Mentorship

http://www.facebook.com/pages/R-Dear-Children/246782192056390

About You

First Name

michelle

Last Name

anderson

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meandersown-r'dear children

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

r'dear children

Website

Country

United States, ND, Rolette County

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

What best describes your group or organization

Community group or youth group.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Innovation

Name Your Project.

meandersown-seeding r'dear children's dreams

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Turns out this new Native friend of mine had a brother who was trying to help a sister of another brother of yet another brother that I seemingly shared a common bond of kinship with. This dear woman he spoke so fondly of was an elementary school teacher and an Ojibwa mentor who was more than willing to work her fingers to the bone to assist a community of disadvantaged parents with the erection of a youth program and to build an intercultural bridge between and across the generations of her Native Tribe.

Our common brother relayed her story to me. He told me that she represented a group of young children who desperately wanted to connect with and grow into their own cultural heritage but had no means with which to access the tools or harness any stream of funding to carry their dreams to fruition. And I felt obliged to help in whatever manner I could.

So, I put some long dormant research skills to work and compiled an initial list of ideas and potential directions to pursue that might serve to propel this project forward and I sent a stack of paper home with my friend to peruse, ponder and share with the other participant parties I had not yet had the pleasure to meet. He immediately responded that his people were quite interested in what I had offered and inquired if I was willing to serve as a member of their grant-writing team. It seemed that the other person they were depending on to provide that particular literary skill had moved on to another more lucrative endeavor. I was quite flattered and willing to oblige to the best of my ability because I love to write but I already had a lot on my plate at that time and I wanted to give it my very best effort, so I made no promises. I did however, see a potential portal to work this sort of thing into my schedule and my program of study this fall. So I suggested that he adjust his schedule to that time frame as well. I agreed to consult my research methods professor and he resumed working to drum up the rest of his originally casted board of directors to see where they stood with what we were proposing to do to progress from idea to reality.

It was not really that I was altogether pessimistic about this project's promotion for I wasn't. However, I needed to know how broadminded my fellow dreamers were, what streams of inspiration they wished to phish in and how wide a net they wanted to cast both both into and out of their home community to catch a nibble of interest before I could honestly proceed to assess or work around the obstacles that I knew from working experience still lay ahead of us. So I simply planted a seed of hope in a windowsill on the horizon and waited to see if it sprouted into something with the potential to grow.

And, as luck would have it, it did. My instructor agreed to serve as my academic mentor and it became clear that we were making some progress in narrowing the scope of our effort when we encountered and dealt quite positively with our first real obstacle.

As the days passed, communication slowed to a snail's pace and it became quite clear that my friend had either presumed or misinterpreted the actions or conversations he had participated in with his former network of supporting personnel. The "board of directors" he presumed already existed and had depended on to either incorporate non-profit or serve as the fiscal agents for such an incorporation were simply serving as in-kind advisers. But we persisted. By necessity, we were forced to scale it down a notch and miraculously it began to bloom all on its own.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

To stake out a foundation of hope for the future, erect a temporary shelter for a dream tomorrow and give R'dear children an opportunity to dance today.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a project that is just getting started)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

The beauty of a true grass roots project is that when one or a dozen people begin with nothing but the seeds of a fertile idea and they call upon their own sense of persistence and have the patience to devote the kind of loving care and attention truly needed to establish a nurturing environment for their seeds to prosper in, just like a child, it naturally and instinctively spawns and spreads out in and of it's own accord.

What we have is one extraordinary woman who has taken it upon herself to provide an introductory immersion course in traditional Ojibwa culture that is very well received but only marginally funded through the school district and very limited in scope. We also have a growing group of children who would like to participate but cannot access it which is a shame.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

We would like to offer a community-wide cultural immersion initiation event this summer open to all interested children.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

Currently, the Ojibwa extracurricular program offered by Mrs. Aurelia LaFrambios serves somewhere in the vicinity of 77 regularly with about 30 that attend more intermittently. She teaches native culture through an expressive traditional dance and introductory exposure to the Ojibwa language. Her students participate in local pow-wow events and she has contributed countless uncompensated hours of labor and material to outfit them all in appropriate regalia. In addition, she has been approached by numerous parents whose children cannot participate either because they lack economic resource to do so or because they are not enrolled in this particular school. Our goal is to provide every child on the reservation with an equal opportunity to culturally connect, identify and participate.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

The children of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation for sharing their interest and expressing their wish to connect with this project.

George, Alvin & especially Aurelia LaFrambois as well as all of our immediate and extended family members, neighbors and friends who have given unremitting support and physical resource to us. They have opened up their homes and their minds hospitably,contributed generously to the development of our ideas and assisted us with the formulation of these initial plans to develop, implement and sustain this work in progress most effectively.

Countless representative organizations, non-profit affiliates and individuals both on and off the reservation who have provided information, technical assistance or otherwise assisted or donated services.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

We continue to network and have collectively made several initial contacts with local tribal entities and community businesses who seem willing to provide technical planning assistance, fiscal sponsorship and/or to donate financial or in-kind resources, facilities and services for the implementation of a mini-immersion intercultural/inter-generational family weekend camp out and parental volunteer leadership retreat this coming summer as our take off or launch project.

Additionally, we are working very hard to refine our objectives, recruit and bring more interested parents on board with our leadership development group and we continue to move progressively toward the nomination of a new board of directors to lead this organizational project and our planned programming activities effectively through the 501c3 incorporation process.

We have been offered technical assistance with the formation of a tribal resolution to recognize us as an informal organizing community group eligible for the fiscal sponsorship of several interim seed funding grants we have been researching and plan to utilize any funding we may receive to leverage matching support in conjunction with another fundraising event we are designing which we believe will allow us to continue with the planned expansion of our programs reach more children and follow through with the much more self-sustaining income generating activities we are all very excited about.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Because much of the expense we envision with this program and much of the difficulty our parents experience other than actual access or program availability is the cost that is entailed in outfitting these children in traditional regalia. We are currently looking into prospects for in-kind donations of appropriate textile fabrics, notions and materials to assist them with the prideful expression of their cultural identity. We are also exploring the possibility of enlisting some of the elders in the community who may have valuable crafting skills as seamstresses, or in embroidery, applique, leather or beadwork to assist these children to design and produce their own costuming in mentor relationships that have the added value of transferring potentially marketable skills to youth.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

Shad' Kin

Created on 11/24/2011 by Shad' Kin

Four years ago, Nlaka'pamux elder Joseph Dunstan was contacted by his ancestors and he was instructed to build a self-sufficient shared-knowledge community. Joseph was given the design of 8 "modernized" traditional round-pit-house structures called Shishkins, he was told that the Youth would rise to the occasion and that others would come to help him build.

Now, others, including myself, who have similarly been instructed, or inspired, to build a self-sufficient and shared-knowledge community are coming together to develop and build what has been named as Shad' Kin.

About You

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shad-Kin/305731746126322

About You

First Name

Michael

Last Name

Belanger

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Shad' Kin

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Shad' Kin

Website

shadkin.ca (in development)

Country

Canada, BC

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/#!/Shad_Kin

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Other.

What best describes your group or organization

Community group or youth group, Non-profit organization, Other.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Shad' Kin

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Meaning "Our People", Shad' Kin is a 200 acre working ranch in the mountains above Lytton, British Columbia that is a mentorship environment for youth, of any nation, to develop their inherent cultural identity and where they can participate in a forum towards the development, construction, and eventual governance, of a self-sufficient and shared-knowledge community.

Skills and knowledge must be passed to the Youth in order for any community to survive and thrive and it must be an inherent function of the community, for all Youth, and not only for those with favorable socioeconomic standing or cultural identity.

When asked what Youth want in a community, the most common answers are to feel like they have a say in the functioning of their community, to raise a family in a safe environment that is free of substance abuse and violence, and quite simply, to learn.

At present, our program is as follows:
--Traditional food and medicine harvesting and processing for storage.
--Weaving, beadwork, clothing preparation and creation, and drum building.
--Horsemanship.
--Landscaping, garden preparation, planting and harvesting, seed harvesting and storage.
--Harvesting and milling timber, woodworking, and furniture construction.
--Food safety, cooking and preservation.
--Film and documentary series development, production, post-production and presentation.

Our program will grow and our knowledge base will expand with each new mentor who comes to participate in Shad’ kin. Youth who come to Shad' Kin are paired with mentors according to mutual compatibility of skills, interests, gifts, and experience, making Shad' Kin an individualized experience.

Shad' Kin has already been proven to be a success. We have welcomed groups of Youth, both First Nations and Non-First Nations, who are all vying to come back, we have been approached by a South African Youth group who would like to come to Shad' Kin, we have already received funding support from a First Nation's fund in Olympia Washington, we are attracting mentors from many different cultures, including First Nations, and we have been approached by the British Columbia Department of Corrections and are investigating the possibility of a partnership for Youth in the system to come participate in Shad' Kin.

In order to promote Shad' Kin we are preparing for the launch of our Social Media Network that will allow other Eco-villages, communities, healing centers, societies, foundations, etc... to connect together for the purposes of distance education, collaboration and sharing knowledge, we have started approaching First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Youth councils, and we are developing a documentary series featuring the development and construction of our physical community.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

Shad’ kin provides a mentorship environment for youth to develop their inherent cultural identity through a variety of means, including the Arts.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a project that is just getting started)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Those who come to participate in Shad' Kin receive a highly specialized and individualized experience for both mentors and Youth as they are paired according to mutual compatibility of skills, interests, gifts, and experience. The whole Shad' Kin experience is designed to foster independence and broaden perspectives, which will empower and nourish the minds, bodies, and souls of all who come to participate.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

It is our goal to complete the construction of the physical community.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

In 5 years we will have nurtured and instilled leadership skills on location in BC and through the social network that we are currently developing. By connecting with other communities, eco-villages, societies, foundations, healing centers, and so on..., we provide a wider knowledge base which provides more opportunities for the sharing of knowledge through online education, seminars, and collaboration. Eventually, the Youth will become the mentors who will then pass their knowledge to the next generation of Youth at Shad' Kin.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Shad' Kin could not have started operations without the generous support of the Nisqually Indian Tribe in Olympia, Washington, USA, or the support of individual donors. Thank you.

Our mentors are the knowledge base that is shared with each other and with the Youth who arrive here.

Joseph Dunstan - Traditional skills, knowledge, artistry, food and medicine collection, horsemanship, timber harvesting, processing, woodworking and carpentry.

Phoenix Risingstar - Traditional skills, knowledge, artistry, food and medicine collection, vibrational healing and Chakra alignment.

Cheryl Williams and Lawrence Spinks - Traditional skills, knowledge, artistry, food and medicine collection

Michael Belanger - Film and TV Business and Production, food safety and cooking.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

Shad' Kin has been researching grants or donations for:

GREENING OF THE PROPERTY
Various Federal grants
BC Hydro

ASSISTANCE FOR THE (VIDEO) DOCUMENTATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPERTY
Arts Councils Federal and Provincial
Canon Canada

ASSISTANCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK
Canada Council for the Arts
Telus
Kickstarter
Indie GoGo

SPECIFIC STRATEGIC SUPPORT IN DONATION OF SERVICES
Solar panels, wind turbines, Hemp-crete geodesic domes, well drilling and capping, cold-fusion generator, composting sanitation system, yurts, tipis and temporary dwellings, skylights

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Our program will grow and our knowledge base will expand with each new mentor who comes to participate in Shad’ kin. Specifically, Shad' Kin seeks construction and engineering professionals, food service professionals, gardening and landscaping professionals, educators, internal arts and (holistic) health and wellness practitioners, artisans and artistic professionals of all disciplines. All mentor positions are voluntary.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

NWCC SEM WEST Program

Created on 11/23/2011 by ezweck

About You

About You

First Name

elizabeth

Last Name

zweck

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NWCC SEM

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Northwest Community College School of Exploration & Mining

Website

http://sem.nwcc.bc.ca/

Country

Canada, BC

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations people, Métis people, Other.

What best describes your group or organization

University, Technical Institute or College.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

NWCC SEM WEST Program

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Some educational programs are hyped as being life-changing learning experiences; however, few deliver on that promise. Yet the students at Northwest Community College’s (NWCC) School of Exploration & Mining (SEM) who have completed the Workforce Exploration Skills Training (WEST) program are saying their lives were changed at Ganokwa Camp.
“This program is life altering,” says Cody Joseph, a 25 year-old graduate of the WEST program. “I haven’t graduated from anything in my life, and here I am today graduating.”
The WEST program, a first-of-its-kind program in northern British Columbia, is a seven-week training program delivered in a remote bush camp north of Smithers. It features hands-on, experiential employment skills training for careers in exploration, mining and other resource industries.
Internship opportunities are available to eligible participants who demonstrate an interest and aptitude in one of four chosen areas: camp maintenance and safety, office administration, cooking in a camp environment and cultural skills coaching. A resident elder provides mentorship to the cultural skills intern.
Students arrive at Ganokwa Camp from all corners of British Columbia, some having left their communities for the first time. The student body includes broad representation from many of the province’s First Nations and Metis. Participants live in a drug- and alcohol-free wall tent camp, sharing accommodation with three others. Good health and fitness are mandatory as students go on field trips that include hikes of up to 10 kilometres up and down steep terrain. Essential skills training is embedded throughout the curriculum, teaching conflict resolution, communication skills and leadership, to name but a few.
Upon successful completion of the program, participants receive an NWCC School of Exploration & Mining certificate, a host of safety certificates and an employment reference. SEM staff also provide WEST participants with pre-employment counseling and job search assistance. The program, which ran twice during the summer of 2011, is provided at no cost to eligible participants through funding provided by the Canada-BC Labour Market Agreement.
“Graduates of our mining programs are in very high demand, and industry often asks us when the next group will be ready to hire,” states NWCC President, Dr. Denise Henning.
Judi L’Orsa of the Smithers Exploration Group recently advised the students at their Celebration of Learning, “You are leaving here today armed with new technical knowledge, health and safety skills, knowledge of best practices, environmental awareness, and a better understanding of the modern minerals industry. I would like to congratulate you on your achievements and welcome you to our industry.”
Indeed, Ida Prince just landed the first job of her life at the age of 38 as an archaeological field assistant doing field work near Prince George, BC.
But possibly most powerful of all are the testaments from WEST graduates:
Mason Berg: “Without this program, I’d be working as a dishwasher or who knows what, but with this program, I know I won’t just have a job, but a career. I’m leaving camp a changed man.”
Brandon Felker: Dear lucky chosen ones, you are in for a super positive life changing experience. I can promise that if you dedicate yourself and fully embrace this once in-lifetime opportunity you will be creating memories forever and endless new opportunities. Good luck and enjoy.
Beatrice West: “The best moments were when we were at the top of the mountains, smiling at each other, saying, “We did this!’ This is an amazing feat in our lives.”
SEM also offers other similar programs and can develop customized curricula to meet client needs. To date, the programming has been strongly oriented to First Nations audiences and their learning style (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bp-vefkB7A & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Lc8QPnwfk).
The WEST program will be offered again in 2012.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

To provide accessible experiential pre-employment field training that is responsive to, and credible with, industry, and empowers individuals to gain employment

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Established (it has been running for a while, has grown and know it is making a difference)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

The WEST project has been life changing for the participants, developing individual and community capacity, providing employment, building economic capacity and understanding of industry and developing leadership skills. Many participants left at the end of the program talking about how their fellow students were now 'family', a level of support that they will hopefully continue to draw upon throughout their lifetime.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

To finetune the program and run it more often; also to work with clients to provide customized training to meet their needs

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

There will be more First Nations employment in industry (in exploration & mining, and in other resource fields as well); more First Nations pursuing further education; greater social and economic capacity in communities; more mentors to guide youth toward employment and education. Resource industries will have a larger trained entry-level pool of employees to draw upon directly from our program, and more highly trained employees from those who choose to continue with further education after our program. The integration that is inherent within our program will break down cultural barriers and lead to greater understanding.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Provincial and federal government partnerships
Industry partnerships
First Nations
All of these partnerships are important to us, both in terms of providing funding and in providing credibility and support for the work that we do.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Approximately 100 words left (800 characters).

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

Making Waves/Vague par Vague

Created on 11/21/2011 by D Payne

Making Waves/Vague par Vague was created in 1995 by three women who had years of experience working with abused women and survivors of sexual assault. Together they dreamed of a way to help break the cycle of abuse by educating young people and giving them the power of knowledge. This program was developed based on the premise that when teenagers are well informed they have the desire and ability to change our culture as well as to promote a society where violence in relationships is not tolerated.

About You

About You

First Name

Dawn

Last Name

Payne

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Dawn Payne

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Making Waves

Website

www.partnersforyouth.ca

Country

Canada

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations people.

What best describes your group or organization

Non-profit organization.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Making Waves/Vague par Vague

Tell us the story of your idea or project

The program that was developed, Making Waves/Vague par Vague, has brought kids together for a weekend experience that is fun and interactive and has made differences in the lives of youth and adults all over the province. The workshops that take place during the weekend events are heavy but informative. They touch on many areas including: the dynamics of abusive relationships; the impact of gender and media stereotyping; and the difference between healthy vs. unhealthy relationships. The strength of this program can easily been seen in the returning faces of the facilitators, volunteers, and youth alike.

Two years ago this opportunity was extended to the youth of the Esgenoôpetitj First Nations community. Amongst the eight First Nation youth who were invited, Miranda Mitchell, was someone who demonstrated strong leadership abilities and showed a desire for change. She quickly became the lead youth and voice for the First Nation initiative.

Since the first Making Waves/Vague par vague weekend with Esgenoôpetitj, Miranda and I, have visited the community on several occasions. Our goal during these visits was to allow people to explore their own boundaries and have an open discussion about the things that were most important to them about this topic. In doing so, we hope that they can learn from each other and gain the ability to make positive decisions about their own relationships to help break the cycle of abuse.

I believe this project can and has made a difference because it is about providing people with a safe space where they can talk and learn and grow. They can explore themselves, their thoughts, and feelings about this very heavy topic, while at the same time hear and learn from other peoples opinions and experiences. This program is for people who want to be a part of it and those who are a part of it only share what they feel comfortable sharing. It is a program that allows people to learn at their own pace and because of this it will take some time to see the long term effects that it will have. So I feel that the success of this program in its early stages can be measured in small growths and returning faces.

Together lets make some WAVES!

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

Working together to give youth the knowledge and power to recognize their boundaries and to make positive decisions about their own relationships.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Expanding (it has been running for a while, has grown, you know it is making a difference and now you want to expand)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Making Waves/Vague par vague is about giving people a voice and teaching them that it is okay to make your voice be heard. I believe that this project will/is extremely capable of supporting the well being and educational success of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples due to the room for personal growth. We are individuals who are entitled to our own thoughts, opinions and feelings. It is about helping people explore themselves in a safe environment so that when faced with a personal dilemma, they can approach it with confidence.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

Continue to watch it grow, be a part of that growth, to see the impacts it makes on the people who choose to be a part of it.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

My dream would be that in 5 years the work that is currently being completed with the First Nations community will have grown. That we will be able to support a Making Waves weekend for the First Nations communities in New Brunswick. One that incorporates the culture and is modified so that it speaks to those who choose to attend. That it fits into the goal of supporting the well being and educational success of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

My vision for the future is bright because of the people with whom I've interacted and worked with. It is clear that change is desired but the time and freedom to explore their options is needed. Together I think that we can make this a reality!

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

The amount of commitment it takes to prepare for an intensive weekend such as Making Waves/Vague par vague is tremendous. The relationships that have been developed over the past 16 years are detrimental to the success of the program. Without the commitment of the facilitators, Student Advisory Committee (SAC), youth who attend, teachers, schools, volunteers, hotel and staff, funders, and all of the other returning faces, it would not be the success that it is today. Everyone has their role to fulfill and their strengths to offer, the Making Waves/Vague par vague program is successful because of this.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

In order to foster growth with this project we require the involvement of the community. It can be what they want it to be. The people/partners that we have and will continue to reach out to are those who are involved in groups within the community and those who have shown interest in becoming more involved. In order for this to grow we need these people to reach out to others and inform them of this opportunity.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

We require the ongoing support of the community. We require people to be open and respectful of one another and their opinions and experiences.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

Learning to Lead Combining Our Strength

Created on 11/18/2011 by carrieanng

About You

http://www.theminervafoundation.com/

About You

First Name

Carrie-Ann

Last Name

Goodfellow

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Minerva Foundation for BC Women

Website

Country

Canada

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

http://twitter.com/#!/MinervaBC

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/MinervaBC

Youtube URL

http://www.youtube.com/user/minervaadmin

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

What best describes your group or organization

Non-profit organization.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Learning to Lead Combining Our Strength

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Part of Minerva's mandate is to support Aboriginal women, and this has been in place since our launch in 2001. We have always aimed to have at least 10% of our program participants be from Aboriginal communities. In 2005 Minerva questioned the effectiveness of its programming for Aboriginal women and made the decision to reassess its programming in this area and to focus on what the needs of the community are. It was recognized that the Foundation’s successful programs needed to be more well-known, more accessible, and more relevant to Aboriginal women. The first step to realizing this goal was to engage representatives of the Aboriginal women’s community in an open dialogue. In the fall of 2005, the Minerva Foundation launched a program to initiate community dialogues on leadership among Aboriginal women leaders in British Columbia. A Steering Committee of respected Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women was appointed and the program was named “Combining Our Strength”.
The Combining Our Strength™ initiative has been developed from this research and input. The Combining Our Strength™ (“COS”) initiative was officially launched on January 29, 2007.

The leadership development program, Learning to Lead™ Combining Our Strength™, now its 5th year creates opportunities for Aboriginal women in leadership roles and enhances their existing leadership qualities, shares their knowledge and resources and helps to reach down into their community to encourage, train and mentor aspiring young Aboriginal women. This program creates further awareness and builds alliances and support between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. It acknowledges and celebrates the strength and capacity of the women within Aboriginal communities.

The program provides tools for the participants to achieve their personal, educational and career goals. It affirms the importance of each person’s responsibility to themselves and their community and provides a framework within which all constituents can benefit from the role models, support systems and mentors available from within the group. The learning outcomes for the weekend portion of the program include identifying leadership styles, clarifying core values, applying assertiveness and peacemaking skills, building self-esteem and learning through storytelling.

Combining Our Strength™ Community Circles

A continuing education component has been developed to enhance the take-aways from the Learning to Lead™ Combining Our Strength™ program. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women participants meet regularly in their community over the six months following the Learning to Lead Leadership Development weekend to further their learning and networking, maintain communication, and draw strength from each other. The regional Community Circles are coordinated by facilitators from each of the communities who participated in a “train the trainer” session prior to the start of the Learning to Lead™ COS program.

