors. The founder and president of Waveplace, Tim Falconer, will be leading the first week of teacher-training. That is 30+ intensive hours, most of which are the 3 teachers and Tim alone, going through the entire course that the kids will be taking this summer.
* Waveplace courseware is designed to teach the kids computer skills, including writing code, graphic design, animation, and digital story-telling, among other things. The children will even be using high school geometry - yes, these are 4th graders. Waveplace lets the kids explore and learn; the teachers help them along. Rather than "drill and kill" through rote memorization, kids have fun learning. They stay engaged this way. I've seen it in action. Let me tell you, it's amazing.
* We have had two previous pilots, one on St. John (US Virgin Islands), the other in Haiti. Results were great both times, though we're confident the kids in Immokalee will do even better with their projects because of the ground laid by those first two pilots.
* Once our two pilots are done, we're ready to roll out courses to as many students as we can raise funds for. Our first priority is to bring Waveplace training and OLPC computers to all of the 4th graders in Immokalee; ultimately, every kid from kindergarten through eighth grade will go through this program and have a computer of their own, but that is going to take some serious fund raising. We will also be bringing the same opportunity to the other Title I (poor) schools throughout South Florida, as funds permit.
* Our goal is to be done within ten years. Right now, no kids have this training and these computers. Ten years from now - 2018 - every single kid in South Florida will. That is what we are doing.
Here are the organizations and people involved:
* Waveplace Foundation/Tim Falconer. www.waveplace.org
* OLPC. The computer its self is called the XO. www.laptop.org.
* One-by-One Leadership Foundation of SWFL. This is a faith-based organization that has spearheaded our fundraising, brought key players to the table... John Lawson, the executive director, is one of the true heroes of this story.
* www.NaplesSocialAction.org - that's my wife Jane and me, and our partner/technology guru Michael Junkroski, owner of www.VSM.net on Marco. I'm on the board of Waveplace. I put Tim and John together. We are running the pilots. Jane is one of the three teacher-trainers, and will manage the other teacher-trainers.
* Laptop South Florida. This is the nonprofit that we are forming to run local efforts here in this region. One-by-One is "giving birth" to our 501(c)3, i.e. helping us get established with the state and the IRS. I am building the board.
* Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA)'s Community School - the kids from our first pilot are coming from there.
* The Summer Migrant Program, headed up by Earl Wiggins - the kids from the second pilot are being funded through this project.
Other items of interest:
* There are hundreds of thousands of OLPC computers being used in third-world countries as we speak. Peru and Mexico are leading the movement with 600,000 in use or ordered.
* Our pilot begins Monday, June 9th. WGCU and NPR are both sending reporters to cover this story.
* We will have a presence at the Immokalee Kids Games on Saturday, June 14.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Venture Capitalist
A friend told me today, "You don't want to deal with venture capitalists. They're not nice - they're sharks. They'll take your company from you."
"But I'm not doing business with VCs," I said. "I am a VC. And I don't want to take anyone's business away. That's hardly the point. Then we'd have to run it ourselves, and who wants that?"
Okay, that last part was a bit flip. But the truth is in there: I don't want to take people's businesses from them. I want to help quality entrepreneurs raise money, build a board; perhaps serve on the board myself, and certainly advise regardless. I want the business visionaries we support to thrive. Call me an idealist, but I want everyone to win - except the competition, of course. I'm not much interested in their winning.
My test for myself and my colleagues is, can we be highly ethical and highly successful? My bet is that it is easier to succeed on a massive scale if we are ethical.
Wanna bet against us?
"But I'm not doing business with VCs," I said. "I am a VC. And I don't want to take anyone's business away. That's hardly the point. Then we'd have to run it ourselves, and who wants that?"
Okay, that last part was a bit flip. But the truth is in there: I don't want to take people's businesses from them. I want to help quality entrepreneurs raise money, build a board; perhaps serve on the board myself, and certainly advise regardless. I want the business visionaries we support to thrive. Call me an idealist, but I want everyone to win - except the competition, of course. I'm not much interested in their winning.