In the past 5 years the Combining our Strength™ Initiative has gone from strength to strength! With the help of champions in the community Minerva has been able to deliver our leadership development and economic security programs directly in the communities across BC.

We are already seeing a difference being made, with the leaders truly embracing their natural leadership qualities, learning what ‘type’ of leader they are and specific workshops in the program like the power of storytelling and cedar weaving helping the leaders to see the strength and power of their culture. Through the Community Circles we have seen successes like the Women’s Weekend in Fort Nelson, an idea born out of the Community Circle in the area and then supported by Minerva. We are honoured to be able to work with such amazing women all across BC.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

A unique partnership of Aboriginal and non-aboriginal women, this Leadership Development program brings women together to learn from each other.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Established (it has been running for a while, has grown and know it is making a difference)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Testimonials from the program include “It was a wonderful, FANTASTIC weekend. I learned more of others, mentors and mostly of myself. Mussi cho” and “It’s been a life transforming experience”.
The L2L COS program helps to develop the leadership skills of Aboriginal women from across BC. By coming to Vancouver for the initial weekend portion of the program the women get the opportunity to connect with other communities and learn from a wide range of women. As they go back in their community they continue their leadership development training through Community Circles which are led by a Minerva trained facilitator. Through these circles we have seen many incredible relationships form, and ideas born out of the circle have become real, such as the Women’s Weekend in FN.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

We hope to be able to continue empowering more Aboriginal women and be able to provide this program in more communities.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

Our goal is to increase the capacity and strength of Aboriginal women living in BC and in turn stregthen their communities for the future. This is not a short term goal and Minerva is in this for the long haul. We aim to increase our partnerships with the local communities and therefore empower communities to be able to deliver the leadership training themselves. We have already started to explore the opportunity to bring our programs to communities across Canada. Our long term goal is to produce systemic change with sustainable results which will elimiate the need for Minerva's programming.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Minerva has many established partnerships across BC with community groups and sponsors which make this Initiative sustainable. We work hard to recruit new sponsors every year as well as maintaining our existing sponsors to create a sustainable funding platform to be able to continue this program. A five year sponsor was recently signed to donate $500,000 over 5 years which will make a marked difference. Minerva slo works hard to continue to build new trusting relationships with the women in the community. All of these partners are important to COS, as without the amazing support of our sponsors there is no money to do programming, and without the support of the women in the community we would not be able to deliver the programs.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

We will continue to seek new partnerships with both funding partners and community partners to be able to expand and increase the capacity of the program.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Minerva has received and requires support such as space for delivering the programs in the community, resources such as refreshments for the programs, equipment such as computers and laptops for the women participating in the programs and volunteers such as mentors, drivers, committee members and champions.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

Rekindled Spirits!

Created on 11/10/2011 by soulfulwoman

About You

About You

First Name

Pamela

Last Name

Reid

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

Heiltsuk Soul

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Kaxla Child & Family Services Agency

Website

Country

Canada

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Other.

What best describes your group or organization

Non-profit organization.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Rekindled Spirits!

Tell us the story of your idea or project

This project is an aim to strengthen the relationship between our elders and our youth. As part of our cultural beliefs, the elder's role is to mentor the young people in order to pass on teachings of tradtions, roles and responsibilities and cultural protocol as to how we have governed ourselves. The Heiltsuk Nation is situated on the Central Coast of British Columbia and is only accessible by plane or boat. In years past the Heiltsuk travelled to many locations within the traditional territory harvesting food based on the seasons of the year and which foods were in season. The purpose of this project is to organize a mentoring program that runs with the seasons of harvesting, for example, seaweed in the spring, salmon in the summer and so forth. Given the remoteness of our community we still very much live off the land and resources that surround us. Although we are remote, we are still challenged with the change in time,evolution of technology, social struggles that run deep due to many factors all contributing to the vast difference in how our youth live today versus how our elders lived when they were young. Against many odds, as a Nation, we have maintained a connection with one another that is inherent, something, permanent and inseparable as a people. By establishing this project in our community we can build on this connection and rekindle and to some extent even reclaim our traditional knowledge by passing on to our youth. Acheiving this would instill culture, learning, self esteem for both elders and youth and rekindle the spirits of our community! Much of our traditional language is rooted in the way of life we once lived, so in essence strengthening the connection between the elders and youth will assist in passing on knowledge that provides the youth a way of connecting history to today's way of life. Our culture also recognizes that all things are interconnected. By approaching this project with a traditional focus our youth can better relate to our future as a Nation by understanding where we came from.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

Rekindled Spirits is a mentoring program that roots itself in a way of life! Mentoring is a natural way of learning and sharing important values!

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Idea

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Impacts from this project will stengthen exsisting bonds within the community, but also pass on imporant values and skill sets based on a way of life. Living in a remote community our way of life differs compared to city life. We still live off our land and natural resources and it is important that this way of life we mentored and carried forward to the future generations. As a Nation, we are blessed with a closeness, however like every society we have our challenges and this project will assist in reinforcing the connection as well as bring the community together to achieve this. This project can be shared and used with other First Nations, Meitis and Inuit peoples as a model for community wellness.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

The main goal is to attain funding to run a 12 month project based on the traditional food cycles

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

In five years I invision those little ones who started out in the birth of this project growing into mentors themselves and assisting the elders mentor the newer generations as they are born! Just the thought of embracing and supporting a willing group of people to mentor and pass on valuable traditions and skill sets so that our way of life is preserved brings on deep emotion! In addtion, five year from now I invision a project outline that can be published and used by other First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples to guide them in developing thier own projects based on thier traditions and culture. There are many other First Nations funding sources that could support this project template with other resouces and fiances through various programs.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

The Heiltsuk Nation are a progressive Nation. We have evolved to the point in which we have separted our businesses from the political arena, as well as set up our own Economic Development Department, as well as a Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management department that supports natural resource management at the local level. Many partnerships within the community strive to take an integrated and holistic approach to addressing many different challenges faced as a community. A clear focus by the Nation is on continual capacity building and Nation building.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

One goal is to secure funds from Changemakers as well as collaborate with other local agencies to assist in the hosting of this project, so for example, approching the Elder's Advisory Group in designing the project outline based on seasonal food harvesting. Approach both the local fishermen and the local fisheries department in use of boats and trained boat personnel to take groups out fishing, seaweek picking, clam digging etc. Partner with the youth programs within the community to build a team of mentors to participate in the first year of the project (seucuring the support and secondment from their respective Program Directors and/or board of directors) Overall the idea would be to collaborate and attain funding from local agencies and enties for annual funding for the project.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

With collaboration amoung local agencies, we have multiple buildings that we could host various types of gatherings, such as the local gym, school classrooms, multipurpose building, youth centre, common rooms, tribal council chambers and so on. As for equipment and certified personnel, we have a wealth of fishermen, skippers, boat owners, various programs such as local Fisheries program, department of fisheries and oceans, and a great source of volunteers. As a community we are farily resoucesful at pulling together resources to make things happen, the trick has been putting it on paper and secuing start up funds to get the project going. This project is one that would build great relations at many levels in the community.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

No (skip next two questions)

Footprints to Technology

Created on 11/10/2011 by chadl

About You

http://www.footprintstotechnology.com

About You

First Name

Chad

Last Name

Leaman

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

chadl

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Footprints to Technology

Website

Country

Canada, BC

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000160216504

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations people.

What best describes your group or organization

Non-profit organization.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Footprints to Technology

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Tell us the story of your idea or project
“The single most effective intervention that could improve the employment prospects of persons with disability would be the availability of a personal computer and access to the Internet.”
- Where the River Flows: Aboriginals with Disabilities. A Literature Review: A Focus on Employment. HRSDC. Oct. 2006
Since 2006 the Footprints centre has been a gathering place for Penticton Indian Band members with disabilities, providing holistic and proven successful programs. The Centre is home to the youth centre upstairs and the Elder/People with Disabilities – Footprints Centre downstairs.
In continued partnership with Neil Squire Society, the Footprints Centre developed an online, 12 week Employ Ability curriculum which was customized for Aboriginal students with disabilities. In a small class room environment with individual supports, students learn how to use an online learning platform and a computer including: Microsoft Office 2010 (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), internet, digital media and email. Students complete a resume, personal budget using excel and a graduating presentation in power point which serves as an action plan for future goals.
The instruction is available online and connected to other sites. Course content is available for review anytime via recorded and archived class sessions and all other materials are web based for access anywhere any time. On site individual and group sessions assist with integration and enhanced comprehension of materials.
Each student is provided with an individual assessment for adaptive technology needed to accommodate their disability. This would include an ergonomic workstation assessment along with technical aids or software needed to use the computer. Examples would be raised workstations, armrests, footrests, software for word prediction/typing, voice input trackball mouse, anti-glare filters and many more. Any tools they use to overcome barriers in using a computer go with the student so they can continue to move forward.
During the three year contract, over 160 people with disabilities met goals to find part-time or fulltime work, to further training or start volunteering. This was very successful against an initial goal of reaching 90.
The next phase of developing services was in partnership with the Neil Squire Society and supplemental funds from Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance (Ministry of Social Development). The consumers of the Employ-Ability program had been requesting additional services for support, feeling that they had begun with the Employ-Ability program but needed ongoing programs.
The Community Navigator program was developed as peer mentoring program for Aboriginal adults with disabilities. Training and manuals were developed, piloted and augmented with the program “Gift of Self Esteem”. The peer mentoring training was promoted and offered throughout the Okanagan Nation. Programs have been run and we have also exceeded contract goals for numbers of people accessing the program. Seventeen Community Navigators have been trained; ten people have received training from the PIB community.
Upon completion of training the Navigators meet twice per month for support, debriefing and reporting. This time is also for educational learning circles, learning field trips planning future goals and participation in annual program evaluations.
Since 2008, 170 events and promotions such as learning circles/mini workshops on stress, FASD, advocacy etc., tours of the facility, open houses, community workshops, display booths at career fairs or health fairs, presentations to other agencies or groups, etc. The Community Navigators mentors have participated in 79 events between 2008 – December 2010 which excludes the regular bi-monthly meetings.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

Through skills development, increase the self-esteem of Aboriginals with Disabilities, so they can become more included and engaged members of society.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Established (it has been running for a while, has grown and know it is making a difference)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Recently, we recorded and posted a short online video “What does Footprints centre mean to you?” where past participants could talk about the value of the programming in their personal lives. http://www.youtube.com/user/NeilSquireSociety#p/u/3/ZUhmV8F3_Xg
The majority of our Employ-Ability participants move onto part-time, full-time, or self-employment; return to school, or begin volunteering. Most of these participants have been out of the workforce for more than 3 years, so our programming provides a vital link to further engagement and active participation in the community .
Graduates of the program receive a free computer from our partnership with the Neil Squire Society. To date, we've put more than 80 computers into the hands of our graduates.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

To sustain the unique suite of services offered at the Footprints Center, and scale delivery to reach Bands in the area.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

Given our trends, over 5 years we would serve another 200 Aboriginal people with disabilities at the Footprints Center, with over 40% of them moving onto employment, education, or volunteerism. ALl of these individuals, that don't already own a computer, would be provided with a refurbished computer. Any tools they need to overcome their disability when accessing a computer would be provided to them, eliminating barriers to digitial inclusion. The Employ-Ability program would continue to assist in Career Development and Wellness / healing, with the Community Navigator program providing ongoing support and engagement.

Sustainability

http://www.facebook.com/AllyMarieK

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Our primary partner is the Neil Squire Society. They provide funding support, as well as deliver much of the Employ-Abiltiy curriculum through their online classroom. They also provide refurbished computers for our clients, and one-on-one volunteer tutors for people that need more assistance in learning basic computer skills.

We also have a local advisory committee to ensure the program continues meet the needs of the community. The partners on this committee include other local Indian Bands, partner staff, past graduates, district community resource centers, and other employment agencies.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

We would like to continue to share our resources and successes with other Bands, both local and elsewhere, to allow this successful model to empower other peopel in other communities through healing, wellness, and skills development.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Volunteers are used as one-on-one computer tutors.
We have recently updated all of our computer equipment, however the infrastructure costs of rent / space, photocopying, printing, phone etc are a difficult thing to keep funded.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

mEduText: SMS Learning Communities to Improve the Quality of Healthcare in Rural Africa

Created on 11/8/2011 by Allykrupar

mEduText builds communities of rural health workers in Africa through SMS texts to share knowledge, improve clinical practice and save lives.

About You

Organization: The Infectious Disease Institute Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Allyson

Last Name

Krupar

Akrupar@idi.co.ug

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/#!/AllyKrupar

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

The Infectious Disease Institute

Organization Website

http://www.idi-makerere.com/

Organization Country

Uganda, KMP, Kampala

Country where this project is creating social impact

Uganda, KMP, Kampala

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Has the organization received awards or honors? Please tell us about them

The African Network for Drugs and Diagnostics Innovation (ANDI) Center of Excellence Award in October 2011. ANDI is a research network established with the mission to promote and sustain African-led health product innovation to address African public health needs through the assembly of research networks and building of capacity to support human and economic development.

References - Please provide two references with a two-sentence biography, email address, and phone number for each

Dr. Alex Godwin Coutinho MBChB, MSc, and MPH, is IDI’s Executive Director and was formerly the Executive Director at The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Uganda. He is currently Chairman of the Global Board of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and has extensive experience in prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS across Uganda; and especially in the community setting. acoutinho@idi.co.ug, +256(0)414307201

Dr. Christine Kihembo is a dynamic, goal oriented and well organized medical doctor trained in international public health, registered with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council with extensive experience, training and skill in HIV/AIDS care, training, research and service delivery in developing settings. She is the manager of the AIDS Treatment and Information Center and Learning Innovations Center at IDI. ckihembo@idi.co.ug, +256(0)414307227.

The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..

Innovation

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for less than a year

Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two

Cost.

The Need: What problem are you trying to solve?

Rural health workers cannot access knowledge about the newest lifesaving methods for the care, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths each year worldwide. One example is the case of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT). Without intervention, the risk of HIV transmission from mother to child is 20-45%. This risk can be reduced to below 2% using Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Rural health workers, particularly midlevel cadres such as nurses and clinical officers, do not adequately use ART for PMTCT due to a lack of training either because they do not have the resources to attend training or because their facilities do not have enough personnel to support them leaving for training. mEduText addresses this need.

The Solution: What is your solution? Be specific!

Using available technologies like basic mobile phones, IDI disseminates lifesaving post training information to distant rural healthcare workers in Uganda and Africa that increases knowledge retention and improves clinical practice in the care and prevention of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria management. Post-training support and trainer-trainee interaction improves national indicator performance across disciplines in medical care. mEduText is a community of healthcare workers from IDI trainings that (1) supports current trainees, (2) expands access to training materials to other staff of facilities represented in trainings and (3) creates a collaborative learning community of healthcare workers in Uganda that is replicable in sub-Saharan Africa who can turn to each other for information and support. Participants receive mobile messages about the newest development in their fields, encourage colleagues to subscribe, and join learning community groups to share their expertise.

The Model: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference; include your primary activities

MEduText sends SMS reminders and quiz questions to IDI trainees based on training objectives. After 12 weeks of SMS targeting IDI training alumni, a team from IDI visits each facility to assess the project outcomes and encourages other healthcare workers to subscribe to mEduText. At this point, participants subscribe to different subjects such as “Laboratory Methods and Best Practices (LAB),” “Paediatric HIV Care and Management (PAED),” and/or the “Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS (PMTCT).” These participants text in their key word (LAB) and are automatically subscribed to a listserv of lab technicians and trainers throughout Uganda. After a preliminary 12 weeks of receiving SMS and responding to questions from the IDI Learning Hub, participants are encouraged to send messages and questions to the entire group as they proceed in their work. The model supports continued medical training while minimizing the costs and time constraints of traditional onsite training. MEduText began with 4 week-long courses in Paediatric ART Management. Participants began to receive messages from IDI on January 30. After 6 weeks, they will be assessed regarding knowledge retention and clinical practice, based off of national indicators and a baseline assessment performed January 23rd to February 3rd. They will also be asked to contribute their views of mEduText learning. After 12 weeks, a final assessment will establish the most effective and appropriate mobile education project to expand to health workers throughout Uganda and replicate throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

The Marketplace: Who are your peers and competitors? Identify others also working to address the needs you are and what differentiates you from them. What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

Our peers in sub-Saharan Africa recognize the potential of mobile phones in promotion of quality healthcare; specifically, Grameen Foundation, D-Tree International, AMREF, FHI360, Partner’s in Health, Dimagi and IntraHealth, among others. Only FHI360’s Satellife program focuses on levels of health workers other than Community Health Workers (CHWs) and most of our competitors in training, such as Satellife and eMocha, rely on PDAs or smart phones. mEduText is distinctly collaborative and emphasizes basic phones. Competitors pose challenges to mEduText’s growth; specifically concurrent training, language barriers, and funding competition among donors and health workers themselves, but challenges in the mobile health and mobile learning communities are lessons learned for mEduText expansion.

This Entry is about (Issues)

Social Impact

Founding Story: We want to hear about your "Aha!" moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution's potential to change the world.

In 2008, IDI recognized the potential of eLearning for rural health workers. The results of the initial eLearning training on pharmaceutical management showed that the use of mobiles could significantly improve clinical practice whereas online learning tools were difficult to access and less effective. In 2011, the distance learning team found that 94% of a random sample of IDI trainees have access to a phone and 96% of those were interested in using their phone to improve their clinical practice. With this community feedback, IDI redirected towards an integrated model that uses both mobiles and computer based learning. mEduText in the Paediatric ART Management training currently underway promotes an integrated model as participants are overwhelmingly eager to receive SMS messages but feel that they lack the experience to replace mentorship with computer based learning. Using basic mobile phones, mEduText has the potential to improve clinical practice of rural health workers worldwide.

Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve

The goal of mEduText is to reduce mortality and morbidity related to HIV, Tuberculosis, Malaria and other infectious diseases by improving the quality of care through capacity building, training and post-training support of rural healthcare workers. mEduText builds communities, empowers healthcare workers, and recognizes expertise by creating SMS networks over distances to ensure updated and consistent care. Through participatory development, IDI will design and implement the most effective SMS learning communities with rural healthcare workers using technologies available to healthcare workers throughout the region. The proposed intervention will build capacity of IDI as well as produce mobile learning communities that can expand to other institutions, subject areas and interventions.

What has been the impact of your solution to date?

mEduText has begun outreach to participants in the Paediatric ART Management course using daily SMS reminders and weekly quiz questions. The first group of trainees in the mEduText program have a 50% response rate after the first week of SMS quiz questions and have received daily SMS messages and weekly quiz questions since January 30, 2012. These participants will help develop the mEduText platform for future expansion to other content areas and to build an interactive community. The AIDS Treatment and Information Center is also currently supporting health workers via a toll free call in center with an average 800 users annually which will be an initial source of participants for mEduText expansion. While results are preliminary, a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices assessment conducted by IDI since October 2011 of trainees throughout programming has yielded positive support of a mobile learning platform.

What is your projected impact over the next five years?

Following the Paediatric ART Management course, participants will have improved their knowledge and practice by at least 75% compliance with national indicators from the baseline to the final assessment. By the end of 1 year IDI will deploy mEduText in 6 trainings and build a network of health workers in Uganda that is replicable across borders. IDI has the capacity to run 128 week long trainings a year, reaching at least 10,000 health workers in 5 years. mEduText can supplement each of these trainings and grow to include healthcare workers not trained in IDI trainings but subscribed to a community. Within Africa in 5 years, mEduText can reach 30,000 health workers focusing on best practices in the care, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, partnering with local organizations.

What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

Health workers in the pilot may attend concurrent trainings resulting in difficulties ascertaining what changes in clinical practice relate to mEduText. In order to properly assess mEduText’s impact, trainees in the pilot will be asked at every evaluation about their involvement in other training. There are also structural barriers to success such as the availability of medication, electricity outages, telecommunication network coverage, weather and road conditions. mEduText responds to these structural problems, relying on SMS which arrive on phones when they are charged and providing a week to respond to SMS questions. mEduText learning communities supports health workers encountering stockouts and other institutional barriers to quality care by providing a forum to brainstorm solutions.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

At six month, mEduText is implemented in at least 3 trainings and expanded to a community of 1,200.

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone

Task 1

Successful completion of pilot

Task 2

Identified and implemented best tools for post training support and evaluation

Task 3

Built SMS content and groups for 2 new content areas

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

mEduText is implemented in 6 trainings with 2400 subscribers in at least 3 subjects, including Paediatric ART Management

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone

Task 1

Build SMS content and network for 3 new content areas in addition to 3 from 6-month milestone

Task 2

Analysis of mEduText impact across regions, gender and cadre, including site visits whenever possible

Task 3

Completion of 6 rounds of mEduText, including on site training and 5 year plan.

Sustainability

Tell us about your partnerships

IDI partners with several organizations for the Distance Learning program that houses mEduText, including Global Health Corps, the Regional AIDS Training Network and the Accordia Foundation. IDI is currently seeking a partnership with Ashoka Changemakers, the Uganda Communications Commission, the Uganda Ministry of Health, and the Intel Foundation, among others, for future development of the Distance Learning Program. IDI’s training partners locally include Inter-Religious CU, the Ministry of Health and the Kampala City Council, Stop Malaria Project, BD, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?

IDI has proposed to reach populations of rural healthcare workers focusing particularly on the PMTCT of HIV/AIDS, Paediatric HIV/AIDS care and Advanced Anti-retroviral Management in order to enhance the adherence to new WHO regulations on these topics as well as to reach particularly vulnerable populations of people living with HIV/AIDS. IDI is also approaching telecom and computer markets to promote information and communication technology use and literacy throughout rural sub-Saharan Africa in relation to the care, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.

What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?

The training department at IDI is committed to providing the most effective and lifesaving training and information to rural healthcare workers throughout sub-Saharan Africa concerning the care, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This dedication and the known obstacles of access to and continuation of onsite training throughout the region, in particularly in rural areas, foster an attitude of innovation and acceptance of new tools to expand training among target beneficiaries. IDI’s organizational structure itself, with automated transparent audits in line with international standards, a robust grants management system, and independent organizational board of directors provide checks and balances for successful implementation of mEduText.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list

With minimal investment from granting agencies, IDI can create a network of learning communities to supplement training and stand alone. mEduText requires marketing to reach rural healthcare workers across borders. Organizational collaborates and partners in the health and mobile health field worldwide can use and grow mEduText to further their own training or enroll health workers.

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Saskatchewan e-Scholars

Created on 11/2/2011 by Saskatchewan e-Scholars

Our group of four undergraduates created an online website and members-only portal for youth entrepreneurs, specifically children and young adults of Saskatchewan, but easily scaled to serve youth of other provinces in Canada. All our resources and members-only e-Academy for e-Scholars are accessible to anyone, including parents of future entrepreneurs. We also offer a free certificate in youth entrepreneurship to encourage children and young adults in feeling qualified to launch a start-up.

About You

http://saskatchewanescholars.webs.com

About You

First Name

David - Ashley - Hong - Shelly

Last Name

Aggies

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

Saskatchewan e-Scholars

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Texas A&M University ARCH 458 - Group 5

Website

Country

United States, TX, Brazos County

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

@TAMU

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/tamu

Youtube URL

http://www.youtube.com/tamu

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people, Other.

What best describes your group or organization

University, Technical Institute or College.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Saskatchewan e-Scholars

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Our idea came to us during a group session in the campus library. We were prompted to enter the competition when Professor Rodney Hill assigned a project to our class that gave us the option of entering an online, international, social entrepreneurship competition; and creating a project to promote global cultural understanding and social change. We think our website accomplished both of those objectives as part of the assignment.

When we learned about changemakers, we designed our project to serve Aboriginal youth from Canada. Because we only had four days to do our project, our focus is on the province of Saskatchewan-- but our website can be easily expanded to serve other provinces and populations, as well as other countries. We were especially pleased to find that Saskatchewan participated in Lemonade Day last year. Mays Business School sponsored Lemonade Day, held for the first time earlier this year.

We had a lot of fun and learned a lot. One of the issues we had to address was what happens if children and young adults do not have internet access. We have visited with an applications developer from Canada to adapt this website into a phone app. Our group includes an engineering major, a finance major, a marketing major and an architecture major so we welcome his expertise.

In Professor Hill's class, we learned from Tim Peters '82 (a recent speaker who headed Dell's Global Imaging Division in Singapore) that most people in Asia and emerging countries get 70% of their data via Smart Phones. Our professors at A&M are fond of saying, "The world is flat". This basically means we are all connected globally by technology.

For youth in Canada whom lack access to the Internet, we hope they have access to a Smart Phone. If not, there may be public resources available to them. Should we win this competition and our project be implemented, one approach is to partner with Dell -- a friend to Texas A&M University -- and work with Canada's school system to maybe install a netbook kiosk on campus, sponsored by Dell, so students may access the Internet (provided the school has access.) This may not work for all youth, but we hope to reach as many youth as possible.

The youth to be involved in the certificate program would simply log in, create a short and easy profile, then proceed to watch a series of fun, simple video lessons. They can do this anonymously, but must use their real names if they want personalized certificates. At the end of each video, there is a brief Q&A of 4-5 questions. If a student misses an answer, they are prompted with an opportunity to review the video summary in text form and then given a chance to choose the correct answer. The Q&A or quiz is multiple choice and can be repeated as often as necessary until the student is able to complete all of the questions correctly. The idea is not to over-complicate the process of recognizing youth for taking the initiative to participate in our certificate.

“The ideal country in a flat world is the one with no natural resources, because countries with no natural resources tend to dig inside themselves. They try to tap the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity, and intelligence of their own people -- men and women -- rather than drill an oil well.”
― Thomas L. Friedman, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

Our project is a website with resources for youth entrepreneurs in Canada, plus a members-only portal for education and certification in youth entrepreneurship.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (the project is up and running and is starting to move forward)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Our project makes it easy for Aboriginal children and young adults to access age-appropriate information about youth entrepreneurship in Canada.

Our website (http://saskatchewanescholars.webs.com) provides simple instruction in an e-Academy format for e-Scholars to become certified youth entrepreneurs. We believe that official recognition as a youth entrepreneur helps students feel self-sufficient and may encourage them to become active and successful entrepreneurs. Our e-curriculum consists of a series of self-help videos which communicate steps to getting started in small business.

We use First Nations, Metis and Inuit professionals for audio/visuals-- as well as other nationalities since our videos have a global focus on social entrepreneurship. This format is easily expandable.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

Short-term goal: to help Aboriginal youth in Canada be self-sufficient; long-term: promote social entrepreneurship globally.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

We sincerely hope to inspire many youth entrepreneurs in Canada and would be pleased if our portal served as a model platform for similar websites in other countries. Entrepreneurship and education are the answers to the world's problems.

In five years, maybe young e-Scholars whom are official, certified Youth Entrepreneurs as a result of our e-Academy will start something that saves the world from famine, disease, war and poverty. Finding a way to get started is what we offer with our website in an easy to understand and user-friendly format.

Too much of the web content available to youth entrepreneurs is not age-appropriate and well-hidden in deep-web pdf files or governmental websites. We chose the best resources we could find to get Canadian youth entrepreneurs started today!

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

We are a group of undergraduates of varying ages and from various countries with different majors and interests. Because we are all Aggies first, we work well together. We bring different perspectives and experiences, as well as different skill sets and ideas. It is important in life and in business to collaborate for the best results and for maximum sustainability!

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

Dr. Rodney Hill is very important to us as as a mentor and as our professor. We love Dr. Hill!

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

Our project is virtual and our labor is volunteer, so there are no costs involved. We do not need donations, space or equipment. Time is the only critical factor in maintaining the website and keeping it current. The website is self-sustaining and needs minimal maintenance. The expenses for e-certificates are passed to users who download and print these at their cost.

If we are successful in winning a prize in this competition, we intend to share the prize with two programs at Texas A&M University. The first program is an endowed chair in the College Architecture that honors Professor Rodney Hill. The second program is a scholarship at Texas A&M University for a student of the First Nations, Metis or Inuit populations and/or for a student whose home residence is Saskatchewan, Canada.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

No (skip next two questions)

Proud Reunions

Created on 11/2/2011 by stephtalsma

About You

About You

First Name

Stephanie

Last Name

Talsma

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

Proud Reunions

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Proud Reuinions

Website

Country

Canada

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002502536916

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

Inuit people.

What best describes your group or organization

Other.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Proud Reunions

Tell us the story of your idea or project

Proud Reunions Leadership Training and Summer Camp was created to offer Inuit students in Inukjuak, Quebec with an educational and cultural summer program. Proud Reunions is facilitated by former elementary and secondary school teachers, community members and elders. Students and teachers rarely have the opportuntity to reunite once the teacher leaves the community. Proud Reunions provides previous Kativik School Board teachers with the opportunity to travel to the North to reunite with the community and their former students.
Proud Reunions Leadership Training and Summer Camp activites are based on four themes: 1) Teamwork, 2) Problem-Solving, 3) Leadership and 4) Self-Esteem. Each day the program activities focus on a different theme. The mornings are spent in an educational and active learning environment and each afternoon and evening these skills are applied in a culturally relevant and meaningful way 'on the land', during nature hikes, camping excursions with community members and elders, at the community pool or through games and play.
Proud Reunions is split into 2 weeks:
Week 1 - Leadership Training:
During this week, youth aged 14 and up participate in games and activities surrounding the four themes and designed to develop personal and social skills. The youth are trained for immediate employment the following week where they co-facilitate the Summer Camp activities for local children.
Week 2- Summer Camp:
During this second week, children aged 8-13 years participtate in games and activities surrounding the four themes. The program activities are designed to develop personal and social skills. The Summer Camp is facilitated by former teachers and local community youth who, received training the week before in the Leadership Training.
Proud Reunions has the potential to positivley impact Inuit youth and children. The youth develop skills and immediately have the opportiuntity to put these skills into action. The youth act as positive role models for the children. The programs activities are enjoyable and allow for positive interactions between youth childre and community. The reunions between the participants and their former teachers allows positive relationships to continue.
The projects receive continued community support each year.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

A collaborative, community-based effort reuniting community members, teachers and students through culturally relevant learning experiences for youth.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (the project is up and running and is starting to move forward)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Proud Reunions games and activities focus on social responsibility through the 4 themes: teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and self-esteem. The environment is safe where participants engage in meaningful and culturally relevant learning experiences with the community, teachers and peers.
Proud Renions prepares the youth for immediate employment with the Summer Camp where they will act as role models for the younger children. During Summer Camp the community youth will partner with a returning teacher or community member to co-faciliate activities as a Team Leader, prepare camper meals as Kitchen Staff or prepare and gather appropriate resources for camp activities as Equipment Managers.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

To create a sustainable program model for the continuance of Proud Reunions.

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

Through community collaboration youth will continue to participate in programming that is culturally specific, relevant and meaningful; children and youth will continue to have experiences that will help them to contribute positively to their communities. There will be youth and children who have participated and learnt from the project and will be leading it themselves.

Sustainability

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Town of Kangiqsujuaq - Mary Pilurtuut, Mayor (community support - collaboration)
Makivik Corporation - Ungaluk Program, Air Inuit(program funding)
Kativik Regional Government - Health & Social Services Division & Brighter Futures Program (funding)
Kativik Regional Government - Employment and Training Division (funding for youth salaries)
Nunaturlik Landholding Corporation - program resources (ie. mountain bikes and kayak equipment rental donations)
Kativik School Board (KSB) & Arsaniq School- facility and resources
Marion James - KSB teacher residing in Kangiqsujuaq (community collaboration & project staff)
Evie Mark - Program Consultant (cultural activities)
Kangiqsujuak Cooperative Store - food donations for camp participants
Former KSB teachers

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

We will continue to reach out to different former KSB teachers each summer to provide this unique opportunity to reunite with the community. We will continue to seek out new contacts and resources in Nunavik to provide the participants with the most meaningful and relevant learning experiences possible. We will continue to work with elders and community members who provide the program with guidance and serve as valuable members of the facilitation staff.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

The project relies heavily on community support from local businesses and people such as elders or expereinced guides to share their expereinces,expertise and time with the participants. They are integral to the success of the program.
Arsaniq School donates the use of the space and many learning resources, which is necessary part of our program.
The Breakfast Club program and Arsaniq School generously donate cereal, milk and juice so that we can provide a healthy start to each day.
The community youth who train with us and then co-facilitate summer camp activities make up a vital portion of our staff.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

No (skip next two questions)

Vancouver School Board Snowboarding Team

Created on 10/26/2011 by katiekay

About You

About You

First Name

Renee

Last Name

Diemert

Confirm a user name that will be displayed publicly to identify your entry

VSB

About You, Your Group, or Your Organization

Name

Vancouver Board of Education

Website

http://www.vsb.bc.ca

Country

Canada, BC

Please confirm that this project could benefit First Nations, Métis and Inuit Peoples

Yes

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

Youtube URL

What categories best describe who your group or organization serves (check all that apply)

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people.

What best describes your group or organization

Elementary or Secondary school.

How long have you, your group, or your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Name Your Project.

Vancouver School Board Snowboarding Team

Tell us the story of your idea or project

In partnership with Cypress Mountain, the First Nations Snowboarding Team and the Vancouver School Board, we want to offer a recreation snowboarding opportunity to 16 Aboriginal students in the Vancouver school district. The students will be provided with snowboarding gear, transportation up to Cypress and back, seasons pass for Cypress, and a certified instructor to provide lessons. Older students will have the opportunity to go through a coach seminar and then assist with coaching and mentoring the other students. Those students who participate in the coaching seminar will be able to receive work experience credits that go towards their high school graduation credits. The students will also film the team from the start of the season until the end of the season and create a documentary to track their progress and for promotional purposes. http://www.fnriders.com/.

Define your idea / project in 1-2 short sentences

To provide leadership and mentoring opportunities, mastery of new skills, connections in the community,and promoting life long engagement in winter sport.

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a project that is just getting started)

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please tell us about the social impact of your idea or proect

Students will develop skills to mentor and coach younger students while gaining valuable work experience and working towards a career path. The students will act as role models and promote the importance of staying in school and living a positive healthy life style.
This program will allow high school students to have work experience through coaching and mentoring at Cypress as well as create opportunities and bridging programs into Capilano University's Wilderness Leadership Certificate program as well as the Outdoor Recreation Program.

Your Future Goal(s): Tell us what you hope to achieve with your idea or project in the next year

Provide students with new skills, exposure to various career paths, leadership opportunities for students to film a documentary

In 5 years, what will be different as a result of your idea/project?

Many Aboriginal students going through the recreation program and mentoring and/or coaching other students. Some students may become very competitive and enter national and international competitions and being positive Aboriginal role modes. Students choosing a healthy life style and career path in winter sport, which will encourage students to stay in school and graduate. Staying free from drugs and alcohol. Encourage students in film through continuing to create documentaries from an Aboriginal perspective for media purposes, educational tools, personal growth, and for a promotional videos.

Sustainability

http://www.facebook.com/abrale

Tell us about the people/ partnerships that are already involved and why they are important to your idea or project.

Cypress Mountain is one of the local mountains in the lower mainland that was utilized during the 2010 Olympics. Many youth were inspired to see the snowboarding during the Olympics. However, snowboarding is expensive due to the cost of gear, lift tickets, clothing, lessons, and transportation. As a result, many families are unable to take advantage of the world class facility due to costs and transportation.
The BC Snowboard Association has developed the First Nations Snowboarding Team to offer youth the opportunity to learn the sport, develop team working skills and an opportunity to compete nationally and internationally. The Vancouver School Board has many students from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit heritage that have never had the opportunity to go to Cypress or snowboard.

If there are other people/partners that you will reach out to tell us who they are and why they will be important to your idea or project.

We would like to invite the media to have them do a story about our snowboarding team and provide mentoring to our students with filming and tips on how to create innovate documentaries for promotional use, progress reports, work experience opportunities, and career networking opportunities in film and the media.

Describe the kinds of support you receive (other than money) or will need to support your idea or project (e.g.: donated, space, equipment and volunteers)

We will receive snowboarding gear such as snow boards, boots, helmets, and gloves from the First Nations Snowboarding Team. Cypress is providing one day a week passes for free. The Vancouver School Board has limited funds to offer the project but will be providing food and beverages to the participant. We will still need snowboarding jackets, pants, toques, and goggles for the participants which we will fund-raise for.

Do you currently have funding for your idea or project?

Yes (answer the next two questions)

NPO Connect

NPO Connect is a free online peer-mentoring platform for nonprofit professionals and volunteers.

The mission of NPO Connect is to build the capacity of the non-profit sector by enabling individuals working in the sector to connect, to learn from one another, and to build their skills as non-profit professionals or volunteers.

At NPO Connect, we envision a non-profit sector where individuals can more easily:
Share Best Practices (or just what works) in particular operational, management and development areas by mentoring peers seeking to improve in those areas;

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Alianza Latina

Created on 10/5/2011 by Patricia Avila

Some years ago it was identified that several groups of patients with hematologic diseases existed in Latin America. Aiming to join efforts, knowledge and talent to strengthen organizations and assure more relevant results around the world we created the project Aliança Latino-Americana de Organizações de Apoio a Pessoas Convivendo com Doenças do Sangue - Alianza Latina (Alianza Latina – Latin American Alliance of Support Organization for People with Blood Diseases).

About You

Organization: ABRALE - Associação Brasileira de Linfoma e Leucemia Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Carolina

Last Name

Cohen

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/abrale

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

ABRALE - Associação Brasileira de Linfoma e Leucemia

Organization Website

http://www.abrale.org.br

Organization Phone

+55 11 31495190

Organization Address

Rua Pamplona, 518 - 5º andar, Jardim Paulista - São Paulo

Organization Country

Brazil, SP

Country where this project is creating social impact

n/a

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Alianza Latina

What change do you want to bring to the world?

The network was founded in 2006 aiming to represent and educate support organization working with people with hematologic diseases in the continent. It works to all patients can have a better quality of life and the better treatment, one day. Today, 59 groups from 19 countries compose this alliance and it represents

What are the primary activities of your project?

Pursuing its mission of building capacity, promoting professionalization and cooperation among patient support organizations, the network of Alianza Latina promotes several activities such as:
• Annual forum for Latin-American organizations - that share the same ideals and that have similar missions – to receive management training, exchange information and share experience;
• Events of common interest among all the members;
• Trainings focused in improving management, capacity building and professionalization of member organizations;
• Participation in international and Latin-American events;
• Development of a Latin-America initiative of a hematology register to map the real needs of patients in the region;
• Identify new members aiming to represent all hematologic and onco-hematologic pathologies in all Latin American countries;
• Mentoring Program: a consultant visits member organizations to help them to develop or to improve their management and, more specifically, the fundraising skills of each organization;
• Monthly chat on subjects that interest the patient support groups allowing participants to clarify doubts with the best specialist in the field;
• Website - www.alianzalatinahemo.org - weekely updated with news and information on health and citizen sector;
 • Participation in social networks (facebook and twitter).

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

As Alianza Latina aims to represent and train organizations that offer support to people with hematologic and onco-hematologic diseases in the continent, it helps - in a sustainable way – groups to optimizes the activities they perform for their patients therefore contributing to achieve a future when all people with blood diseases can access a better quality of life and the better treatment available.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for more than 5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Alianza Latina aims to train and professionalize support organization working with people with hematologic diseases in Latin America as this region congregates developing countries with significant fragilities, especially in health.
According to PAHO – Pan-American Health Organization 200 million people lack access to health systems and hospital in the continent.
At the beginning of Alianza Latina, all the support organizations working with hematologic diseases in Latin America were mapped. These organizations received a project summary with an association form for the organizations interested in joining the network. At its launch the network involved 26 organizations from 15 Latin-American countries. By the end of 2010 there was 59 organizations from 17 Latin-American countries, Spain and USA.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Merula Steagall is graduated in Business (Pontifícia Universidade Católica) and she has a diploma in Administration for Third Sector Organizations (Fundação Getulio Vargas). She is president of ABRASTA (Thalassemia Brazilian Association) and ABRALE (Brazilian Association of Lymphoma and Leukemia). She also participated in the board of international organizations as Lymphoma Coalition, from England.
Merula actively participates for years in negotiations with the government to improve Brazilian health policies and mobilizes partners from the private sector to make available the best treatment for patients with thalassemia and blood cancers.
During the first four years of ABRALE, Merula noticed that Latin-American support organizations had little international power. This motivated the joint creation of a project to allow these organizations to increase this participation as a strategy to strengthen their action and representation through the replication of successful models and actions as well as training and capacity building.
As a result, it was created Alianza Latina that aims to optimize Latin-American NGOs management to support patients therefore contributing to improve treatments and the quality of life of people living with hematologic and onco-hematologic diseases in Latin America.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Results are monitored by research and quantitative reports regarding participation of the member organizations. The following success metrics are used:
• Implementation of theory and use of tools offered in Alianza Latina trainings;
• Number of participants in the Annual Forum; 
• Number of participants in monthly chats;
 • Implementation of priorities defined in the Mentoring;
 • Number of new members;
 • Proactivity and participation in activities promoted by Alianza Latina; 
• Changes/improvements in management of member organization: increase of fundraising, hiring of professionals, volunteer retention, development of strategic planning and budget, project implementation, development of patient register, among others;
• Website access report;
 • Participation in social networks.
 By analyzing such number, we can notice a growing number of member participating in the network, as well as a growing engagement and participation of the groups in proposed activities.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

More than 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

We hope to continue Alianza Latina’s activities by offering free services to members in order to improve their knowledge and access to management tools.

Task 1

Pursue Alianza Latina’s activities involving member in order to identify new challenges and needs.

Task 2

Perform new researches with members in order to measure efficiency and effectiveness of implemented projects.

Task 3

Optimize and boost activities aiming to increasingly involve all members

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

We intend to recycle and expand Alianza Latina thus amplifying it and implementing a virtual tool for controlling and evaluating member’s activities and attended classes.

Task 1

Writing new training projects for Alianza Latina’s members considering needs raised in researches and contacts.

Task 2

Creation of a virtual platform for controlling members’ participation and for evaluating members’ engagement and understanding of classes.

Task 3

Develop new researches with members to measure efficiency and effectiveness of implemented projects.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

In the next three years we expect Alianza Latina to grow its representativeness and efficiency, improving management processes of groups in the network in order to impact and modify reality of patients as well as of health systems of countries represented in Alianza Latina.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

Alianza Latina’s core is producing and publicizing information in order to train organization and people and communities, in consequence. So, the main challenge to faced is barriers to establish partnerships to support activities of the network both information exchange and its funding. Such challenges are faced by prior strategic planning involving stakeholders in advance so they can be aware of this project relevance and they can offer their support properly.

Tell us about your partnerships

The initiative and its concept are permeated by the idea of partnership as Alianza Latina is a network of non-for-profit organizations working to support people living with blood diseases in Latin America countries founded in 2006 aiming to train and promote cooperation among the groups.
In another level, the establishment of partnerships is fundamental to achieve the activities developed by the network, as it is necessary know-how and funds in they can be performed properly and in alignment to its mission.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$100,000‐250,000

Explain your selections

Alianza Latina’s project, funded in 2006, was conceived and developed by ABRALE (Brazilian Association of Lymphoma and Leukemia) with the mission of promoting training, professionalization and cooperation among patient support organizations in order to continuously improve the quality of life of people that live with blood diseases in Latin American. Alianza Latina’s present structure includes a Directive Comitee with 7 representatives from member organizations.
ABRALE is one of these directive organizations and helps significantly to raise funds and recruit talents to implement projects and actions of the network.
Thus we can say that Alianza Latina is sustained by human resources for several NGOs and by funds raised through donation of companies interested in the focused causes.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

Alianza Latina is an example of an extremely important project in the health sector as it promotes organizations training, empowering its activities and positively impacting thousands of patients. By providing information strategic information and fundraising we hope that in the long term organizations can improve their performance in the sector therefore financially strengthening themselves and the network. Additionally, we hope to strengthen the project economically by fostering awareness of actors and decision-makers in supporting production of knowledge and in attracting new funders.