My test for myself and my colleagues is, can we be highly ethical and highly successful? My bet is that it is easier to succeed on a massive scale if we are ethical.
Wanna bet against us?
Laptops / Microsoft now involved
The following editorial on the computers we're using in Immokalee is from the Boston Globe.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/05/19/one_laptop_two_systems/
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this controversial move.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/05/19/one_laptop_two_systems/
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this controversial move.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Background on Ted Coiné
People can never figure out who I am or what I do for a living. My first answer is, "I'm still trying to figure that one out myself." However, I decided to include it on my blog so that at least it's out there, if someone's interested. So, for the two of you who actually read this blog:
Born in Bethlehem, PA. Grew up in sleepy, affluent Westport, CT. It’s a good place to be from. …“From” being the operative word. Just to be clear: my family was never affluent, not even in the best of times.
BA William & Mary, 1991 – Philosophy major, Psychology minor. I actually had a double major in girls and drinking, with a swimming minor.
1990-91 – Surfed full-time, bartended & waited tables part-time in CA. (It was a paperwork snafu that had me graduating a year after I left campus. I was surfing in Spain when I got the news that I might not graduate at all! We’ll save that story for another time).
1991-92 – Sales, recruiting, & management Equinox International (multi-level marketing). Developed downline of over 100 members. Thank God I didn’t make enough to keep at it!
1993-94 – Other sales positions, calling mostly on large, really, really wealthy real estate developers, institutional investors, and property management firms. From all this, I thought I hated sales; turns out, I merely hate selling the wrong things. Selling the right product can be an absolute blast!
1994-96 – Returned to bartending & waiting to pay the bills until I figured out my next step. Took numerous writing courses, wrote a few bad books and one, Powder Burn, that I’m very proud of – someday I’ll get around to publishing it. Married Jane 1996. This remains the wisest decision I’ve ever made. Jane rocks.
1997-2001 – Taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at a world-class private language school (4 years), then worked 6 months as director of a new school started by a former colleague (now defunct - the school, that is. Tim is doing well). Boston, London, and Malta are the three global centers for the private ESL industry. What luck that I fell into this career in Boston!
2001 – Started “Ted’s English School” (now Coiné Language School) in our living room. Made $10 the first month. About 2 years ago, we valued the school at $10 million. On a bad day, I might sell it for $100, but those are few now that I’m 900 miles away from daily operations. I’ve backed off selling it 3 times and counting. As an aside: this company has billion-dollar potential. EF, a privately owned competitor with an inferior product, is a $1 billion company and growing fast. I needed some time off, though. One of my mottos is, “If it isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong.” Well, I wasn’t having fun. Meanwhile, my speaking career was taking off…
2005 – Wrote my first published book, Five-Star Customer Service. Began traveling extensively, giving one-day workshops and keynote speeches, primarily to small-medium business owners ($5-20 million) and C-level executives of larger enterprises (targeting the Fortune 100). Well-paid speakers are treated somewhat like rock-stars, which is addictive. Traveling from my family? I’m not as crazy about that, so I’ve cut back dramatically in the last year. There are many things in this life more important than money.
2006 – Moved to Naples. Unquestionably the second-best decision I have ever made. Established the Coiné Foundation (http://www.coinefoundation.org/) two weeks later, while still living in Mom’s condo.
2007 – Wrote Spoil ’Em Rotten! with Jane, also about customer service, corporate culture, and leadership. Doubled one-day fee to $10,000.
2007 – established http://www.naplessocialaction.org/ with Jane and Michael Junkroski, who has since become a close personal friend. Jane’s take? “Ted, this is the best thing you’ve ever done.” Also gathered the nucleus to create The Naples Institute (“Fighting for social justice!” http://www.institutenaples.org/), a think tank that I see as our legacy – 100 years from now, that is what we will all be remembered for. What a talented group we’ve gathered: Rita & Bernie Turner, Jim Fisher, Gene Landrum, Jeanmarie Hendry, Michael, Ilene Leff, and me! (5 of the 8 principals are professional business consultants, so we’ve also formed NI Access, the for-profit consulting sister entity of The Naples Institute.)
2007/08 – Joined the board of Waveplace Foundation (http://www.waveplace.org/), based in PA, to help bring OLPC laptop computers (http://www.laptop.org/) and education to the poorest children in the world, starting in South Florida and the Caribbean.
2008 – Still forming Laptop South Florida (LSF) with the help of my friend John Lawson at the One-by-One Leadership Foundation. LSF will be the local face of Waveplace. We’re off to a great start, with two pilots starting up in Immokalee on June 9th.
2008 – Co-founded NIA Venture Group, LLC with partner Gene Landrum (filed with the state & IRS today, May 13). Banyana/WHS is our first project – Gene is chairman of the board, I also serve on the board; Skip Muller is the CEO and founder. Mum’s the word right now, but it is destined to be a household name in a year or two.
Nonprofit Boards:
Coiné Foundation (in sleep mode at present)
Naples Social Action (More of less my full-time job for the past year)
Volunteer Collier
Cancer Alliance of Naples
Waveplace Foundation
Laptop South Florida
Committees – I can’t even remember! Let’s just say, I’ve been pretty busy in the past year or so.
Born in Bethlehem, PA. Grew up in sleepy, affluent Westport, CT. It’s a good place to be from. …“From” being the operative word. Just to be clear: my family was never affluent, not even in the best of times.
BA William & Mary, 1991 – Philosophy major, Psychology minor. I actually had a double major in girls and drinking, with a swimming minor.
1990-91 – Surfed full-time, bartended & waited tables part-time in CA. (It was a paperwork snafu that had me graduating a year after I left campus. I was surfing in Spain when I got the news that I might not graduate at all! We’ll save that story for another time).
1991-92 – Sales, recruiting, & management Equinox International (multi-level marketing). Developed downline of over 100 members. Thank God I didn’t make enough to keep at it!
1993-94 – Other sales positions, calling mostly on large, really, really wealthy real estate developers, institutional investors, and property management firms. From all this, I thought I hated sales; turns out, I merely hate selling the wrong things. Selling the right product can be an absolute blast!
1994-96 – Returned to bartending & waiting to pay the bills until I figured out my next step. Took numerous writing courses, wrote a few bad books and one, Powder Burn, that I’m very proud of – someday I’ll get around to publishing it. Married Jane 1996. This remains the wisest decision I’ve ever made. Jane rocks.
1997-2001 – Taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at a world-class private language school (4 years), then worked 6 months as director of a new school started by a former colleague (now defunct - the school, that is. Tim is doing well). Boston, London, and Malta are the three global centers for the private ESL industry. What luck that I fell into this career in Boston!
2001 – Started “Ted’s English School” (now Coiné Language School) in our living room. Made $10 the first month. About 2 years ago, we valued the school at $10 million. On a bad day, I might sell it for $100, but those are few now that I’m 900 miles away from daily operations. I’ve backed off selling it 3 times and counting. As an aside: this company has billion-dollar potential. EF, a privately owned competitor with an inferior product, is a $1 billion company and growing fast. I needed some time off, though. One of my mottos is, “If it isn’t fun, you’re doing it wrong.” Well, I wasn’t having fun. Meanwhile, my speaking career was taking off…
2005 – Wrote my first published book, Five-Star Customer Service. Began traveling extensively, giving one-day workshops and keynote speeches, primarily to small-medium business owners ($5-20 million) and C-level executives of larger enterprises (targeting the Fortune 100). Well-paid speakers are treated somewhat like rock-stars, which is addictive. Traveling from my family? I’m not as crazy about that, so I’ve cut back dramatically in the last year. There are many things in this life more important than money.
2006 – Moved to Naples. Unquestionably the second-best decision I have ever made. Established the Coiné Foundation (http://www.coinefoundation.org/) two weeks later, while still living in Mom’s condo.
2007 – Wrote Spoil ’Em Rotten! with Jane, also about customer service, corporate culture, and leadership. Doubled one-day fee to $10,000.