Challenges

http://www.facebook.com/TRUTHAID

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Lack of access to targeted health information and education

SECONDARY

Lack of physical access to care/lack of facilities

TERTIARY

Health behavior change

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

As Alianza Latina is a network founded in order to represent and train non-for-profit organizations working to support people living with blood diseases in Latin America countries, it improves activities of members and in consequence impacts not only on the reality of patients but also on health systems of countries represented in Alianza Latina in order to increase access to information and facilities.
Additionally, the initiative provides a forum for debating and learning - in a sustainable and continuous way – for associations that share similar ideals and mission in Latin America. Therefore it contributes to their professionalization and, in consequence, to increase patients’ quality of life in Latin America.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

SECONDARY

Leveraged technology

TERTIARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

In the near future we intent to increase the number of Alianza Latina’s members as well as optimize its activities by using new information technologies in order to improve professionalization tools offered by the network to its members.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

Technology providers, NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

The initiative and its concept are permeated by the idea of partnership as Alianza Latina is a network of non-for-profit organizations working to support people living with blood diseases in Latin America countries founded in 2006 aiming to train and promote cooperation among NGOs.
In another level, the establishment of partnerships is fundamental to achieve the activities developed by the network, as it is necessary know-how and funds in they can be performed properly and in alignment to its mission.

Mainstreaming prevention in young black men

Created on 09/19/2011 by laceyas

About You

Organization: Truth Aid Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Lacey

Last Name

Schwartz

Twitter

twitter.com/truth_aid

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Truth Aid

Organization Website

www.truthaid.org

Organization Phone

646.678.5906

Organization Address

27 West 24th St. Suite 10D, New York, NY 10010

Organization Country

United States, NY, New York County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States, NY

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Mainstreaming prevention in young black men

What change do you want to bring to the world?

Prevention needs to be mainstreamed into the lives of young black men in order to take root. However, the social context that many young black men face make this goal particularly challenging. We would like to change this by empowering young black men to become more effective participants in their health and well-being. We will achieve this by providing an intensive summer preventive health program that uses a framework of resilience to strengthening their psychological and communicative resources alongside their critical thinking and problem solving skills as it relates to obstacles to health in their lives.

What are the primary activities of your project?

The Young Men's Health Leadership Institute is in its idea phase but it builds on lessons we have learned working with vulnerable youth in NYC public schools and Philadelphia community youth centers. The primary activity will be running a summer institute with a mentored internship component that helps them practice the skills they learn. More specifically that institute will training young men to: learn effective problem solving skills; enhance communication skills; improve health literacy; foster critical thinking about health; connect them to a wider social network of health supporters from the Truth Aid network; and strengthen their ability to mobilize personal and psychological resources in the face of adversity.
The overall goal is to help participants mobilize untapped personal, psychological, and communicative resources to use as a foundation for mainstreaming prevention in their lives.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

The exclusion that black men and boys experience from the mainstream of American life is a function of social context and a formidable challenge to prevention and wellness. This exclusion creates barriers that prevent young men from accessing resources and developing the necessary skills they need to lead healthy lives. This isolation is also compounded by disproportionate experiences with violence that leave some young men traumatized. For prevention to grow roots in this context it has to be radically different. Instead of brochures and individual counseling, it has to be tactile and holistic. It has to engage the senses, the mind, the body and the soul. The multimedia curriculum we use combined with mentorship and online network of peer support does just that. Participants literally feel the love. This is what makes our approach to prevention in this population so unique. Another innovation lies in applying the science of problem solving therapy to prevention and developing a language for "positive health" that builds on the lessons of positive psychology. Other programs and projects that target this particular group tend to focus on violence prevention as a a path to wellness instead of a more holistic frame that builds on resilience. Although we recognize that acknowledging violence is important and thinking through how to prevent it there is a great deal more to young black men's experiences that are just as important and integral to their health outcomes.

What stage is your project in?

Idea phase

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Our work to date has revealed that engaging communities that have disproportionate experiences with trauma, violence and adversity requires methods that go well beyond conventional. This is what we try to do. The youth we have worked with in the NYC school system have experiences with foster care, have been disconnected from school in the past, and come from communities where violence is an all too common reality. They are 78% of African American or Latino heritage, and ages 16-18.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Truth Aid was started by Dr. Mehret Mandefro during her internal medicine residency in the South Bronx as a means of raising awareness about the root causes of HIV in the African American community. Her research project in the South Bronx took her into the homes of her patients to learn about what often goes unsaid. During this work she realized that conversations about HIV prevention had to start with love, trust, identity, abuse, and support in order to make safe sex a reality. Her efforts to uncover this missing dialogue led to Truth Aid and a unique methodology that leverages media and technology to educate vulnerable populations about the social barriers they face. The organization has since expanded its focus beyond HIV/AIDS to include a host of social barriers to well being.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Our programs with youth have been mainstreamed into the curriculum of a number of well-established community health programs as well as universities. The most successful of which is targeted at college students. Dr. Mandefro was actually asked to join the faculty of the George Washington School of Public Health's Department of Health Policy to help turn the Truth Aid curriculum into the a year-round course. The class she teaches builds on the curriculum from the working with you and is called Health and Social Change. It is a required class taught year round for public health majors. The film that features her work is also being used by over 1000 educational institutions around the world and has been viewed online and on Showtime to an audience of over 7.3 million viewers.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Truth Aid has worked closely with college campuses from the its inception and has been building on this base. We will be releasing a film next year that will allows us to reach millions again.

Task 1

Hire and train facilitators to implement the curriculum.

Task 2

Finish designing the outreach guide to accompany the film we are releasing which is focused on race in America called Outside the Box.

Task 3

Host a series of community trainings to test the toolkit and outreach guide that has been developed.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

We plan to have the film Outside the Box in distribution in 12 months and will use that exposure to help implement Young Black Men Leadership Institutes across the country with our partners.

Task 1

Finish editing the film and raising finishing funds.

Task 2

Carefully tie the lessons from the toolkit into the curriculum of the leadership institute.

Task 3

Publish and package the toolkits that will allows other community health advocates to implement the same program.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

We will likely incorporate peer advocates that help facilitate the trainings and hopefully transition to a model that is strictly youth run.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

Recruitment in this population is a challenge for a host of reasons not least of which is the logistics of seeking approval to work with schools. In our experiences, building on the charter schools that are more open to letting new ideas in is the way to go. However, we have been successful in working in NYC public schools as well and will continue to build entry ways into the public school system.

Tell us about your partnerships

We are implementing this project in partnership with the Resilience Advocacy Project.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$50,001‐100,000

Explain your selections

We have been a volunteer organization for the past 2 years and are in the middle of our first fundraising campaign. We have raised $200,000 and plan to raise another $250,000 so that we can have full-time paid staff in charge of implementing our programs beginning Summer 2012. When Dr. Mandefro incorporated Truth Aid and obtained 501 c 3 status she was a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. As a RWJ Scholar, she obtained a grant for a pilot project that focused on communicating about health disparities called "Showing what is hard to tell". The money from this grant funded Truth Aid for its first two years.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

We plan on strengthening the project by recruiting talent. We would like to incorporate a component of the performing arts and have had great experiences working with actors who have the training to deliver information in a way that makes it easy for people with low levels of literacy to take it all in. Actors are great facilitators for health programs and we would like to target recruiting this population and training them. This will really strengthen the delivery of the content. We also plan to recruit an advisory board of individuals with specific expertise working with young black men to help inform our efforts along the way. Last but not least, we hope to produce content that can be packaged and delivered in ways that allow our model to be imported into locations that need this the most.

Challenges

http://www.facebook.com/info.sohip.org

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Restrictive cultural norms

SECONDARY

Health behavior change

TERTIARY

Incentives for unhealthy living

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Successful prevention requires combining behavioral intervention rooted in evidence-based science that targets the individual with interventions rooted in advocacy that target structures. This is a difficult balance for any one organization to achieve. However we have demonstrated success in helping bridge this gap by equipping vulnerable populations with the necessary skills to better navigate and effectively respond to environments that make prevention a challenge. In so doing, we help people mainstream prevention into their everyday lives. Our programs impact vulnerable communities by increasing the self-efficacy individuals have to successfully navigate the complexities of living in difficult circumstances characterized by lack of opportunity, poverty, and violence.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

SECONDARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

TERTIARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

We are concentrating on geographic reach right now. Our implementing partners, the Resilience Advocacy Project, has an established network in New York City that we are using to build upon. Our experience in NYC has been on an invite-only basis to date. But we would like to approach the local city officials about expanding efforts to a small number of schools.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

NGOs/Nonprofits, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

These collaboration help feed the intervention with human capital! There have been so many talented students at all levels that have devoted their time, energy, and smarts to helping run our programs or develop our content. We could not have existed as a volunteer organization with out them. They have taken our lessons and materials into classrooms, churches, community centers, and even prisons.

This innovation also has a Project Page where you can read more about its latest progress.
Go to Project: HOPE for Zambia - Holistic Community Development Resource Centers -Nutrition and Farm Project.

HOPE for Zambia - Holistic Community Development Resource Centers -Nutrition and Farm Project

Created on 09/19/2011 by SoHIP

About You

Organization: Seeds of Hope International Partnerships Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Christi

Last Name

Williams

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/Seeds_of_HopeIP/

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Seeds of Hope International Partnerships

Organization Website

http://www.sohip.org

Organization Phone

805.439.1489

Organization Address

1023 Nipomo St, Ste 110, San Luis Obispo, CA

Organization Country

United States, CA, San Luis Obispo County

Country where this project is creating social impact

Zambia, CB

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

HOPE for Zambia - Holistic Community Development Resource Centers -Nutrition and Farm Project

What change do you want to bring to the world?

In an effort to reverse the downward spiral of poverty and hopelessness in Zambia, the Hope for Zambia Project of establishing Holistic Community Development Resource Centers will give Zambians the education and experience necessary to improve their way of life now and for future generations. The goals of this program are to establish life changing skills and education including a controlled demonstration farm that will give students successful practical training for future community projects. This will empower Zambians to be successful by giving them additional tools in agricultural improvements, business development, and education (nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation). This will directly decrease the prevalence of water, sanitation and nutritional related diseases in their communities.

What are the primary activities of your project?

This program will enhance the existing Holistic community Development Resource Center that Seeds of Hope International Partnerships has already started in Ndola Zambia. We will begin training up to 40 people (every 6 months) on the 12 acres land we just leased next to our offices in the heart of Ndola. Specifically they will learn about soil building through composting, vermiculture. This will allow them to farm using little or no commercial fertilizers which is the highest input cost for these farmers. They will also learn about organic pest control, growing nutritious crops and skills all the way through marketing and adding value to their produce. This will be accomplished by establishing a controlled demonstration farm for training and research linked directly to the community. Daily tours and topic specific trainings will also be done throughout to all the vulnerable populations we already serve like orphan and vulnerable children and their parents, people living with HIV/AIDS, school children and Community Health Promoters. Building on the success of the Resource Center farm we will also demonstrate self-sustainable farming in communities and schools thus empowering Zambians to be successful by giving them additional tools in business development, agricultural improvements, and education (nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation); decrease the prevalence of cases of nutritionally related diseases.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

So many NGO's and non-profit groups come in to a community, do a single project and then leave. Our goal is to create holistic change by not only bringing clean water to a community, addressing sanitation and hygiene but to also include nutritional farming education and skills training. We will not only teach farming but will specifically address their needs for Water Sanitation and Hygiene knowledge and interventions for example, the Arbour loo pit latrine, the tippy tap for hand washing and the fly trap. We will also train on the need for good hygiene and sanitation when farming and marketing your produce. We will focus on growing nutritional crops to help the farmer as well as the community. We will also grow many African indigenous plants to ensure generations of success in the event of climate changes. During our training participants will cook on fuel efficient stoves and alternative fuels than the traditional charcoal. This type of holistic approach is what Africa needs to bring real change in their desperate situation. In the developing world food security is a major issue; 925 million people do not have enough food to eat, according to the World Food Program. In Zambia the benefits of adequate food supply and good nutrition extend far beyond the health of an individual, they impact the health of the entire community. By teaching improved farming methods, how to farm throughout the year and how to get better nutrition, these projects aim to create a sustainable way to help local communities improve their health while reducing the cost of food and medicines.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Zambia ranks in the lowest 10 percent of countries in the 2007/2008 Human Development Index rankings of the United Nations Development Program. Reasons include: up to 90 percent unemployment in some areas; 63 percent of children under five years of age suffer from iron and vitamin A deficiency; slash-and-burn cultivation continually strips nutrients from soil; and high consumption of nutrient poor maize.

Primitive agricultural techniques and limited understanding of basic nutrition are at the root of many of these problems. Many Zambians from the rural provinces have relocated to larger cities hoping to find jobs. Unable to find work they resort to living in slums and shanty towns, many try to survive on subsistence farming. By establishing this partnership and mentoring local farmers and students under the guidance of Seeds of Hope International Partnerships we believe that many of the impoverishing ailments can be reversed. Without improved agricultural techniques and nutrition training, Zambian farmers will be trapped in the hopelessness of unemployment, continued poor agriculture techniques, and harvesting of nutrient poor crops, resulting in the continued cycle of poverty. These poor shanty towns and the surrounding rural areas are the place that we have been working bringing clean water and hygiene and sanitation trainings. Through this we have created a strong network with teachers, government officials traditional leaders, religious leaders forming community health promoters that are given tools to teach their neighbors. This network is what we will use to bring this Agricultural, Nutrition and agriculture health training into the community. They have shown their strength and determination in our other programs and we will build successfully on that.

SHIP has been working in Zambia since 2003. In this short time, SHIP has grown and now employs 65 Zambian nationals and has equipped impoverished communities with interventions that bring health and hope. Since 2003 SHIP has

 provided safe water to more than 475,000 Zambians;
 repaired more than 400 broken water well hand pumps;
 drilled or overseen the drilling of 200 boreholes;
 built and installed more than 4,100 BioSand Filters (household water purification devices);
 helped rural communities to build more than 240 latrines in schools and villages;
 trained more than 22,000 people in Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation classes in 250 villages; and
 equipped more than 160 people with increased vocational or agricultural skills.

Throughout its hygiene and sanitation programs, SHIP has been pioneering a replicable model for holistic community development through the establishment of resource centers where Zambians and organizations come and receive training in the following:

 integrated water, hygiene and sanitation (iWASH);
 well drilling and pump repair;
 improved agriculture techniques (bucket and drip irrigation);
 small business development; and
 vocational skill development.

SHIP envisions the resource centers having an exponential impact in surrounding communities. It is anticipated that these resource centers will be established throughout all nine provinces in Zambia and eventually into other countries in Africa. The Ndola Resource Center has already established a second resource center in Lusaka and has trained various NGO’s and government leaders from Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe.

When SHIP plans a new program, it seeks to integrate appropriate stakeholders within the community in pursuit of building lasting infrastructure and success. Appropriate community stakeholders involved in the establishment of a SHIP program include government officials, teachers, churches, NGOs, and community leaders. The goal of each program and resource center is to mentor the poor with relevant knowledge, applicable technology, and hands-on experience, empowering them with skills necessary to initiate lasting change in their communities.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Kirk Schauer is the international director of Seeds of Hope International Partnerships. While part of a team visiting Zambia in 2003, Kirk was struck by the communities’ need on every level, but saw a way to begin by addressing safe water and hygiene. He and his wife, Denise, founded Seeds of Hope to empower Zambians to bring health and transformation to their communities. Prior to starting Seeds of Hope, Kirk served as Associate Pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Santa Maria, California for nine years. He and Denise have also spearheaded community development projects in Asia, facilitating vocational trainings for rehabilitating heroin addicts in Hong Kong, and laying the groundwork for training projects in Cambodia. As international director, Kirk engages with leaders in communities across Zambia, local and international non-governmental organizations, Rotary Clubs, businesses, and religious leaders to work together to bring lasting change. Under his leadership, Seeds of Hope began by training 9 community members in pump repair and basic hygiene training. They successfully took it to their community and repaired several broken wells. from that success he began to go back again and again strengthening the trainers and building strong partnerships with experts in various fields. Those small "seeds of Hope" have grown in 9 years to a staff of 65 Zambians that has brought clean water to approximately 475,000 people, is pioneering holistic community development interventions, and trains organizations from around the world to improve their water and hygiene projects.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Seeds of Hope has it's own team that performs monitoring evaluation and upgrading of all it's programs we feel that one of our strengths is to be able to learn and then adapt our programs for more success similar to what is used in successful businesses with research and development departments. This has helped us build a successful program in Water Sanitation and Hygiene. We have built strong community networks and
using a holistic approach we have seen cholera eliminated in they communities where we are working. compounds that were plagued by water problems now report that water is not an issue any more. Through a systematic approach we have seen disease decrease in the communities that we work in.

Regarding the larger Nutrition and Farm Project
Goal Summary - Reverse the downward cycle of poverty and hopelessness
Success Indicators - Increase in employment, decrease in prevalence in nutritional related disease
Means of Verification - Local health clinics and government statistics; interviews with students; photographs

Objectives 1
Summary - Increase agriculture and nutrition education to impoverished farmers through a replicable mentorship program
Success Indicators - “Grandfather model”—SHIP mentors a farmer (1), farmer(1) mentors another local farmer (2). Second farmer is successfully using new techniques and strategies mentoring others(3)
Means of Verification - Demonstration of new techniques in community farm; surveys of farmers; follow-up with students; interviews; photographs

Objectives 2
Summary - Decrease prevalence of new cases of nutrition-related disease and water born illnesses among poor and vulnerable populations
Success Indicators - Positive behavior change as a result of access and adoption of nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation education and practice
Means of Verification - Statistics of increase in crop yield, quality of produce, and crop diversity; Local health clinics and government statistics; interviews; photographs

Objectives 3
Summary - Increase economic opportunities for smallholder farmers and home gardeners
Success Indicators - Income generating and self-sustaining farms
Means of Verification - Farmers modeling business and marketing skills; surveys of farmers; follow-up with students; interviews; photographs

Objectives 4
Summary - Increase in SHIP infrastructure in community by continuing to work with community members and government officials
Success Indicators - Successful establishment of community farms among students and farmers
Means of Verification - Continued support of appropriate stakeholders in the communities; monitoring of behavior changes; surveys; testimonies

Objectives 5
Summary - Identify successful farmers in this program that can then teach and model this in the provinces
Success Indicators - Successful trainings and farming in the provinces
Means of Verification - Success stories and effect on those inside and outside of program.

Objectives 6
Summary - Create a model Agricultural Program that can be replicated and scalable throughout all nine provinces in Zambia
Success Indicators - Successful establishing of technical and scientific network that enables farmers to solve problems
Means of Verification - Success stories and effect on those inside and outside of program. Program paying for itself

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1,001-10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Milestone 1 - Positive behavior change as a result of access and adoption of farming, nutrition, hygiene, and sanitation practice
Milestone2 - Income generating and self-sustaining farms

Task 1

Identify 40 local farmers to begin training with an emphasis on women, orphans and vulnerable children

Task 2

Begin the Training of the farming curriculum including Organic farming; Nutrition; Crop rotation; Fertilizer use; Sustainability; Composting; Sales and Marketing;and Pest control

Task 3

Complete Hygiene, Sanitation and Nutritional training of 40 farmers and begin instruction in: Arbourloo, tippy tap (hand washing ), flytrap construction and benefits. Including nutritional crop use.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

We will have created implemented & reviewed our training in Farming, Hygiene and Nutrition and be able to replicate it again at the Resource Center and other locations in schools and the communities.

Task 1

Successfully complete 4 seasons of crops, Create Curriculum, successfully train community members, monitor, evaluate and upgrade our training twice (6months) in Agriculture Hygiene & Nutrition

Task 2

Provide 80 farmers with training and tools to begin their own farms. help develop the next step for these farmers by monitoring lessons learned and challenges. help them begin on their own farms.

Task 3

Evaluate the profitability of this model and adapt the plan for sustainability. Make a full review with the focus of making this program scalable or duplicated in other areas.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

At the end of 3 years there will be multiple training centers throughout Zambia and Africa that are trained in using our materials. We will use our existing network where we have already been training organizations in water hygiene and sanitation. We will have built on existing connections with colleges and Universities to welcome their interns to help solidify the things we have learned and help to make our successes grow beyond ourselves into other areas of need. The campus for training will not just be our resource center, but will evolve from the initial successes to be trainings centers in schools and communities.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

As with any farming project nature can be a benefit but also a hindrance. Zambia can have abnormally wet years and abnormally dry years. In anticipation of abnormally dry years, Seeds of Hope has developed a Rainwater Harvesting program. All farming students will participate in the Rain Harvesting classes

This program strives to be sustainable in the long term and ultimately self-supporting, with a healthy balance between economic, social, and environmental demands.

HOPE for Zambia also strives to help promote sustainable income streams and health practices at the household-community level. Simple increases in labor efficiencies and small, low-tech innovations such as the treadle irrigation pump can dramatically improve the labor requirements for everyday tasks at the farm.

Partnership representatives will work to ensure that the program is sustainable on an institutional level. The following four components of the plan for financial sustainability each contribute to the economic health of the Resource Center:
• SHIP has 13 acres of fertile land with an abundance of water and is in the process of developing a commercial farming operation. The goal is to increase production by reinvesting farm revenue and eventually generate 25% of operating costs
• 30% of produce grown by smallholder farmers working the farm plots will be returned to the program as an investment in the viability of the farm venture
• While continuing to serve those students most in need, SHIP will also seek to provide classes offering expanded education in sustainable farming for a fee. It is anticipated that this source of revenue will increase to approximately 10% of the SHIP operating budget by 2015.
• As SHIP develops the capacity to raise operating funds in Zambia, it is anticipated that the SHIP-US contribution for operations will decrease. SHIP-US will then focus more on raising capital to complete the resource center and to establish an endowment for the ongoing support of the Seeds of Hope International.

Tell us about your partnerships

Partnership is so important to us and our success that we put it in our name!
some of our partners are listed below, but their are many organizations churches and individuals that have helped us be successful.
Blood:Water Mission, Nashville Tennessee (2007-11)
Jars of Clay (2007-11)
CAWST (Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology), Calgary Canada (2009-11)
CIDA
Davison Bruce Foundation, Atlanta ,Georgia (2010-11)
Rotary Clubs of Santa Maria, California District (2005-11)
Rotary Club of Cambria, California (2008-11)
Rotary Club of Dulles International Airport, Dulles, Virginia (2011)
Rotary Club of Parris, Texas (2011)
Rotary Club of Yuma, Arizona (2011)
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2007-2011)
UC Davis (2009-11)
Cranfield University England (2008-9)
Lifewater International (2004-9)
Thirst Relief (2005-9)
Vineyard Church of New Orleans, Kenner, Louisiana (2008-11)
Mountainbrook community church (2009-11)
Canon Vineyard Church, Canon City, Colorado (2008-11)
Santa Maria Vineyard Church, Santa Maria, Californian (2003-11)
Boise Vineyard Church, Boise, Montana (2007)

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$10,001‐50,000

Explain your selections

We value partnerships because we believe that it takes a partnership of many groups, governments and individuals to reverse the downward spiral of poverty in Africa. We have been extremely blessed by the sacrificial help that we have received. From school children giving penny's and supplying water wells to 3 communities to individuals taking on a problem area of our production of sand filters and inventing sand sorters that we are now promoting throughout the world. We have had trainers who come from all areas including friends, NGO's non-profits, local government, even previous customers who have shared their knowledge with us and made our programs better.We have also seen the dedication our staff and of people trained to conqueror the challenges that have been in their community for decades. Our success has been because of the mountain of help we have received from every group that has supported us.