2007 – established http://www.naplessocialaction.org/ with Jane and Michael Junkroski, who has since become a close personal friend. Jane’s take? “Ted, this is the best thing you’ve ever done.” Also gathered the nucleus to create The Naples Institute (“Fighting for social justice!” http://www.institutenaples.org/), a think tank that I see as our legacy – 100 years from now, that is what we will all be remembered for. What a talented group we’ve gathered: Rita & Bernie Turner, Jim Fisher, Gene Landrum, Jeanmarie Hendry, Michael, Ilene Leff, and me! (5 of the 8 principals are professional business consultants, so we’ve also formed NI Access, the for-profit consulting sister entity of The Naples Institute.)
2007/08 – Joined the board of Waveplace Foundation (http://www.waveplace.org/), based in PA, to help bring OLPC laptop computers (http://www.laptop.org/) and education to the poorest children in the world, starting in South Florida and the Caribbean.
2008 – Still forming Laptop South Florida (LSF) with the help of my friend John Lawson at the One-by-One Leadership Foundation. LSF will be the local face of Waveplace. We’re off to a great start, with two pilots starting up in Immokalee on June 9th.
2008 – Co-founded NIA Venture Group, LLC with partner Gene Landrum (filed with the state & IRS today, May 13). Banyana/WHS is our first project – Gene is chairman of the board, I also serve on the board; Skip Muller is the CEO and founder. Mum’s the word right now, but it is destined to be a household name in a year or two.
Nonprofit Boards:
Coiné Foundation (in sleep mode at present)
Naples Social Action (More of less my full-time job for the past year)
Volunteer Collier
Cancer Alliance of Naples
Waveplace Foundation
Laptop South Florida
Committees – I can’t even remember! Let’s just say, I’ve been pretty busy in the past year or so.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Laptops / What a Week!
Today's editorial in the Naples Daily News (NDN) said it better than I have been:
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/09/editorial-more-just-technology/
We've had a banner week. Some highlights:
* Last Saturday, Laptop South Florida made the front page of NDN (see below).
* Waveplace Foundation got funding for a pilot in Nicaragua.
* Wednesday, I met with two stellar elementary school teachers to interview them for our pilot in Immokalee, which will certify them to be teacher-trainers for the future: "Other Ted" and Susan. I hope to be sharing a lot more about them with you as things progress - but I don't want to get ahead of myself.
* Thursday John Lawson and I met with Earl Wiggins, who heads up the summer migrant program for the public schools in Immokalee. His boss has to sign off, but it looks like we will be doing a second, simultaneous pilot with 21 more kids this summer.
* Also Thursday, I met with John Lawson's boss, Reid Carpenter. Reid heads up the One-by-One Leadership Foundation locally and also the Leadership Foundation internationally. We had a great meeting, signed a contract of sorts spelling out our relationship, and now we can move forward with a relationship based on mutual trust and esteem. I'll admit, I was apprehensive before now about what John's board might want viz-a-viz control of Laptop South Florida. I am no longer worried in the least.
* ...And at that same meeting we added a member to the board I'm forming for LSF, Dave Hailer, a truly remarkable man who, among other endeavors, led the Peace Corps!
There's more - I haven't even mentioned Efrain until now - but I'll save it for my next posting. Here is how I'd like to finish this entry:
I am amazed and grateful that we have attracted the caliber of people we have to LSF. It's the stuff of dreams, to be able to put a team together such as ours.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/09/editorial-more-just-technology/
We've had a banner week. Some highlights:
* Last Saturday, Laptop South Florida made the front page of NDN (see below).
* Waveplace Foundation got funding for a pilot in Nicaragua.
* Wednesday, I met with two stellar elementary school teachers to interview them for our pilot in Immokalee, which will certify them to be teacher-trainers for the future: "Other Ted" and Susan. I hope to be sharing a lot more about them with you as things progress - but I don't want to get ahead of myself.
* Thursday John Lawson and I met with Earl Wiggins, who heads up the summer migrant program for the public schools in Immokalee. His boss has to sign off, but it looks like we will be doing a second, simultaneous pilot with 21 more kids this summer.
* Also Thursday, I met with John Lawson's boss, Reid Carpenter. Reid heads up the One-by-One Leadership Foundation locally and also the Leadership Foundation internationally. We had a great meeting, signed a contract of sorts spelling out our relationship, and now we can move forward with a relationship based on mutual trust and esteem. I'll admit, I was apprehensive before now about what John's board might want viz-a-viz control of Laptop South Florida. I am no longer worried in the least.
* ...And at that same meeting we added a member to the board I'm forming for LSF, Dave Hailer, a truly remarkable man who, among other endeavors, led the Peace Corps!
There's more - I haven't even mentioned Efrain until now - but I'll save it for my next posting. Here is how I'd like to finish this entry:
I am amazed and grateful that we have attracted the caliber of people we have to LSF. It's the stuff of dreams, to be able to put a team together such as ours.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
We made the news!
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/may/02/immokalee-children-get-free-laptops-education/
Today, Naples Daily News. Tomorrow, the New York Times!
All kidding aside, I think you'll agree, writer Tracy Miguel once again wrote a very good story about NSA and our endeavors.
Today, Naples Daily News. Tomorrow, the New York Times!
All kidding aside, I think you'll agree, writer Tracy Miguel once again wrote a very good story about NSA and our endeavors.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Join us for talk on Laptops!
On Wednesday, April 30, I will be giving a presentation on Laptop South Florida. This is open to the public - no charge for admission.
5:30-6:30 PM at the Naples Regional branch of the public library (this is the one downtown).
Here is the feature on "60 Minutes" to wet your whistle: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml?source=search_story
A quick synopsis:
MIT computers. Waveplace Foundation teacher-training. Local implementation.
5:30-6:30 PM at the Naples Regional branch of the public library (this is the one downtown).
Here is the feature on "60 Minutes" to wet your whistle: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/05/20/60minutes/main2830058.shtml?source=search_story
A quick synopsis:
MIT computers. Waveplace Foundation teacher-training. Local implementation.
That's it! Bring your questions April 30th!
Videos of kids with their laptops
The following is from Tim Falconer, president of the board of the Waveplace Foundation, which provides the educational content for the children's laptops we're bringing to Immokalee. I'm on the Waveplace board, too.
Hi everyone,
We've just posted two new videos from the St John Waveplace pilot, which concluded three weeks ago. The first shows mentoring during the pilot. The second shows students presenting their Etoys storybooks that they created during the pilot.
1) Scenes from the St John pilot (4 minutes)
http://waveplace.com/locations/usvi/movie.jsp?id=45
2) The St John Storybook Awards (8 minutes)
http://waveplace.com/locations/usvi/movie.jsp?id=44
We will be posting the actual storybooks to our website soon so you can see them for yourself.
In other news, the Haiti pilot will resume next week, since things have calmed down in Port-Au-Prince. The kids and teachers are well.
Take care,
Tim
Hi everyone,
We've just posted two new videos from the St John Waveplace pilot, which concluded three weeks ago. The first shows mentoring during the pilot. The second shows students presenting their Etoys storybooks that they created during the pilot.
1) Scenes from the St John pilot (4 minutes)
http://waveplace.com/locations/usvi/movie.jsp?id=45
2) The St John Storybook Awards (8 minutes)
http://waveplace.com/locations/usvi/movie.jsp?id=44
We will be posting the actual storybooks to our website soon so you can see them for yourself.
In other news, the Haiti pilot will resume next week, since things have calmed down in Port-Au-Prince. The kids and teachers are well.
Take care,
Tim
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
"What are your real motives, Ted?"
About a year ago, I met with a man who is very active in the area nonprofit realm; he has founded a number of very successful nonprofits; his wife has run just one, a really, really important one, for 18 years now. These are people I admire deeply.
There was only one problem: as has sometimes happened to me since our move to Naples, he didn't know what to make of me. I get this question quite a bit: "What's in it for you?" Well, this man didn't ask me, but today I learned what I had long suspected, that he thought it. I learned that from a talk with his wife. She was kind enough to ask me outright, "Ted, what do you get out of your nonprofit work?"