An example of this is SHIP’s SoHIPo Village garden that is already supplying several Ndola restaurants and residents with fresh produce. Some of the produce is used to provide lunches for the SHIP staff and the produce is also available for them to purchase and take home to their families. This was possible because of training we received by a US non profit ECHO in Florida, it was established by our Zambian workers and volunteers from the US. Additional training was given by a local NGO and advise by the ministry of Agriculture in Zambia. Some funding has come from foundations and individuals as well as customers purchases that have been reinvested into the farm.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

As the Resource Center expands a retail center will be established to sell the farm produce, sewing, woodworking, metal fabrication, Drilling and training services and used bicycles. Once the first self-sustaining Resource Center has been established we anticipate beginning another Resource Center in several other Zambian cities. We are also planing to promote it within other organizations. We believe that it can become self sustaining and hope to see it begin to fund itself. From the agricultural proceeds and other "in country income we will be able to enlarge the program into additional areas. Technically we have relationships with several colleges and NGO's and will be accepting their help in the form of visiting lectures from professors and projects from students. We also plan to build a strong network with local farmers and training organization and share knowledge and create a learning exchange with them. We are looking at building partners who would be willing to invest in an organization that is willing to pioneer a new model or reintroduce old models with better implementation. We are looking for investors who are wanting to seriously work on the problems of community development in a business model of research and development knowing that problems will come and addressing them with solutions. Giving our friends that we are helping tools to solve the problem instead of the one size fits all approach that has caused so many issues with donors and recipients. Together we are planning to work the problems that are binding people to poverty sickness and hopelessness

Challenges

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Health behavior change

SECONDARY

Lack of access to targeted health information and education

TERTIARY

Restrictive cultural norms

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Disease is spread through unhealthy people and unhealthy food. Many people underestimate the importance of healthy farmers. We will demonstrate and reinforce through daily routines healthy personal behavior as well as healthy farming techniques. The benefits of adequate food supply and good nutrition extend far beyond the health of an individual, they impact the health of the entire community. By developing and teaching improved farming methods with hygiene & sanitation, how to farm throughout the year and how to get better nutrition the farmers will learn to overcome the cultural norm of eating a poor diet. The nutritional, hygiene and sanitation trainings that every farmer will receive, emphasizing health behavior change as well as disseminating health information to their communities.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

SECONDARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

TERTIARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Our vision is to bring hope and life to Zambia is through establishing Resource Centers where we can help equip the Zambians in critical development areas. We have specifically made the Resource Center with a multifaceted approach, giving tools to address every critical need in a community. We have already established several modules of the training center with our work in Zambia. Each training will bring communities one step closer to the long term sustainable development and hope-filled life that is the goal of Seeds of Hope International Partnerships. These efforts are being made so that once successful; this resource center/community development plan can be duplicated throughout Zambia and other regions in Africa. All of our successes will be shared with our ever growing network.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

Government, Technology providers, NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

We consider ourselves a learning organization and have integrated that into our daily work. Because of this we feel that we can learn from everyone and value open, honest evaluation and dialogue. The problems we face are too large and complex not to look for ideas and help from every sector including our recipients. We use participatory methods to draw out the best in the people that we are training. Through our partnerships Seeds of Hope has developed training curriculum in leadership, training, sanitation, hygiene, HIV/Aids awareness, BioSand filter construction and rainwater harvesting. SHIP also provides technical consulting, educational resources and networking services to NGOs, government agencies and community groups in local, national and international water and sanitation sectors.

M-Ganga (Mobile-Healer)

Created on 09/19/2011 by Shujaa Solutions Ltd

Shujaa Solutions is a software development company specializing in mobile technologies. These include SMS, apps and middleware.

We are currently an application provider for Safaricom Kenya and provide short codes through Safaricom and Airtel.

The main thrust is to upset the rules of the game and put Africa on the forefront of technology. It has been traditionally viewed as the "Dark Continent". But revolution can also happen from here and this gives us the impetus to put our country and continent on the forefront of technology.

About You

Organization: Shujaa Solutions Limited Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Michael

Last Name

Wakahe

Twitter

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Shujaa Solutions Limited

Organization Website

http://www.shujaa.co.ke

Organization Phone

+254 (0)20-250-9260

Organization Address

P. O.Box 48183-00100, Nairobi

Organization Country

Kenya, NA

Country where this project is creating social impact

Kenya, NA

Is your organization a

For‐profit

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

M-Ganga (Mobile-Healer)

What change do you want to bring to the world?

Shujaa Solutions is a software development company specializing in mobile technologies. These include SMS, apps and middleware.

We are currently an application provider for Safaricom Kenya and provide short codes through Safaricom and Airtel.

What are the primary activities of your project?

M-Ganga (Mobile Healer) is a mobile phone based system that is used to record, catalogue and map out traditional medicine and knowledge for both archival purpose as well as passing the knowledge to the next generation.

"Mganga" stands for medicine man in Kiswahili. In Kenya we have had traditional healers who have used alternative medicine. Many of their techniques have worked and have a scientific basis. This is in contrast to witch doctors who rely on divination for healing.

Unfortunately a lot of their knowledge has not been preserved in any form and stands to be forgotten with the modernisation of our society. The M-Ganga project aims to catalogue this information with the aid of mobile phones.

Technically the project will have a web based system with software and a database. Mobile phones loaded with the M-Ganga app will be used to take snapshots of the plants as well as enter information gathered from the healers. This information will be relayed over the air to the central database from across the country.

Some of the modules of the project are as follows:

The Apprentice: A web-based application that will 'apprentice' traditional health during various healing sessions, recording both audio and video. This will a collaboratively authored database on how to handle various ailments as expected traditionally. The searchable catalogue will act as a repository for persons interested in traditional medicine.

The Biodiversity Map: A web-based mapping of various medicinal plant that will show where they are available, how they should be prepared for healing purposed, and whether they are endangered or not.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

Traditional Medicine (TM) is a practice that is ingrained in many Africa cultures with up to 80% of the population said to have consulted traditional medicine. TM heavily relies on an in-depth understanding of local plants and herbs and their medicinal value [IDRC, 2001; CA, 2004].

Since it is an art passed down from one generation to another through apprenticeship and oral tradition, there is a danger of it getting lost as many young people, are taking up mainstream career choices meaning that when the elders who are the custodians of the art die, they die with the knowledge.It is therefore necessary to archive this knowledge for generations to come.

The mobile phone acts as platform to link the archived TM knowledge with the budding youth who not only use the mobile phone as a communication tool but also for other technological uses.

We believe that this is the first such attempt in Kenya to preserve traditional medicine knowledge in this manner.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for less than a year

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Traditionally in Africa people believe in passing of knowledge from the older to the younger generations. This has been hampered by the rural-urban migration of the young people to seek for employment opportunities.

Due to high cost of living, healthcare and insurance services are out of reach from the masses. Hence a preference for Traditional Medicine (TM). The demographic trends in Africa show that half or more of the population is under 25 years. Therefore there is a need to bridge the knowledge gap between the younger and older generations.

The herbs used by the healers can also be scrutinised using modern scientific methods and perhaps be used to come up with more medicines.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Michael is a charismatic young Kenyan man with a technical bend. His entrepreneurial spirit has led him to create and lead Shujaa Solutions Ltd, a company specializing in mobile technologies especially premium SMS, mobile applications and middleware.

A trained and certified computer engineer, Michael has worked for various companies including Wavemarket Inc, Canada, Telkom Kenya and MobilePlanet. He holds a Computer Engineering degree from McGill University, Canada. During his tenure as a student, he worked with various professors and members of staff.

He has currently deferred his MBA at USIU Nairobi while he sets up shop. He is CompTIA Networking+® certified. He has taught and presented at various universities and institutions including the Strathmore University, Inoorero University, Safaricom Academy, University of Nairobi, iHub and AITEC.

The project was inspired by Michael's vision to preserve his culture in the face of modernisation. He also believes that traditional healers can teach modern scientists a thing or two about curing diseases. It must have taken the healers centuries to distil their knowledge and it should not be abandoned entirely.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

We have created a mobile application that provides a questionnaire for the traditional healers as well as can take a snapshot of a medicinal plant. The software works on a Nokia model that is readily available here in Kenya.

We are currently seeking volunteers to install the software on their handsets and relay the information from across the country. Success will be measured by how many volunteers take up the call as well as how many herbs and traditional healers we can catalogue.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

Fewer than 100

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

We aim to complete the software, call for volunteers to interview the healers as well as create awareness through social forums and mailing lists.

Task 1

Target Population: The target audience will be identified according to age, location and mobile phone usage.

Task 2

Data collection: It will be conducted through questionnaires, interviews and literature review with the target population in mind.

Task 3

Data Analysis: The data collected will then be analyzed, interpreted and reported in a research paper to determine system requirements.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Software testing, intensive marketing and advertising to the mass market will be conducted to release a product that is suited to the user’s needs.

Task 1

Software testing: Alpha, beta and pilot test will be conducted on the product to determine the usability of the software. Changes will be made accordingly.

Task 2

Product launch: Events and talks will be held to familiarize the users with the product. Potential market players will be invited to publicize the events.

Task 3

Product distribution: Intensive advertising and marketing channels will be used to distribute the product to the end users.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

In three years’ time the popularity of the project will have grown exponentially throughout Africa.
• The web system will be able to classify medicinal plants according to ailments. It will allow for searches by plant name, ailment and region.
• The general public will be able to submit both entries and comments or make enquiries.
• There will be an expert panel formed to go through entries and validate them.
• Researchers will be invited to use the work.
• Research results will be submitted to relevant authorities to ensure that the medicinal plants are safe for use and conserved for future generations.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

The market: The penetration of mobile applications as informational tools in Africa is low. There is therefore a need for effective marketing strategies that counter this problem this can be achieved by providing the mobile application for free will be a motivation for users and partnering with mobile phone manufacturers to distribute the applications.

Authenticity of user submissions: Users will be able to enter data on medicinal plants, their location and also provide pictures of the same. It is essential that the submissions made are correct and relevant for use. The system will need to approve the entries through partnership with relevant experts who can help in authenticating the content.

It will be a challenge to reach out to the authentic traditional healers. We believe that the data gathering volunteers will already be familiar with the healers in their respective regions, dialogue with them in their native dialect and translate the findings to English which is the business language in Kenya. French can be used for French speaking countries.

Tell us about your partnerships

We are short code providers with Safaricom Kenya and Airtel Kenya and can therefore create SMS services that will support the project. Safaricom and Airtel are the largest network operators in the country.

Further we are mobile application provider for Safaricom and can leverage their upcoming application store to distribute our mobile application.

Michael has made presentations and taught in the University of Nairobi, Strathmore University and Inoorero University. He also has contacts in other local universities. He can therefore leverage them for research and publicity.

Because Michael has made himself known to young local software developers and made presentations in social forums such as iHub, he is able to request for assistance from that large pool of talent.

He has also made himself known with the Kenya ICT Board running under the Kenyan Ministry of Information and Telecommunications. He is also familiar to Dr. Bitange Ndemo who is the permanent secretary for that ministry. We will seek support from the government for marketing and possibly funding.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$50,001‐100,000

Explain your selections

Everyone in the community has a part to play in the M-Ganga (Mobile-Healer) project success. For example, the government has a role to ensure that health care services are accessible to all people needs.

Research indicates that traditional medicine has been successful in curing two of the killer diseases in Africa: malaria and TB as well as in the management of HIV and AIDs by combating some of its opportunistic diseases [IDRC, 2001; Daniels, 2007]. This shows that with better management, this knowledge holds the hope for universal health care in Africa.

Individuals will support in providing information concerning the medicinal plants while the organizations will take part in conservation of plants and distribution of funds.

The research that comes out of studies will be sold to business and individuals. For example pharmaceutical firms would be interested in extracting and commercialising medicinal chemicals.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

The project will need to incorporate a social network for users around the world to have open discussions and forums relating to entries that have been approved.
There will be need to partner with relevant organizations such as health care centers and NGOs who play a part in ensuring that the medicine is availed to people in need and that plants are conserved and distributed for use.

Challenges

http://www.twitter.com/DirEAMI

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Limited access to preventative tools or resources

SECONDARY

Lack of insurance/financing options for healthcare

TERTIARY

Lack of affordable care

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Access to preventative tools/resources: Most people do not have relevant information on how to prevent and cure diseases. Traditional medicine information is preserved by the older generation in the society who used it in the past era. This information can easily be made available to ailing people.

Insurance/financing option: Most Africans do not have a health insurance policy. They are therefore unable to get adequate financial assistance when they fall ill.

Affordable care: Many Africans have a low disposable income. It is better for them to use alternative medicines that work than to ail because they are not able to afford modern medicines.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

SECONDARY

Leveraged technology

TERTIARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Currently, we wish to reach the Kenyan market. The process begins with archival of traditional medicine knowledge. Partnerships will assist in proper conservation and accessibility of medicinal plants.

We will leverage software in order to have adequate project growth. A web portal will allow anyone to view the catalogue of medicinal plants, process of use and location information. The mobile application will allow for distributed collection of data.

Once the project is successful in Kenya, we will pilot it in the East African Community and then push it to the rest of Africa.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

Technology providers, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

The use of the network operators (Safaricom and Airtel) has allowed our products and services to be exposed to a potential group of approximately 20 million Kenyan subscribers.

Because Michael has collaborated a lot with universities, he has access to the best academia as well as students who can run with ideas such as this one.

7 attachments

Barefoot Broadcaster of Uttarkhand

Created: 09/15/11 by Maria Menezes

Location

London

United Kingdom

See map: Google Maps

Setting up of self sustained community radio stations in rural India to help isolated and/or economically disadvantaged communities run participatory, not-for-profit, sustainable broadcast media, i.e. community radio, as a tool for social and cultural unification, self-development, empowerment and positive social change.

Comment

No Clever Name: Just Bringing Citizen Journalism to the Grassroots...Through Students!

Created on 09/14/2011 by EAMI

Students training organisations on citizen journalism- a cost-effective way to bring available tools to those who need it most.

About You

Organization: East African Media Institute Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Donald

Last Name

Giesen

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/eamikenya

About Your Organization

Organization Name

East African Media Institute

Organization Website

http://www.eamikenya.com

Organization Country

Kenya, NA

Country where this project is creating social impact

Kenya, XX

Is your organization a

For‐profit

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Innovation

Entry Form title

No Clever Name: Just Bringing Citizen Journalism to the Grassroots...Through Students!

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Idea (you're poised to launch)

How long have you been in operation?

Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

Grassroots NGOs, CBOs and FBOs are in unique positions to take advantage of citizen journalism (CJ)to enhance networking amongst organisations, educate and inform the local communities they work with and to better communicate their activities with donors and clients. Unfortunately, in Kenya they are vastly underutilising this tool due to a lack of knowledge about CJ and an absent mentoring framework that can lead to them effectively using this platform.

It is the thousands of such grassroots organisations that have the closest links to people who are the most in need of development services in the areas of health, agriculture, social development and human rights.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

The East African Media Institute (EAMI) will explore the synergy of utilising communication and journalism students undergoing their internships to work with these grassroots organisations to train and mentor them on citizen journalism and help them to apply this to their own operations.

The communities that are the greatest in need of groundbreaking change are also the most of touch with technology. Which makes for a difficult situation since everyone is betting on technology to spur this change.

Well it may not sound innovative, but we believe that the most impact can be made by empowering grassroots organisations to adopt and use citizen journalism in their efforts to help these communities. This is where we can get the most "bang for the buck" in the poor rural and urban Kenya.

In the same spirit, students are a great source of affordable and eager trainers for these organisations. In fulfillment of their training requirements, students will work with these grassroots organisations to incorporate citizen journalism and other communication innovations into their structures.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

Every 4 months, 10 EAMI students will be placed with an organisation working in a rural or low-income urban setting which will be their base for the next 3 month internship period. Having received specific training in citizen journalism and adapting it to an organisation’s needs, the students will identify up to 3 other grassroots organisations to train and mentor.

The student will learn what the organisation communication needs are, both to the outside world (donors, partners) and to their clients (local community). They will then be able to train the organisation’s staff to participate in CJ networks as well as explore the possibility of engaging the local community in CJ efforts.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

To our knowledge, there are no similar initiatives harnessing the skills and energy of communication students to empower grassroots organisations to utilise CJ. Voices of Africa Media Foundation has an interesting project that trains youth around East Africa on video journalism and then hosts their stories on a website but this looks limited to a select few individuals.

Other students from colleges and universities may find themselves as an intern at various organisations but it is doubtful they are knowledgeable about CJ.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

There was no singular moment by which my proposed solution came about. Rather it was a gradual realisation that despite the excitement and potential surrounding citizen journalism and its intersection with social media and the internet, its adoption in Kenya has been slow and limited to a relatively small number of early adopters. And organisations working with poor communities at the grassroots level are rarely part of this select group.

Therefore I saw the need to find a model by which these tools could be distributed more sustainably- meaning at a lesser cost. As my greatest experience lies with the media colleges I have established over the past 10 years, I saw that harnessing the energy and youthful drive of students could have double benefits:
• Spread CJ tools, techniques and opportunities to grassroots organisations with minimal monetary investment.
• Exposing media students to development activities and forging a bond between future media professionals and grassroots development initiatives.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

Although our proposed solution has not yet been implemented, we expect it to have a profound impact in enabling grassroots organisations to utilise CJ and to more effectively implement their programmes in their communities.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

In the first year, we project that almost 100 organisations will be trained and supported to integrate CJ and other internet-inspired communication tools to their work with local communities.

After this, the rate of 100 organisations per year can be maintained by EAMI alone although stronger local organisations can also serve as training hubs to further train and mentor organisations in this area. EAMI can act as a trainer-of-trainers in this regard resulting in thousands of organisations trained and implementing CJ in their activities within 5 years.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

By 6 months, the first set of student trainers will have returned from their assignments and we’ll have evaluated their training

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Design training curriculum for student trainers and conduct actual training of 10 students.

Task 2

Identify organisations clustered around rural centres that are well placed to receive training in CJ and implement internet base

Task 3

Monitor and supervise students during their assignments and conduct evaluations of both the students performance as well as the

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

30 student trainers will have completed their assignments and 90 organisations will have received training and implemented CJ ac

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Design training curriculum for student trainers and conduct actual training of 30 students.

Task 2

Identify organisations clustered around rural centres that are well placed to receive training in CJ and implement internet base

Task 3

Monitor and supervise students during their assignments and conduct evaluations of both the students performance as well as the

How many people have been impacted by your project?

Fewer than 100

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1001‐10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Business

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

The project has not yet started but foreseeable barriers include:

• Lack of capacity of grassroots organisations to implement CJ activities- lack of computers, media equipment, etc.
Solution- Organise solutions (agreements with internet cafe’s, help with finding equipment donors) to improve their capacity.

• Slow uptake of disadvantaged communities to participate in CJ.
Solution- Increased knowledge exchange from empowered grassroots organisations to the local community.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

A greater focus and investment in local news. This is receiving support with the new Constitution and de-centralised government. We will be able to strengthen the ability of grassroots organisations to be contributors to this demand for local information so that the voice of development may be heard.

This project can definitely drive this change and ensure local communities voices and issues are in the forefront in the media.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

We could shift the focus from training grassroots organisations to training local secondary schools and tertiary training institutions. Either way, the cost savings associated with college students serving as community trainers to spread CJ in needy communities is a powerful one.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

Of course we can continue to solicit for funds from other organisations and local government agencies to continue and expand our proposed programme. We may also conduct large-scale trainings for NGOs for a fee which can raise funds to support the programme.

Tell us about your partnerships

EAMI has partnered with community FM stations such as Ghetto FM (serving Mukuru slum) and Pamoja FM (serving Kibera slum) both in terms of training of their staff and in producing radio programmes.
We have also partnered with the Nobelity Project (www.nobelity.org) in trainings for rural youth in filmmaking.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

We will need dedicated and inspired students to play the lead role in spreading the skills and knowledge to the grassroots organisations. We will also use a volunteer from the EAMI staff to help coordinate the students with the organisations and to monitor them on assignment.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Investment, Marketing or media, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Human resources or talent, Marketing or media, Collaboration or networking, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

EAMI can provide communications training to organisations in the East African region. We also can chat about ideas every once in awhile!

Summary

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

EAMI is a media training institute which is determined to use the power of communication to improve lives and foster development

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

Students training organisations on citizen journalism- a cost-effective way to bring available tools to those who need it most.

Knowledge Hub - Sharing Best practices around the World

Created on 09/14/2011 by Raam_Guru

Single Window source of Best Practices around the World - With added Values of Mentored/Guidance by Practice Posting user

About You

http://www.facebook.com/ramkrithik

About You

First Name

Ram

Last Name

Guru

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Organization Website

Organization Country

India

Country where this project is creating social impact

n/a

Is your organization a

Please select

How long has your organization been operating?

Please select

Innovation

Entry Form title

Knowledge Hub - Sharing Best practices around the World

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Idea (you're poised to launch)

How long have you been in operation?

Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

"The Thing which you feel impossible is being done by Someone, Somewhere in the Corner of the World". There are wonderful practices followed by every Person/field/Soceity in many parts of the world, and Some People/Field/Soceity struggling to accomplish and work efficiently.Sharing our best Practices might help in Lifting the Section of the Soceity/People/Field which is Struggling. People around the World, share the best practices prevailing in their Soceity thereby helping their brothers and Sisters around the World also in Tasting the Benefits of those Wonderful practices.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

"I want to Know ,How to Solve the issue faced in my soceity ??" " I want to know How Mr.Successful is successful" " - if this question arises and too tired to extract the best solution from the Huge list, Get benefitted from the Knowledge Hub - where Best Practices in virtually everything is shared. A popular story which signifies the need of the Sharing Best practices. " One country was working very hard in inventing a new type of Ink pen which can be used in zero gravity places like Moon but the another country in another corner of the world simply used a lead pencil in Zero gravity Places ! Thus, If sharing the Best practices had existed, the time, men, material, machine used in inventing a Ink for Zero gravity could have been constructively used in some other requirement leading into a Fruitful solution for another issue too ! Users / beneficiaries around the World will only be Contributors as well as Users and beneficiaries ! ie: Users/ Beneficiaries sow seeds as well Reap Corns; though "Reaping in Multiple Folds."