I have to say, that's a really sad question to have to ask. I thought the point of charity was to benefit others, not yourself. She told me that's rare. So I wrote her an email, which you can read below.
GNL refers to Greater Naples Leadership, a group that her husband presided over and (I believe) helped found that trains affluent older folks to be active on social-sector boards. As you can read, it's a Who's Who of the nonprofit community here in Naples.
It occurred to me that perhaps I don't explain myself enough - despite my business background, I still may not toot my own horn sufficiently, so that people have no idea how I put food on the table. Oh, well. I'm a work in progress.
Dear _______,
Bob Juster's partner is Walt Burdick, also a GNL-er. We were featured in the same issue of Naples Illustrated Magazine (January); Bob's write-up said that their company in Immokalee, TMI, is a "for-benefit corporation," so I called Bob up to find out what that is. If you look at my think tank's web site (www.institutenaples.org) you'll see where we've come up with something we called a "for-profit charity." We're going to change the term to "for-benefit corporation," because it turns out that is a phrase being used on the forefront of the social sector now.
Ilene Leff, who I think you know from GNL, introduced me to a remarkable international organization she works with, www.ashoka.org out of DC. They help social entrepreneurs create organizations that are hybrid for-profit/non-profit. I didn't realize it until I studied up on Ashoka, but I guess I'm a social entrepreneur, too.
I understand your and your husband's skepticism of my motives. I'm a bleeding-heart capitalist, that's all. I think a lot of people who are good at making money find that rewarding in and of itself. They are often also motivated by the fear of not having enough. Not I. I see money as a means to two ends: financial security for my family, which doesn't require all that much cash, and charity. I'm sure I'd be Port-Royal rich by now if I cared about it more. But we're only a short walk to the beach, so we have nothing to complain about.
You folks are bleeding heart capitalists, too. Maybe you should give others more credit for being inspired as you are.
There was only one problem: as has sometimes happened to me since our move to Naples, he didn't know what to make of me. I get this question quite a bit: "What's in it for you?" Well, this man didn't ask me, but today I learned what I had long suspected, that he thought it. I learned that from a talk with his wife. She was kind enough to ask me outright, "Ted, what do you get out of your nonprofit work?"
I have to say, that's a really sad question to have to ask. I thought the point of charity was to benefit others, not yourself. She told me that's rare. So I wrote her an email, which you can read below.
GNL refers to Greater Naples Leadership, a group that her husband presided over and (I believe) helped found that trains affluent older folks to be active on social-sector boards. As you can read, it's a Who's Who of the nonprofit community here in Naples.
It occurred to me that perhaps I don't explain myself enough - despite my business background, I still may not toot my own horn sufficiently, so that people have no idea how I put food on the table. Oh, well. I'm a work in progress.
Dear _______,
Bob Juster's partner is Walt Burdick, also a GNL-er. We were featured in the same issue of Naples Illustrated Magazine (January); Bob's write-up said that their company in Immokalee, TMI, is a "for-benefit corporation," so I called Bob up to find out what that is. If you look at my think tank's web site (www.institutenaples.org) you'll see where we've come up with something we called a "for-profit charity." We're going to change the term to "for-benefit corporation," because it turns out that is a phrase being used on the forefront of the social sector now.
Ilene Leff, who I think you know from GNL, introduced me to a remarkable international organization she works with, www.ashoka.org out of DC. They help social entrepreneurs create organizations that are hybrid for-profit/non-profit. I didn't realize it until I studied up on Ashoka, but I guess I'm a social entrepreneur, too.
I understand your and your husband's skepticism of my motives. I'm a bleeding-heart capitalist, that's all. I think a lot of people who are good at making money find that rewarding in and of itself. They are often also motivated by the fear of not having enough. Not I. I see money as a means to two ends: financial security for my family, which doesn't require all that much cash, and charity. I'm sure I'd be Port-Royal rich by now if I cared about it more. But we're only a short walk to the beach, so we have nothing to complain about.
You folks are bleeding heart capitalists, too. Maybe you should give others more credit for being inspired as you are.
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