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

The Internet - one of the Evergreen invention of Information Technology have Shrunk the Globe. People are connected, rather United by this String. The Loads of Information which has been already deposited into it has been attracting people everyday. But, the quantum of information scattered in a Wide spectrum and also, the Practical feasibility of those information can always be questioned. Thus, this Knowledge Hub will be a Single Point Source cum Library, Inhousing the practices which are the best in day to day life in every stream. The Forum, will become a Ready reckoner for every common man, aspiring to lead a Wonderful life which comes from Wonderful Practices !

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

As such, there is no peers adn competitors.Though, the information is avaialble on the Net, It is Scatterred on a wide spectrum and no grouping or networking might be possible with owner of that Practice. This Knowledge hub will also be helping in establishing a link between the Godfather of a practice and people who want to get more info / communicate with that Godfather of the Practice. The Practical applicability, communication establishing with people who follow that practice, success and living story of the practice etc All these information will be available on a single Hub !

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

The Founding story is based on that story mentioned in innovation regarding the efforts to invent a Ink pen for Zero gravity places. Thus, Sharing is really a Worth Charity. As the popular quote goes "Sharing a penny each will result in having a Penny each. Whereas Sharing an Idea each will result in Two Ideas Each". The Quote and the Story are behind the Knowledge Hub.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

Social Impact - The Web media intialy will provide a Hub containing the best practices , updated and being updated by Users around the World and Available to the Whole world. It will also encourage Mentoring through establishing a link between the originator of best Practice and followers who want to adopt those practices with the help of the originator. ratings and votings by the common users will impact with immediate attention by every visitor of website, thus exposing to Best and popular practices as soon as they take a view of the Hub and thereby, the Vision is to empower every human with Best from around the world.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

Impact will be revolutionary such that, Whatever be the difficulty in any stream of life, people will immediately look for solutions which will serve them the best and since, the best practices being shared here around the World, will naturally become Obstacle Cleanser for everyone.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Knowledge -Hub -up and running with atleast 100 Best practices around the World

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Creating a Website- User friendly cum extracts from User, the Required info to sort the Idea -

Task 2

Awareness / Popularising the Concept- Encouraging people to Share - Benefit others cum Get benefitted

Task 3

Adding Value to Visitors - atleast 100 Best Practices around the World

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Knowledge Hub - Sharing -atleast 1000 Best practices - Interface helping Mentoring -Adding Value to those in Need

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Excellent Interface - Sorting, connection link for Mentoring

Task 2

Awareness / Popularity around the corners of world -making people realise Value of Sharing and its impact

Task 3

Organising in best way such that the Share of 1000 best practices really play huge role in Shaping Individual's Lives

How many people have been impacted by your project?

Fewer than 100

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1001‐10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

The Age is shifting into Information technology. Even, How to make Tea / Sandwich is being browsed in Internet. Thus, whenever faced with difficulty, People will be looking for a solutiona and If that Solution is Organised, Strutured, Practical application and its success story and a Mentor ready to share personal experience, All in One place Obviously will add a Huge Value to our vistors and impact the Environment to the Fullest.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

The Hub can also be made functional as Only a Link between Selfless, Philanthropic people and The People in Need of help in any Stream of Life. The People who intend to help can help in various ways such as helping themselves, guiding where the other will get solution for the particular issue etc. Thus it will become a world of two People. People who want to help others and People who want help themselves. These two can be bridged using this Website.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

Initial efforts of working the Website and Creating Awareness requires capital. Later, It will run sustainably. Releasing Magazines adn lending data to other media might attract funds which can be used for Rewarding Best posted ideas selected using Open Votings / Ratings.

Tell us about your partnerships

No Partnership as of now.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

A Selfless team comprising Web designers & Moderators and Awareness Campaigners.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Marketing or media, Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

Summary

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

Knowledge Hub - Sharing Best Practices Around the World
"Share one best practice and Get Exposed to Countless Best Practices"

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

Single Window source of Best Practices around the World - With added Values of Mentored/Guidance by Practice Posting user

Agência Pública: incentivando o jornalismo investigativo independente

Created on 09/14/2011 by nataliaviana

A Pública busca unir o jornalismo tradicional com o espírito e a ousadia de iniciativas independentes da nova era.

About You

Organization: Publica Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

natalia

Last Name

viana

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/#!/agencia_publica

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/P%C3%BAblica-Ag%C3%AAncia-De-Jornalismo-Investigativo/228301373863551

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Publica

Organization Website

http://apublica.org

Organization Country

Brazil, SP

Country where this project is creating social impact

Brazil, SP

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Innovation

Entry Form title

Agência Pública: incentivando o jornalismo investigativo independente

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for less than a year

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

A Pública, primeiro centro de jornalismo investigativo sem fins lucrativos no Brasil, precisa de financiamento e apoio de instituições comprometidas com os valores que ela defende: democracia, transparência, justiça social e defesa instransigente dos direitos humanos.

A Pública tem como planejamento para o próximo ano, além de aumentar sua produção jornalística, ampliar sua rede parceiros, que inclui centros de jornalismo internacionais, fortalecer a aliança com novos atores de mídia no Brasil como os blogueiros progressistas, engajar mais jornalistas independentes e estudantes de jornalismo e fortalecer a parceria com veículos de mídia tradicionais – canais de TV, jornais diários, revistas semanais, estações de rádio e portais da internet – e veículos locais e segmentados.

A Pública quer engajar a comunidade de jornalistas, os movimentos sociais e os policy makers para fortalecer o direito à informação. Para isso, ela precisa de visibilidade e apoio institucional de organizações como a Fundação Ashoka, que acreditam e promovem a comunicação como meio de transformação social.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

A missão da Pública é simples: buscar uma nova abordagem para uma ideia antiga. A base do nosso trabalho é resgatar o papel do jornalismo como ferramenta da sociedade democrática.

Nós somos mulheres jornalistas. Nós acreditamos no jornalismo.

No Brasil, a concentração dos meios de comunicação tem sido tão perversa quanto a concentração de renda, afastando a maioria da população da discussão dos problemas reais do país. Um exemplo: não há imprensa regional de peso e os leitores dos principais jornais, somados, não ultrapassam 8 milhões de pessoas – dentre 190 milhões de habitantes. Isso sem falar no corte ideológico, que exclui os movimentos sociais do debate.

E os veículos de comunicação que atuam em contraposição a esse cenário não têm condições de assumir o custo de investigações mais profundas.

Por isso nós produzimos e divulgamos jornalismo investigativo pautado pelo interesse público em licença creative commons; buscamos
inserir na pauta da mídia tradicional e das novas mídias a cobertura de questões relevantes do ponto de vista da transparência, justiça social e direitos humanos; e estudar, desenvolver e aplicar técnicas de publicação e viralização de conteúdos, usando as redes mobilizadoras online.

A Pública traz como inspiração tanto o jornalismo de qualidade, mas tradicional, da ProPublica quanto a ousadia do WikiLeaks e de jornalistas e veículos independentes pelo mundo. A Pública quer explorar de que maneira o bom jornalismo pode deixar de ser uma coisa chata e voltar a ser excitante, um constante monitor dos governos e poderes da vez.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

Em julho a Pública realizou a Semana WikiLeaks, com a publicação de cerca de 50 matérias produzidas a partir dos documentos diplomáticos dos EUA.

Desde dezembro de 2010, dois grandes jornais já tinham todos os documentos, mas deixaram de lado revelações importantes. Documentos que envolviam grandes empresas ou figuras importantes do partido de oposição não haviam sido explorados.

Um exemplo foi o pedido do então governador de São Paulo, José Serra, que o Departamento de Segurança Nacional dos EUA treinasse a polícia paulista.

Além disso, pela falta de tempo e estrutura, algumas histórias muito importantes ficaram de fora. Foi o caso da transferência de cerca de 30 funcionários da DEA expulsos da Bolívia por espionagem para o Brasil.

A Pública reuniu 15 jovens jornalistas que, voluntariamente, leram todos os documentos do WikiLeaks. Filmamos a excitação que aquilo representava e lançamos um vídeo na internet em que Julian Assange apresentava a iniciativa. Com uma ação nas mídia sociais, a notícia rolou primeiro nos blogs e no twitter e depois entrou nas colunas especializadas.

Então começamos a publicar as matérias sob licença creative commons, permitindo que qualquer veículo republicasse o conteúdo.

As reportagens foram reproduzidas com destaque pelos principais canais de TV a jornais, revistas e portais de internet, atingindo um público de centenas de milhares de pessoas.

Com esse projeto, a Pública mostrou que jornalismo investigativo é divertido e essencial – e que o público brasileiro está aberto para iniciativas do tipo.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

A Pública tem conquistado um espaço novo, como organização que dialoga com diferentes atores na mídia brasileira. Alguns dos maiores veículos de comunicação expressaram interesse em parcerias para publicações futuras.

Isso porque a Publica está trabalhando para fortalecer o jornalismo, e não para competir com os veículos tradicionais. É como disse um grande blogueiro brasileiro: “de nada adianta o novo sem o velho. É necessário fazer a ponte entre o melhor do que há com o melhor do que virá”.

Existe, é claro, certa resistência a um modelo tão diferente. Mas isso é um obstáculo normal a uma organização pioneira, e a única maneira de vencer isso é fazendo um bom e duradouro trabalho.

Contamos com o apoio e o entusiasmo de jovens jornalistas e de repórteres independentes, uma rede que queremos mobilizar.

Além disso, temos alianças naturais com o grupo de blogueiros progressistas, veículos independentes e organizações de ativismo que promovem o jornalismo, como Oboré, Nucleo Piratininga de Comunicação, Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo e Centro de Estudos Barão de Itararé.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

Eu e a Marina Amaral já discutíamos há algum tempo a idéia de fundar no Brasil um centro de jornalismo investigativo. Em 2010 escrevemos um livro sobre o Jornal Movimento, publicação que foi pioneira durante a ditadura ao lutar declaradamente pela democratização. A experiência inspiradora dos jornalistas que fizeram o Movimento estava já imbuída na nossa reflexão quando eu consegui articular uma entrevista colaborativa com Julian Assange, chamando os leitores do meu blog a enviarem perguntas. Na época, Assange não estava dando entrevistas, mas topou. No dia da publicação, organizei um “blogaço” com alguns dos mais ativos blogueiros do país. Todos publicaram a entrevista ao mesmo tempo para ter impacto. Mas embora a notícia estivese rolando pelo twitter e facebook, os sites brasileiros não repercutiam. Só no final do dia, quando a agência espanhola EFE noticiou que internautas brasileiros haviam feito uma entrevista com Assange, os portais seguiram a notícia. Isso mostrou que há um espaço pequeno mas que está se abrindo para iniciativas inovadoras. Na manhã seguinte, a Marina veio até a minha casa e disse: “Está na hora de fundar aquela agência de reportagem que a gente queria”.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

Conseguimos cavar um espaço no seio da mídia tradicional, publicando inclusive reportagens que ela mesma havia evitado, graças à repercussão na rede. Publicamos informações pouco conhecidas sobre a guerrilha do Araguaia, a ocupação brasileira no Haiti e os sítios clandestinos de tortura durante a ditadura. Através de nossos republicadores, as informações atingiram milhares de pessoas. Além disso, o trabalho da agência foi coberto por toda a mídia especializada. Também conseguimos parceria com diversos centros de jornalismo investigativo internacionais, incluindo alguns dos mais respeitados do mundo. Em pouco mais de 4 meses, temos quase 3 mil fãs no twitter, número semelhante a outras organizações do tipo com muito mais tempo de estrada. Participamos de conferências importantes sobre jornalismo, como a conferência da Abraji, a Semana de Comunicação da Universidade de Santa Catarina e a Summer School do Center for Investigative Journalism em Londres. E realizamos um evento de inauguração com palestras do diretor de interatividade do New York Times Aron Pilhofer, o repórter da BBC Andrew Jennings e o porta-voz do WikiLeaks, Kristinn Hrafnsson. Mais de 250 pessoas compareceram.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

Para os próximos 5 anos, o objetivo da Pública é se tornar um ator relevante no cenário de mídia nacional, promovendo e ampliando o espaço para o jornalismo investigativo, apartidário e comprometido com o interesse público. A ideia que a Pública promove pode e deve ser adotada por outras organizações. Seria de especial interesse por exemplo se o conceito e a produção investigativa independente florescesse em cidades pequenas e médias, ampliando o monitoramento dos poderes municipais. Nesse sentido, vamos começar não apenas uma rede de republicadores entre as mídia locais, mas vamos dar bolsas para jornalistas independentes no próximo ano. A idéia é que esse se torne um programa permanente dentro de 5 anos, atingindo mais “bolsistas” em diferentes localidades do país.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Ampliar o impacto do conteúdo jornalístico publicado através da expansão do número de parceiros da Pública.

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Buscar jornais locais em diversas cidades do Brasil que queiram publicar conteúdo com exclusividade em sua região

Task 2

Buscar veículos nacionais de grande expressão para realizar parcerias para investigações de peso

Task 3

Buscar parceiros internacionais que se interessem por republicar o conteúdo em outras línguas

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Estudar e aplicar consistentemente novas técnicas de publicação e viralização de conteúdos.

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Acompanhar tendências e iniciativas inovadoras no campo do jornalismo e da comunicação online com potencial mobilizador

Task 2

Trocar experiências constantemente com atores que fizeram iniciativas bem-sucedidas de comunicação viralizada

Task 3

Testar, testar, testar.... E, colaborativamente, testar....

How many people have been impacted by your project?

1,001 - 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

Até o momento, a principal barreira foi o pioneirismo e o pouco tempo do projeto, que faz com que muitos possíveis parceiros e doadores ainda não tenham vislumbrado a oportunidade que é contribuir com a Pública. Por isso queremos nos apresentar para diferentes organizações e empresas para contar um pouco o que é a Pública (é isso que estamos fazendo aqui no Desafio Mídia Cidadã da Ashoka).

Temos também uma limitação de pessoal, já que o trabalho tem sido realizado por pessoas que acreditam no projeto e estão se dedicando integralmente a ele.

Além disso, como o trabalho é bastante elaborado, precisamos de profissionais altamente qualificados e experientes, o que reduz um pouco a possibilidade por exemplo de contarmos com mão-de-obra voluntária.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

Eu vejo acontecendo no jornalismo algo semelhante ao que aconteceu no mercado fonográfico: graças à rede mundial, aos avanços e ao maior acesso às tecnologias, a produção está saindo das estruturas fixas e concentradas do mercado.

Assim como na música, cada vez mais surgirão iniciativas independentes de jornalismo que vão se estabelecer pela qualidade, por encontrarem um nicho ou por uma boa estratégia de divulgação.

A essência da Pública é buscar a constante transformação, adaptação e inovação, sempre dialogando com essas iniciativas.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

O modelo de organização jornalística sem fins lucrativos é o melhor porque o jornalismo não precisa ser um “produto” vendável e comercial.

Além disso, é uma posição filosófica fundamental: acreditamos que o jornalismo é uma arma essencial para qualquer sociedade democrática.

Porém, caso a Pública perca o gás, uma alternativa seria tentar vender o conteúdo proveniente de uma investigação para diversos veículos de diversos países, em formatos variados (áudio, vídeo, texto).

O problema é que isso necessariamente diminui a qualidade e também o impacto dentro do contexto da mídia nacional, já que as estratégias de inserção de pautas e mobilização das redes ficariam comprometidas.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

Até o momento a Pública recebeu uma doação da Ford Foundation, doações individuais através do nosso site e no evento de lançamento da Agência, e pagamento de custos de empresas jornalísticas por algumas reportagens exclusivas.

Tell us about your partnerships

É essencial e está na base do nosso projeto. A Pública tem parcerias com blogueiros de destaque no Brasil, centros de jornalismo investigativo internacionais, veículos da mídia tradicional e veículos impressos locais ou segmentados. Através deles nós obtemos e provemos conteúdo de qualidade, enquanto eles provêem a estrutura de divulgação (mailing, twitter, facebook) e ajudam a aumentar o impacto das informações.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

Duas jornalistas em período integral, um editor meio período, um estagiário e um secretário (contratados, fixos). Freelancers e voluntários por projeto, dependendo da característica do projeto. E estudantes de jornalismo voluntários que vão participar do nosso programa de monitorias – iremos selecionar 3 grupos que queiram receber monitoria para realizar uma reportagem investigativa ao longo do próximo ano.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Investment, Human resources or talent, Collaboration or networking, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

A Pública precisa de investimentos financeiros para manter seu escritório e seu pessoal nos primeiros passos desta caminhada.

Precisamos de recursos humanos específicos, como jovens repórteres, bons desenvolvedores e fundraisers. E adoraríamos ouvir sugestões de pessoas com objetivos semelhantes que já trilharam um caminho parecido com o nosso.

Podemos fornecer pesquisa (claro), ideias, e contatos no Brasil e em diversos cantos no mundo.

Summary

https://www.facebook.com/groups/127607608214/

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

A Pública produz e difunde bom jornalismo pautado pelo interesse público como ferramenta essencial da sociedade democrática.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

A Pública busca unir o jornalismo tradicional com o espírito e a ousadia de iniciativas independentes da nova era.

7 attachments

Empowering Youth Journalists in Hebron and Around The Globe

Created on 09/14/2011 by mjabari

Journalists for Change is hoping to expand globally by digitally connecting the world to its successful local programs in Hebron

About You

Organization: Journalists For Change (initiative of Lens For Change) Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Mahmoud

Last Name

Jabari

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/#!/mahmoudjabari

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Journalists For Change (initiative of Lens For Change)

Organization Website

http://lensforchange.weebly.com/journalists-for-change.html

Organization Country

Palestinian Territory

Country where this project is creating social impact

Palestinian Territory

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Innovation

Entry Form title

Empowering Youth Journalists in Hebron and Around The Globe

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Scaling (the next step will be growing impact on a regional or even global scale)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for 1‐5 years

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

The mission of Journalists For Change is to create a suitable space for students to discuss and write about their issues and then advocate for them. By introducing them to media tools like filmmaking, writing and blogging, Journalists For Change creates student ambassadors who reflect the voice of students in front of local officials and on the international stage. Journalists For Change has already enjoyed success fulfilling this mission by leading workshops and running summer programs in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. However, Journalists For Change is looking to develop its work by becoming a global collective and including youth beyond Hebron.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

Lens For Change will film future Journalists For Change initiatives in Hebron (and possibly other areas of the West Bank). This footage will be edited into short video tutorials featuring both instruction from professional journalists as well as examples of the youth going through the learning process and creating media of their own. The tutorials will be uploaded onto a newly redesigned Lens For Change website in a way that will allow youth around the globe to view them and learn alongside their peers in Hebron. With each tutorial there will be the opportunity for youth to submit the work that they have created with the skills and knowledge imparted by the tutorial. Pieces that meet journalistic standards will be published on the Lens For Change website and those pieces that don’t make the cut will receive feedback on how to improve. Students who have gone through live Journalists For Change programs will similarly have this opportunity to be published on the Lens For Change website.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

On the local level, Journalists for Change continues to have an impact on youth in Hebron by training and empowering them with journalistic tools. On a global level, youth around the world will be able to share and learn from these experiences, while embarking on a learning process of their own. Young journalists around the world will have the opportunity to learn and also to have their work published, while Lens for Change will constantly be growing its learning resources through that very same work.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

Lens for Change prefers to see other organizations working to develop youth journalists not as competitors but as peers and allies. For example, it has received significant help from the International Education and Resources Network, which has its own World Youth News program. Lens for Change will continue to attempt to search out these partnerships as it grows into the future.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

I was seven years old when I first thought of becoming a journalist one day. My mother told me about a cameraman named Mazen Dana and his bravery and excellence in covering news in tense areas. In 2003, when I was 12, Mazen was killed in Baghdad, while covering the war for Reuters. As I said goodbye to Mazen, I made a promise to Mazen's quiet spirit to continue the mission he had performed over fifteen years and to keep his spirit alive forever.

In May 2006, a group of 15 dedicated teenagers met in the city of Hebron, in the West Bank to create an official group for young people who were involved—or interested in becoming involved—in the media. Their main goal was to set purposeful and clear methods for youth within the media, and to encourage the establishment of new activists in Hebron. These budding enthusiasts could then congregate to raise their problems with the city, reflect their issues, and defend and advocate for their rights. The group called this new union the "Young Journalists Team.” One year later, with journalism programs expanding to include more students, there was a need to create a focused program. Thus, Journalists for Change was born.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

“I know it was a pretty short workshop that lasted for three days only,” said 16-year-old Jana Tahboub after participating in a Journalists for Change workshop, “but, of course its effect lasts forever... A strong personality, passion to learn and give, hard work, the ability to speak out loudly, and being effective is what you guys will have after attending the ‘Journalists for Change’ program.”

Journalists for Change has had an impact in a variety of ways from giving students productive activities in a city like Hebron, which does not offer teenagers many opportunities, to helping students become aware of issues through independent research and empowering them to communicate about them. Another great aspect of Journalists for Change is that its effects are self-perpetuating. Upon completion of the program, youth return as mentors for new participants and Jana now has her own blog on the Lens For Change website.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

Over the next five years, Lens for Change is hoping to globalize the Journalists for Change mission through the creation of video tutorials and the opening up of its website to international contributors.

The Journalists for Change model is replicable as evidenced by the Active Deaf Community Through Online Activity, which as part of a Lens for Change partnership built on learnings from the Journalists for Change program to help provide deaf youths in the Palestinian community with an opportunity to better express themselves.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Preparing to Globalize Journalists For Change

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Complete a successful complete set of workshops in Hebron—or possibly other cities in the West Bank.

Task 2

Film all these sessions as well as the workshop participants in action editing the footage into short video tutorials.

Task 3

Have the website ready to receive submissions.

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Globalizing Journalists For Change

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Have 75% of the participants in the West Bank workshops report positive effects in the exit survey.

Task 2

Have at least 1000 views on each video tutorial.

Task 3

Have at least 10 submissions per video tutorial.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101 - 1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1001‐10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

In the past, we have made the mistake of proceeding before we have enough funding to complete a project. We have since learned that it makes much more sense to work within a budget based on our available funds.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

As news-media shifts more and more towards an online presence and the importance of citizen reporting increases, Lens For Change is already ahead of the curve. As we continue to expand we will play a part in changing the environment rather than being a victim of it.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

Should the initiative to expand globally fail, we have already proven that we can and will continue to make an impact locally. In addition, we will have created a new set of resources in the video tutorials, which we can utilize in other capacities should this attempt not succeed.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

Since our current staff is completely volunteer; once we complete the initial start-up of this new program, it will require minimal to no funding.

Tell us about your partnerships

In running Journalists for Change, Lens For Change has partnered in various capacities with the We Are Family Foundation (through Three Dot Dash), the International Education and Resources Network, the Education Department in Hebron and Students Promoting International Improvement Now.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

Currently Lens For Change is run completely by volunteers; however, with funding, it could increase its capacity by hiring staff to help film Journalists for Change activities as well as helping with upgrading the website.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Investment, Human resources or talent, Marketing or media, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Human resources or talent, Marketing or media, Collaboration or networking.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

Summary

http://www.twitter.com/salinerok

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

Through journalism, Journalists for Change creates student ambassadors, who reflect the voice of students locally and globally.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

Journalists for Change is hoping to expand globally by digitally connecting the world to its successful local programs in Hebron

Science: Opportunity or Brick Wall?

Created on 09/12/2011 by salinerok

We are committed to creating the touchstone for science and scientists to create their own future.

About You

Organization: Yámana Science and Technology Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Kennan

Last Name

Salinero

Twitter URL

Facebook URL

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Y%C3%A1mana-Science-and-Technology/1193112...

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Yámana Science and Technology

Organization Website

http://www.yamanascience.org

Organization Country

United States, CA, Alameda County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States, XX

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Innovation

Entry Form title

Science: Opportunity or Brick Wall?

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for 1‐5 years

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

Listen to any Presidential speech, read the paper, watch the news - science is on the topic list at least once a week, with it's promise, potential and productivity for the future. Not only that, but we all know we need more scientists, mathematicians and engineers in the United States. So why do those who heed the call feel like their running head-long toward a brick wall? At the PhD level, it is estimated that 60% of current PhDs and Post-doctoral scholars will leave science. Why?
We are in a time of accelerating change, and science is no exception. It is a time that calls powerfully for increased leadership and an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to moving effectively through the complexity we have created. While we need more scientists, we've created a system that trains too many for academic positions that don't exist. While we need more collaboration, we work in a system that rewards individuals for their competitive prowess, often undermining team-work. In a time that the world is run by fast-changing technologies, we live in a system where scientists have no time and no training in how to communicate with the public.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

Yamana Science and Technology exists to create the critical conversations for a fundamental shift in how we 'do' science in the United States. The United States is the far-and-away leader of training programs for PhDs in science and technology world-wide; where the US goes, the world follows. Rather than work for the competitive edge, it is time to open up science to the communities it serves. It is also time to re-formulate how we train our young, how we communicate with each other and with the public, and how we serve society. This will take unabashed, full-out communication. This will take development of empathy, compassion and a basis of trust. Yamana Science and Technology uses our Open Space 'UnSummits' to bring together thought leaders, next generation scientists, policy makers and the general public for accelerated communication and knowledge sharing. We are poised to use our various social media to accelerate this process in the larger community. We expect the changes that will be sustainable need to spring from within the scientific community, but in full partnership with the public. The huge interest in public science events shows the public is knocking at the doors of science, avid to be let in.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

1. Create multiple forums for dialog in the sciences to identify common goals. These include open space technology, internet based social networking, the crowdsourcing site we use for our 'UnSummit,' and our facebook, twitter and LinkedIn accounts.
2. Develop emerging models that effectively support discovery, learning, and joy in science. We wish to create an online resource of the many materials we've gathered that speak to new ideas and emergent approaches for all aspects of science, research, organizational development, and education.
3. Develop new routes for training educators in science for K-12, undergraduate, graduate and continuing education. Open Space technology meetings are in development for the educational community.
4. Create partnerships for developing new best-practices and organizational models for the work place. The e-book "Collaboration 2.0" is our resource for virtual and in place tools for collaboration and partnering.
5. Connect scientists at vulnerable stages in career development with the resources that provide effective mentoring, tools and support for thriving, balanced lives and successful career outcomes. This will rely heavily on creating an 'attractor' portal for scientists in the training stages to connect with one another and with bigger ideas for positive change.
6. Nurture and participate in the new practices that are arising in social media for robust science/societal communication.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

We have many peers. Our model is to find emergent ideas and movements, both within science and in other sectors. We then share these ideas across boundaries. We are conveners and cross-pollinators. The level of isolation in science is staggering. Silicon Valley has been a major source of ideas unknown to the academic sector - models for communication, team-work, self-development and leadership. We let Carnegie Foundation know what the Sloan Foundation is doing, and American Association for the Advancement of Science about both. There are no competitors in this landscape. We are strong proponents of partnership, and believe in the vision-driven model for positive change.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

We are audacious. And I take responsibility as the one who might be called 'crazy.' I am taking on no less than the end of a 300-400 year era of science. My thinking was prompted by "Lifting the Veil, the Feminine Face of Science" by Linda Jean Shepherd. Upon reading the book, given to me by a neighbor who knew of my passion for the success of science, I was completely taken by Linda's view that science has followed a reductionist, separatist and controlling view of itself and the natural world, a la Descartes. This was needed during the age of enlightenment. However, scientists, who have been operating from a pedestal, are now looking around and asking 'where is everybody? where is the love?' I believe 'Everyone' is looking for scientists to join THEM. Linda became one of our founders. We think a more nurturing, listening, and 'feminine' (as in the Jungian feminine) scientific enterprise will enrich it's own members as well as society.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

Several joint projects have been spawned by the relationships created during our 2010 Science 'UnSummit' in Washington DC. This includes writing projects for book chapters on environmental science, visits made to others' organizations to present new training methods for increased effectiveness in team work, and attendance at various conferences and workshops that we were able to network about. We are also responsible for disseminating knowledge about major projects various foundations have done that impact science, cross-fertilizing this work across agencies.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

We are currently deploying what we call 'The Third Space.' These are dialogus that will be held on campuses across the country that can be replicated by others. Third Space is a take-off on 'The Third Place' terminology of Ray Oldenburg. Our definition is "It's not home, it's not work, it's the place we gather together to create."
We are working at the emergent edge of the budding movement to bring self-awareness, social responsibility, and the whole human to science. This movement is gaining ground in the United Kingdom, where the Royal Society is working on transparency in science and input from the general public much further upstream in the discovery and development process. Part of the impetus there was the shut-down of GMO products by a public that hadn't been consulted.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Capacity building - bringing people's messages to our platform

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Science 'UnSummit' 2012; April 2012 in Washington DC.

Task 2

Third Space - have hosted 5 events

Task 3

Increase flow through our crowd-sourcing sites

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Self-sustaining

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Funding sources have been developed and are supporting our work

Task 2

1-2 staff positions so the work is not entirely volunteer

Task 3

Third Space events have gained their own momentum and have been hosted on multiple campuses

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101 - 1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1001‐10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

We are looking for growth in funding sources. We have completed the necessary paperwork to be eligible for National Science Foundation grants, and are doing the legwork to learn what is needed to be competitive in this area.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

We are strong believers in the power of self-organization of complex systems. Communication and a sense of common purpose are key. I don't know how deep we will need to scratch for the change that is trying to be born in science to come to the surface. It is an idea that has the potential to spread like wild-fire, if we tap into the hearts and passion of the community. We are also believe in the value of the human, empathic connection while being connected electronically,and will endeavor to keep and grow this aspect using developing technology.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

We are working on many fronts - every movement forward is a positive one. We are following Robert Fritz's model for creative tension - keeping the larger vision for a thriving science and scientific community front and center, while monitoring where we 'are' right now. We are interested in giving over ownership of this change movement to the community itself - whatever routes that entails. Social media is the most effective for exponential growth, but in person and by-phone networking are also in our tool-set.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

We are doing the necessary paperwork (almost complete) to be eligible for Federal grant dollars. We want the granting agencies, who are major drivers in the scientific world, to become stakeholders in our specific projects. We also continue to pursue foundation funding, while remaining dedicated to the equally important power of grass-roots funding.

Tell us about your partnerships

We base our work on strong relationship with various scientific organizations, as part of our purpose is to help 'advertise' and move their work forward. This includes the National Post-doctoral Association, and the Sloan and Carnegie Foundations. We had participants from the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and The National Academies of Science at our first Science 'UnSummit.'

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

We currently have a list of over 200 key volunteers and/or contacts that come from across the country, and several contacts that are global - our volunteer list is large and growing. We could use an administrative support person.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

Though we have blossomed using less formal, highly interactive and highly creative team-building tools and approaches, we are at a point where we need more formal input - legal and accounting - to make sure we fit the more traditional systems while we bridge to new ones.

Summary

http://www.facebook.com/natureseychelles

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

We are working to create a fundamental shift in how we 'do' science in the United States.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

We are committed to creating the touchstone for science and scientists to create their own future.

Green Health Seychelles

Created on 09/12/2011 by martinvarley

With our Green Health Project we want harness nature's potential to improve people's physical, mental and spiritual health through exercise in nature.

About You

Organization: Nature Seychelles Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

martin

Last Name

varley

Twitter

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Nature Seychelles

Organization Website

www.natureseychelles.org

Organization Phone

00 248 4601100

Organization Address

PO Box 1310, Roche Caiman, Victoria

Organization Country

Seychelles

Country where this project is creating social impact

Seychelles

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Green Health Seychelles

What change do you want to bring to the world?

With our Green Health Project we want harness nature's potential to improve people's physical, mental and spiritual health through exercise in nature.

The increasing complexity of both technological societies and the built environment is generally a source of many negative stress response patterns for the majority of people. In contrast, the natural environment has been found to have a restorative quality, particularly for people who live in urban environments. These factors can cause mental fatigue and exhaustion, whereas exposure to nature has been demonstrated to have the opposite effect.

What are the primary activities of your project?

Our Green Project involves three components based on land at our headquarters in Victoria
• Exercises and activities for children and adults – studies suggest that children function better both cognitively and emotionally in green environments. For adults, viewing nature improves concentration, remedies fatigue, improves psychological health, positively affects mood swings, reduces stress and helps people recover faster from stress.
• Gardening and working with plants in the Heritage Garden – according to researchers gardening is among the most popular leisure pursuits in the world gardening. It has numerous physical and psychological benefits. Among its therapeutic benefits are that it helps people to feel tranquil and at peace and it improves their psychological wellbeing. Furthermore these benefits are conferred regardless of age.
• Activities for rehabilitative restoration of vulnerable groups - studies show that vulnerable groups benefit from leisure activities in nature through enhanced self- esteem and sense of personal control. Negative results from such participation are virtually non-existent.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

The idea of green therapy is new to the Seychelles. We are the only organisation which is involved in this kind of work. Although in more developed nations this type of programme exists, this is one of a kind for the less-developed world. There has been innovation since the beginning of the project. The Sanctuary (where the activities take place) originated from coastal reclamation works carried out in 1986. Prior to Nature Seychelles taking over management it was a wasteland, of no value to neighbouring communities. In 2006, Nature Seychelles began a creative and complex wetland restoration project to bring new life to the site.

The innovation did not end with the restoration and management of the wetland. Given its close proximity to the capital city Victoria and to the country’s national sports complex, there was a great desire to use the site in original ways to enrich the public and to engage local communities in such natural areas. Since its formal opening in 2008, as well as creating a place for wildlife, our vision for the park has been to welcome people here and to progressively use it for a range of green leisure or so-called ‘eco-therapy’ activities – offering leisure opportunities which harness the power of nature to improve our wellbeing.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Originally we targeted the general public, aware that issues of wellbeing are common to all groups. However, a new phase of innovation in the project is about to begin. Use the Green Health project to rehabilitate recovering drug and acolohol users. The Seychelles is a medium developed country well known for its beautiful natural environment, high Human Development Index and peaceful people. However, the country is currently experiencing some major socio-economic problems, which may derail its development trajectory. In fact recent data seem to show that the resilience of Seychelles society is currently very low.

Substance abuse and dependence, and resulting HIV/AIDS prevalence, crime, unemployment and prostitution, is seen as the single most serious health and socio-economic problem in Seychelles today.

It is this community which the new project will target. There are several examples in Europe of the use of nature to overcome addiction. Working with recovering addicts the programme offers self-actualisation through the
guiding principles of:
• building self-esteem and confidence;
• learning deferred gratification;
• team working;
• personal development through both in house and external courses;
• learning respect for the environment;
• producing tangible results to input;
• learning and developing social skills;
• promoting healthy lifestyles.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Nirmal Shah has been instrumental in shaping Seychellois civil society’s response to the environmental challenge by founding and chairing the only environmental youth NGO, WildLife Clubs of Seychelles, and by being the Chief Executive of Nature Seychelles, the largest NGO in Seychelles. He has run projects on restoration of various islands, species rehabilitation and research including the Magpie robin Recovery Program and the National Seabird Project, environmental education such as SPLASH (Special Program on Learning for Species and Habitats), and grass roots conservation activities such as LEAP (Local Environment Action Program). He is involved in advocacy for sound policy and legislation through key national committees including being Chair of the National Committee on ISO 14001 (the international environmental standard). His passion for nature and innovative led him to think about exploring other areas where nature can contribute to society. The alarming rise in drug use in Seychelles provided the impetus to try and use nature for good and this was the foundation stone for the Green Health project

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

To date the project has been running for just over a year. There are five classes a week for different ages. In that time more than 750 people have attended classes. Once we start to work with rehabilitating drug and alcohol users we expect to see 250 people over 18 months. The training and mentoring there received with be accredited to provide them with new qualificatin which will give them a real opportunity to kickstart their lives.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1,001-10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Within six months we plan to have started two new green health session for recovering drug and alcohol users and be developing other modules for their continued rehabilitation

Task 1

Build a partnership with local health service providers who currently oversee rehabilitation of drug and alcohol users

Task 2

Establish a protocol for managing clients on site

Task 3

Capacity build within the partnership by bringing in experts from overseas to maximise the potential for success in the project

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Two have run four modules with green health with recovering drug users and alcoholics including exercise and gardening modules. To begin to see real change in participating clients

Task 1

Create and deliver a monitoring and evaluation plan for the programme

Task 2

Ensure sufficient resources are available to deliver the programme

Task 3

Communicate the successes of the project o partners and the wider community

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

Drug and alcohol users are only one group of vulnerable people who could benefit from conservation and gardening therapy. Follow the work with this group we would look to expand into other areas which would offer benefits for the individual and society such as working with prisoners and disabled groups. There is much need in the Seychelles, all that prevents us from moving into these areas is the resources to do so.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

The main issue will revolve around the continuity of the participants. We need people to get ininvolved and stay involved. To ensure this we will look for guidance from the care service providers. We will also be getting families involved which will hopefully also improve the chances of clients staying the course

Tell us about your partnerships

Our partnership work at two levels. There is a core partnership of three parties, ourselves a local rehabiliation centre and the National Drug and Advisory Board. This partnership will be responsible for the management of the project.
There is also a wider stakeholder group involving other NGOs and government departments with an interest in social rehabilitation. This group will be encouraged to take part in the project at relevant stages.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$10,001‐50,000

Explain your selections

Part of the programme is to involve family and friends of the clients who attend the programme. This will help to make sure that clients remain on the programme and give them support. The Seychelles government is currently promoting a campaign of social renaissance. This project will integrate with this and the government supports this project through the involvement of parastatial organisations such and the local rehabilitation centres and National Drug and Alcohol Council

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

Given the innovative nature of this project here in the Seychelles, once we have shown the success of the project we will seek to work with government and other NGOs. We will use these connections to build our work and explore new areas to expand into.

Challenges

https://www.facebook.com/pages/MySkolar/175566039164872

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Lack of physical access to care/lack of facilities

SECONDARY

Limited human capital (trained physicians, nurses, etc.)

TERTIARY

Restrictive cultural norms

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Many rehabilitation centres simply lack the facilities to carry out the kind of therapy work that we are proposing. By combining with local care providers we can offer them a new world off resources.

By bringing in overseas experts to build capacity we can bring a new area of training into the workplace in the Seychelles, which would otherwise not be available.

This type of restorative therapy is culturally novel in the Seychelles. By being the first organisation to use it here we hope to reset cultural norms in this area and inspire others to follow our lead

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Repurposed your model for other sectors/development needs

SECONDARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

TERTIARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

We are already engaged in the primary pathway. We have for a long time been simply a conservation organisation. We are now repositioning ourselves to be relavent to other sectors i.e. the health sector, in order to maintain our growth and increasing our effectiveness

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

Government, NGOs/Nonprofits, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

These collaborations have given us access to increased resources and new audiences for our services. Every new partner you have gives you and expert guide to a new perspective on your work which you can then utilise to achieve your goals

MySkolar.org - Scholarships that change lives

Created on 09/8/2011 by JennyGalang

MySkolar uses online crowdsourcing and full transparency to fund Skolars and it is highly scalable with its partnership model.

About You

Organization: MySkolar.org Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Jennifer

Last Name

Galang

Twitter URL

htpp://www.twitter.com/myskolar

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

MySkolar.org

Organization Website

http://www.myskolar.org

Organization Country

Hong Kong S.A.R., China

Country where this project is creating social impact

Philippines

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Innovation

Entry Form title

MySkolar.org - Scholarships that change lives

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for less than a year

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

According to the World Bank, only around 27 out of 100 students around the world were enrolled in tertiary education in 2010. In other words, more than 7 out of 10 college-age kids do not go to college.

It does not take much to learn that lack of financing directly or indirectly is one of the primary reasons. In the Philippines in particular, according to the National Statistics Office, 54% of kids not attending school cite the related costs to be the reason for their non-attendance. This sums up to more than 6 million Filipinos from the age group 6 to 24 years old who are not attending school because of lack of financing.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

MySkolar aims to connect underprivileged students to donors from all over the world through an innovative, highly scalable online platform. Our field partners will carefully screen Skolars from developing countries and help them create their profiles on myskolar.org. Donations will then be crowdsourced online from a global donor base for the benefit of these Skolars.

Our Skolars will need to apply to our field partners who will do the screening, selection and monitoring of Skolars. Each Skolar will create a profile page that will contain information (such as grades, essays, and regular updates) that will help donors choose the students that they want to support. With these profile pages, donors can give via a convenient online payment system and also stay informed about how the Skolars are doing in college.

With our model, we are helping our field partners raise money from a wider donor base, thus giving them the ability to send more students to college. Additionally, we are providing our partners an online platform to feature their Skolars, their achievements and how they’re doing in college. We are thus also giving our partners a convenient medium for transparency and accountability, which will positively inspire more donations.

All of these activities will lead to more funds flowing from donors from all over the globe to underprivileged students who need them the most.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

Our crowdsourcing model harnesses the growing use of the Internet and of social media.

Here's how MySkolar works: A Skolar will apply for a scholarship with one of our field partners. The partners are existing organizations or institutions that already have a proven process of screening and providing scholarships to deserving students.

If accepted, the Skolar will be given a profile page on myskolar.org. The page will feature the Skolar's target fund amount and the information relevant to donors, such as essays, report cards and other evidence of achievements.

The Skolar himself will maintain the page and keep it up-to-date so that his donors can make an informed decision when making a donation. The Skolar can share his page with his family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email, while the field partner can also share its Skolars’ pages with its community (alumni body, employees, etc.).

The donor can donate as little as $20 or as much as a full scholarship via an online payment system. Donors can also create “fundraisers” that will encourage giving as a group. This will be useful for corporates that encourage giving among its employees and for existing organizations (associations, alumni body, community organizations, etc.) that have several members who wish to give back in the name of the organization.

Long after a donation has been made, the donor can track how his Skolar is doing in school through his profile page, and see how his donation has benefited someone directly.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

There are other online donating platforms that also use the crowdsourcing model, such as globalgiving.org and give2asia.org. Competing against these sites for donation money is one of our main challenges. However, we believe that we have positioned ourselves differently from them. For one, we cover a specific cause that appeals to specific donors, while other sites cover a wider variety of causes - from healthcare to the environment to animal rights. Additionally, we reach out to our donors through:
1) an identifiable individual beneficiary (the Skolar),
2) the easily understandable end-goal (college degree), and
3) a practical medium to keep track of the beneficiary (the online profile page of the Skolars);
all of which give us an edge over other similar sites.

As for existing scholarship providers (trusts, universities, etc.), we consider them as our peers and potential partners, not as competitors. For instance, we help universities raise more funds from their alumni body for the benefit of underprivileged students who've been admitted to the university. We can also complement corporates’ CSR programs and get their employees engaged in supporting a Skolar collectively.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

My Aha! moment came when I was sitting in an Economics class at New York University, back in October 2010. We were talking about Chile’s Pinochet and how he hired the “Chicago Boys” – young Chilean economists who studied at the University of Chicago – to reform the economy. Now I don’t really know what it was about the Chicago Boys that triggered my Aha! moment. Maybe it was the thought of sending students to schools abroad, but an idea just hit me and I wrote down three lines on my notepad:

Scholarship Program
Access to students’ applications, grades, future endeavors
Not spec[ific] to one student sponsored like World [Vision]

It’s not entirely explainable, but right there I thought of combining two of our current core values – crowdsourcing and transparency – for the benefit of students. When I got home I drew website drafts all night like a madman, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

We have registered MySkolar as a non-profit org in the Philippines and in Hong Kong. Our impact for our 1st year will be limited by the # of partners and Skolars that get invited. We are currently in talks with several potential partners in Pakistan and in the Philippines.

Moving forward, we will measure our social impact as:

Net impact of MySkolar = Increase in Skolar’s income + Savings in Social Welfare + Benefit to future generations

a) Increase in Skolar's Income: difference between the income of a college and a non-college graduate;
b) Savings in social welfare: what the government and community would have paid to support a non-college graduate, including unemployment and social security benefits;
c) Benefit to future generations: studies show that children of college graduates are more likely to go to college compared to kids of non-college grads; thus helping Skolars will lead to better quality of life for the entire family and their generations, not just the Skolar.

Ultimately, we hope to quantify the net impact of MySkolar for every peso spent in creating this impact. Thus,

Net impact per every peso spent = Net impact of MySkolar / Operating expenses

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

The model is highly scalable, with the expansion limited only by how well and how fast we can get field partners to sign up and select Skolars. The model can be easily applied in another developing country once suitable partners are identified.

At the end of 5 years, we conservatively estimate having 20 field partners from 5 countries and 130 Skolars in total.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

We would have launched the full site, announced our first batch of Skolars, and started raising donations.

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Finish the web development.

Task 2

Task 3

Hold two fundraising events.

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

We would have fully funded our first batch of Skolars, sent them to school, and signed up more partners.

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Hold a feedback and review process with our users to date and perform website modifications if necessary.

Task 2

Task 3

Hold two more fundraising events.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

Fewer than 100

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

101‐1000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

We have an ambitious online platform that requires a competent developer who understands our vision. We struggled with our first developer who had to back out in the middle of the project because they did not have the capability to develop the functionalities we needed. We have since found another developer whom we believe is more capable not only of completing the task but also of providing us useful insights on how to use the web platform to maximize our social impact.

Funding is also another barrier that we have struggled with. As of yet, we have been funding all our expenses out of pocket. We plan to resolve this funding shortfall in the future once we fully launch the site and are able to receive donations and processing fees.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

We see a higher penetration of mobile phones and Internet use in the next decade, making online access more like a commodity. MySkolar is taking advantage of this trend by using a crowdsourcing model and an online payment system. We recognize that more and more donors give online, and that donors require convenience and practicality throughout the donation process, including the tracking of the benefits of their donations. Our online model lets us source donations more efficiently.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

Another idea that we are exploring is using our platform to encourage scholarship institutions to show more transparency in their activities. They can use the site not to raise funding but to profile their scholars prominently and help their existing donors see where their money is going, which will hopefully encourage more people to give.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

To date, our expenses have been limited to minimal web development costs and registration costs, which we have funded from the founding team's savings. Moving forward, we will sustain our expenses primarily from grants and donations and partially from a minimal processing fee from every donation transaction.

Tell us about your partnerships

We are currently in talks with potential partners, Lahore University of Management Sciences (one of UN’s 10 Academic Impact Hubs) and an NGO in the Philippines. Our first corporate partner is Thomson Reuters, who has committed to provide us technological help for our online analytics.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

The most crucial activities at our current stage are web development and the establishment of partnerships. We have contracted an outside web development company which develops and manages the site while the management team focuses on on-boarding new field partners.

After the full launch of the site, we will need a team of volunteers who will help us with fundraising, marketing activities and administrative tasks.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Human resources or talent, Marketing or media, Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Mentorship.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Innovation or ideas.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

Summary

http://www.facebook.com/sadhvishanti.jadanhospital

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

MySkolar.org is a global online scholarship platform that connects Skolars to donors from all over the world.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

MySkolar uses online crowdsourcing and full transparency to fund Skolars and it is highly scalable with its partnership model.

Medical treatment and a future for the needy ones, especially children and women

Created on 09/2/2011 by Helphospital

About You

Organization: "Austria Hospital in India" Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Sadhvi

Last Name

Shanti

Twitter

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

"Austria Hospital in India" Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital

Organization Website

http://helphospital.org/

Organization Phone

+91 9001 897 295

Organization Address

Am Modenapark 4/23, 1030 Vienna

Organization Country

Austria, WIE

Country where this project is creating social impact

India, RJ

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Medical treatment and a future for the needy ones, especially children and women

What change do you want to bring to the world?

A burning problem nowadays is that many people around the world live in extremely poor conditions without access to basic medical facilities. Especially hit are women and children. Hundreds of them die every year in the state of Rajasthan, north-west India, due to the unavailability of appropriate health care. For them, even the simplest disease can be life threatening. Large parts of India are without adequate treatment centers and lack health care professionals such as doctors and medical staff. Observing the initial situation, we recognized the critical need to provide medical assistance and basic health care. Especially needed were first-aid stations, emergency rooms and transportation of the patients, giving high priority to the high-risk groups of pregnant women and sick children.

What are the primary activities of your project?

It is our main goal to change this situation and help the needy ones in the rural areas of Rajasthan, to provide basic medical treatment, to stop the suffering and to lower dying rates, both for adults and for children. Especially as we from developed countries are used to have basic medical care around the clock and are lucky enough to live in prosperous environments.
Currently we are offering already basic medical care and try to bring treatment to the needy ones. Nevertheless, a lot more has to be done. Our future goals:
• more free medical camps and more preventive programs, especially for children and women (we want to train women and children as mentors, to promote the health of the needy ones in the villages)
• 2 large operating theatres for the major surgery and 1 for gynecological operations
• 1 block for pediatric services and 1 block for neonatology
• 6 Maternity units with delivery theatre, post-operative care and intensive care facilities for babies
• Intensive care with 10 beds
• Quarantine department with 9 beds
• Requirement for the Ophthalmology operation theatre

The main goal of Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital is to offer medical services for children, women and those in need. The child mortality rate in the area should drop, as well as the rate of women dying during pregnancy or whilst giving birth.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

Our project is innovative as no medical facilities have been given to the people of rural Pali so far. We also try to offer Ayurvedic medicine, to give the people their natural treatments. We try to train the people to deal with health related issues, so that these mentors can go to the rural villages to spread the message (preventive talks and community health workers). People here have problems as they simply don't know how to stay healthy (e.g. healthy diet and nutrition needs of children or basic dental hygiene). The free medical camps (free treatment, free medicine) and free eye operations we are offering, are still not enough. A lot more needs to be done, a lot more things have to be for free. These camps are innovative, as we try to go into the villages and treat or select people for treatments there. Because transportation is not always available for them (farmers, living under the poverty line, in conditions unimaginable to us). We try to train Indians to help their own people, therefore our whole medical staff is from India. We employ underprivileged people from the area, and we are also offering work places for receptionists, pharmacists, cleaners, people working as assistants or in the laboratory. They live close to the hospital with their families, guaranteeing them a better life, education for the children – as a school is nearby – a regular income and a safe environment. Also our community health workers - which we are planning to establish - should be from the small villages. Although this seems quite a challenging task, as most people here are illiterate.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

The state of Rajasthan, and especially the region where we are operating, is mainly populated by farmers, living in extreme poverty. There is only 1 doctor for 7582 people in the disctrict Pali!

They are very traditional and don't know much about medical care, prevention, hygiene or healthy lifestyle. As they have to struggle to survive, as the Thar desert is a very demanding place to live, they can't afford medical treatment. They usually don't have transportation possibilities. For example: a lot of people around here are blind or have severe eye diseases due to infections (poor hygiene),lack of vitamin A, needed for the retina of the eye, too much sun exposure (near Jodhpur,the "sun city", in Metania,is the village with the most sun days of the world!, people don't protect their eyes with glasses and people work the whole day in the fields without eye protection (the ultra violet light of the sun and the heat causes coagulation of the protein of the eye lenses, and blindness due to cataract disease is the consequence.)

The under-five mortality rate is shockingly high (74 out of 1000 children die, in comparison to Austria where 5 out of 1000 die). Children are the weakest part of the society and are therefore more exposed to diseases, infections etc. As their immune system is not fully developed yet, they are more prone to die even of simple infections or diseases.
Also the still existing caste system and the preference of male offspring’s, are leading to cultural problems that are reflected in the numbers.

Our efforts have brought a lot of change already, we could operate several people with eye diseases and try to treat people for free as much as possible. The existing problem is, that we don't have enough treatment facilities for pregnant women. Furthermore more camps would be needed, to take away the skepsis of the people towards the hospital and medical treatment overall.

Here a story of one eye patient: Sangeeta Bhera Ramji
“I am a 30 old woman, working in the fields, unmarried, living alone with my mother in Gundoj, a village 40km away from Jadan. Two years ago during my work in the fields, a stick of wood was pushed in my right eye, causing much pain. I didn’t go to any doctor for treatment of this injury, I did not have the money or transportation. My right eye was burning and water flow out all the time and it was painful. I didn’t go to the doctor because still I could see. And I have to work to earn money for my mother and me. In the last 3 month my eyesight became worse. I could not see properly any more and was unable to do my work. After 6 months my right eye became nearly blind. Thanks to God my brother Ramesh Garg gave us some money so that we could survive. My brother saw in the newspaper the announcement of the Camp in the Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital and that’s why I could come here. I have been operated on the 13.11. and I can see now on both eyes. I can not describe you how happy I am. The operation was successful, I can now live a normal life and I am not any more handicapped.“ One eye operation costs only 30 Euro, but people around here can rarely afford it.

For some stories please read our blog http://jadanhospital.blogspot.com

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Sadhvi Dr. Shanti Puri, by profession a Medical Doctor, Dentist, was born 1944 in Vienna, Austria. After retirement, she started to be active for this humanitarian project. Yoga in Daily Life teacher and since 1978 a disciple of Swamiji. "Since 1980 I have been coming to India, mostly to Rajasthan, observing the conditions of medical care there. I love the divine land of India and the Indians and I admire their Vedic tradition and spiritual wisdom. I feel the necessity to do my best to help people to get effective medical treatment. That is why I am part of the team to build and run the Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital in Jadan."

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Our success can be measured through the numerous people we could help already. Through the camps we did, the free treatments we gave people there and the free operations afterwards. Furthermore some schoolchildren have been given healthcare education already, spreading the message also to their families. Their medical conditions have been improved since.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1,001-10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Provide more preventive medicine programs for women in pregnancy, birth and neonatal care. More free medical camps!

Task 1

train community health workers as mentors

Task 2

buying of a small car to drive to the small village

Task 3

get more donations for the free medical camps

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

- Regular camps in the hospital and in villages (once every 2 weeks)
- Regular health talks in the school nearby and in villages

Task 1

more donations are needed!

Task 2

find people willing to get trained

Task 3

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

We try to offer more medical care to those in need, especially for children and pregnant women. We would love to provide special care for those high risk groups. Furthermore the camps should be well-known and people should come for treatments also the hospital.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

The barrier we are constantly facing is to keep the hospital going and to provide free service or service at very low costs for the population. Lack of funding is also the reason, why we have not finished all departments and could not open up the operation theatres.

• Salaries for the employees, doctors, nurses etc. have to be met to guarantee a European standard of medicine
• Medical equipment, tools, medicine, stationary, materials are needed every day to sustain the treatment
• Water, electricity needs to be paid every month
• In case of need, we want to provide free medical treatment and free medical camps for those in need, who can not afford to pay even small amounts

We are frequently struggling to keep resources fluid, to help the needy ones.

We plan to apply for funding for diverse NGOs and will broaden our donation basis (give 10 Euro per month). We need strong investors and NGOs who are willing to give money for a longer period. Furthermore we will establish a better volunteer basis, so that volunteers help us with Marketing/PR, fundraising and on-site management of the hospital. We don't have enough time to apply for funding, as the running and management of the hospital is very time demanding.

Tell us about your partnerships

Currently we have a partnership with the Yoga in Daily Life organization and the organization Austria Hospital in India. We get lots of inputs from Sambhali Trust and also the Soziale Initiative Trust from Austria

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$50,001‐100,000

Explain your selections

A lot of private donors, friends, family and individuals are supporting the project. Also the above mentioned organizations/foundations are supporting us with money and knowledge.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

In the next couple of years we want to guarentee that NGOs, businesses and probably also the government of diverse countries are sponsoring us, either through medical equipment or through donations or funds. So we can guarentee a long-term financing of our services and can invest further.

Challenges

www.twitter.com/MizDynamyte

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Lack of affordable care

SECONDARY

Lack of physical access to care/lack of facilities

TERTIARY

Limited diagnosis/detection of diseases

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

As mentioned before, we try to offer low-cost or medical services for free. We also try to go to the people, offer medical camps in the villages where the people are. We also have an ambulance, to bring the people to the hospital.
Our hospital is offering medical treatment and diagnosis that was not offered in this region before.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

SECONDARY

Other (please specify below)

TERTIARY

Other (please specify below)

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

We try to invest further and guarentee more treatments and more camps for the needy ones. We want to open up various new departments to offer a broader health care to the poor people of Rajasthan.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

Married Adolescent Girls Initiative: Empowering young married girls and single mothers in Nasarawa State, northern Nigeria

Created on 08/22/2011 by evanigeria

This project envisions a society where young single mothers and married girls (15 - 25 years) reach their full developmental potentials. We provide young girls with skills to improve their maternal health and take care of their children. We also empower them to take action to prevent HIV infection among themselves and provide young girls with business management trainings in order to decrease their economic vulnerabilities.

About You

Organization: Education as a Vaccine Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Manre

Last Name

Chirtau

Twitter

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Education as a Vaccine

Organization Website

http://www.evanigeria.org

Organization Phone

+2348078546315

Organization Address

4th Floor Standard Plaza, 2 Kusti Close, Off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja

Organization Country

Nigeria, CT

Country where this project is creating social impact

Nigeria, NA

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Married Adolescent Girls Initiative: Empowering young married girls and single mothers in Nasarawa State, northern Nigeria

What change do you want to bring to the world?

What are the primary activities of your project?

Peer Education: Beneficiaries are trained as peer health educators. Through this training they are empowered to take charge of their reproductive health and rights and they are also empowered to share the information and skills they get with their peers
Mentoring: The most vulnerable girls are paired with women role models from their communities. The purpose of the mentoring activities is to increase their social capital and also inspire the young women to take full responsibility of their lives.
Economic Strengthening: Vulnerable girls are provided with business management trainings. These girls were formed into income generating activity (IGA) self help groups. This is to increase their entrepreneurial skills so that they can start and run successful businesses and take care of their families.
Safe Space Sharing Sessions: These are community-based discussion forums that provides a safe environment to discuss cultural issues and how it affects their lives. They also discuss and learn from each other in order to overcome their challenges, without the influencing presence of older women and men. Topics discussed include gender, decision-making, child immunization, etc

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

The National Demographic Health Survey 2008 revealed that 46% of women between the ages of 20-49 years were married by age 18 and 58% were married by age 20. The study revealed that about one in four women (24%) were married by age 15 compared with less than 1% of men. Only 13% of men between 25 and 49 years had married by 20 years compared to 60% of women.
Early marriage is associated with a higher risk to sexual and reproductive health infections and complications due to a lack of participation rights, little to no control over resources and household power. Due to cultural pressure and expectations, young girls who marry early are also more likely to experience early child birth placing them at risk of VVF and other pregnancy-related complications. Educationally, young married girls are at a disadvantage as her chances of continuing their education diminishes after marriage as they adopt the roles of a wife. Their social mobility and engagements are also restricted to household and child-related activities. As such, they lack access to basic sexual and health information that target young people.
Most youth health or women health projects do not address the unique needs of young married women and single mothers, especially their economic needs. This project is unique in the sense that it works only with young married girls and single mothers, addresses their reproductive and maternal health and also empowers them economically.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for less than a year

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Nassarawa state is one of Nigeria’s 36 states located in the north-central zone of the country. It occupies approximately 27,116.8 square kilometres in land mass and is primarily an agrarian economy. The state has been termed a “hot spot” state by the national government due to the rapid spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the region. According to the 2008 HIV/AIDS sentinel survey, the prevalence rate in the state is estimated at 10% more than double the national prevalence and the second highest in the country. As one of the traditional Islamic states, the law allows for young girls to be married at the age of 16, which is lower than the national age of 18 years. The project is implemented in Wamba, Sisibaki, and Farin Ruwa communities, all located in Wamba local government area, which has a high concentration of young married girls.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Education as a Vaccine (EVA) was founded in October 2000 by two young, Nigerian-born women. Fadekemi Agarau and Damilola Adebiyi went to America during childhood, where they remained through the completion of their undergraduate education at Wesleyan University. After learning, toward the end of their college careers, about the AIDS epidemic affecting their homeland, they joined forces to combat the disease and the socio-cultural misconceptions surrounding it. They were inspired to return to Nigeria to help control the spread of HIV/AIDS. In December 1999, they took a trip together to Nigeria, and with the help of a healthcare consulting firm they were able to conduct formative research. The results revealed that a majority of young people lacked basic knowledge of the disease, were sometimes in denial of their potential to contract the disease, and lacked the life skills necessary to prevent infection. In order to make their vision a reality, they applied to the Echoing Green Foundation and were awarded one of their prestigious grants. With this generous gift and their own confidence and convictions, they were able to turn their ideas into an established organization. With the dedication of its founders and staff, assistance of volunteers and support from the community, EVA has been continuously growing and has become one of the most respected youth organizations Nigeria. EVA targets the most marginalized youth groups including young sex workers, out of school youth, young married girls and single mothers, orphans and vulnerable children, etc

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

The project has been running for less than a year and therefore a formal evaluation has not been conducted yet. A baseline assessment was conducted at project inception and an evaluation will be conducted after a year of implementation. However, the project has trained 25 young married girls and single mothers as peer educators and they in turn have reached 153 peers with information on HIV prevention, sexual reproductive health, maternal health. Additionally, the project has reached over 200 young women with life skills and other gender-related issues through the safe space sharing sessions. 30 young girls have been paired with mentors and these girls and their mentors have reported an increase in self esteem and self efficacy.
30 girls have been trained on business management and formed into self help cooperatives. Through this initiative the project has recorded a change in the saving habit of the girls as they currently save more money than they did in the past.
The project has also noticed a definite increase in the number of young women who access family planning services from the local health facilities.
In three years we are hoping that this project will expand outside the current three community clusters in order to reach more young people. The vision is that in three years the project will reach a minimum of 1000 young married women and single mothers.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

101- 1,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Increase the efficiency of the mentoring and economic strengthening component of the project to reach more girls and also to provide more impact

Task 1

Review and evaluate the current mentoring and economic strengthening components to identify lessons learnt, best practices and challenges and also get recommendations for increasing impact

Task 2

Restructure the mentoring and economic strengthening components to reflect learnings from the review.

Task 3

Recruit new vulnerable beneficiaries into the mentoring and economic strengthening components. Monitor.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Young married women and single mothers are economically active and are practicing safer sexual practices including abstinence and family planning (prevention of unplanned pregnancies)

Task 1

Facilitate greater community engagement to increase community support for the behavioral changes the project wants to achieve

Task 2

Strengthen referrals and linkages between the economic strengthening component and other public and private micro-enterprise initiatives.

Task 3

Strengthen referrals and linkages to public and private maternal health/family planning initiatives so that young women have a sustained access to information and services

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

Over the next three years we want the project to become a hub of learning for young women's health interventions. We want the project to expand beyond the initial three communities to reach young women in other Northern Nigerian communities.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

The major barrier that might hinder the success of this project is lack of community acceptance and resistance to change. The community might not support young women's economic independence or young women's right to make reproductive health decisions. This can be overcome by working closely with community leaders and other stakeholders to understand the benefits that these changes will bring to their entire community. Another challenge is sustaining beneficiary interest in the project, which can be overcome by providing material incentives to the participants of the program.

Tell us about your partnerships

This project works with several entities:
Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs): These are the health providers at the community level and the project works closely with them to ensure that young women receive services when they are referred to those centers.
Micro-finance banks: The self help IGA groups have accounts with micro-finance banks, in order to increase their access to loans.
Local government authorities: the self help groups are registered at the local government level as cooperatives. This ensures their legal status and also increases access to grants and other resources from the local government.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$10,001‐50,000

Explain your selections

The project is supported by the Irish Embassy (Irish AID) in Nigeria

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

In the next three years, this project would like to strengthen the community ownership of this project. We would like the peer educators to sustain their activities without financial or material incentives. We would also like the self help groups to become sustainable and run with little or no support from the organization. There are mechanisms being put in place to ensure this happens, for example the self help groups are encouraged to hold their monthly group meetings in the absence of the project staff.

We would also like strengthen the links to public and private initiatives within the state and the country. We would like for the community (and the project) to be able to access resources from within the country rather than depending on foreign support (as is the current situation).

Challenges

http://www.facebook.com/ghettofilmschool

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Health behavior change

SECONDARY

Lack of insurance/financing options for healthcare

TERTIARY

Restrictive cultural norms

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

The project increases the reproductive and maternal health knowledge of the beneficiaries of the project, in order to ensure they have accurate health information. The project also works to increases their economic activity, thereby ensuring that they have the financial means to overcome their economic vulnerabilities including susceptibility to transactional sexual activities. The project works with the community in order to promote an enabling environment that allows them to practice their new (and positive) behaviors.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

SECONDARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

TERTIARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Right now the project provides mentoring, economic strengthening and health education. Based on the needs identified, additional services or components will be added to the project.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

The Mid-Winter Institute: An Innovative Immersion into Filmmaking

Created on 08/18/2011 by ghettofilmschool

The Mid-Winter Institute cultivates creativity by putting the tools of narrative filmmaking directly into the hands of students.

About You

Organization: Ghetto Film School Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Kathy

Last Name

Julik-Heine

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/#!/ghettofilm

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Ghetto Film School

Organization Website

http://www.ghettofilm.org/

Organization Country

United States, NY, Bronx County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States, NY, Bronx County

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Entry Form title

The Mid-Winter Institute: An Innovative Immersion into Filmmaking

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for 1‐5 years

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

In an age when information has become instantly accessible and the lines separating our communities across the globe have begun to blur, the need for distinctive skill sets and truly creative education institutions has become crucial. Educating and developing youth in the power of storytelling equips them with the ability to imagine, innovate and invent as they enter an ever expanding world.

The United States’ public education system desperately needs an infusion of creativity and innovation in order to remain competitive as we transition into a globalized world and inter-dependent economy. Prior to the introduction of the Ghetto Film School (GFS) and its affiliate public high school The Cinema School (TCS), a vast disconnect existed between the storytellers of the Bronx and the film, media and entertainment industries. TCS cultivates a much-needed stream of diverse, vibrant talent and introduces it to leaders in these industries. By providing the necessary tools in media, TCS gives voice to ideas, sets the stage for broadcasting the dreams of young people on a global scale and serves as a replicable model for innovation within the American public education system.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

The Mid-Winter Institute (MWI), a project of The Cinema School (TCS), offers a month-long immersion into cinematic storytelling by introducing students to a series of film projects. MWI provides a link between youth and their greater global citizenry by giving them the tools to broadcast the stories of their home communities to the world. MWI leverages the capacity of this connection by operating within a select admissions public high school, incorporating innovative partnerships and training to its core in the creative arts. Of course, in order for a solution to be viable, it must first be accessible.

The Cinema School, which hosts the MWI, is the nation's first public film high school, offering students a rigorous liberal arts curriculum grounded in creative activity. It prepares students for the best colleges, and pushes them to new levels of understanding of themselves and the world.
MWI is further powered by innovative partnerships that strategically integrate it into the film and media industries in NYC. Leading companies within these industries recognize the long-term value of TCS and are committed to the school’s success, a commitment demonstrated through the provision of technical support, guest instructors and funding.

The final component and true engine of this program lies at its arts-based core. Filmmaking opens up new ways of seeing and thinking. This, when coupled with a well-rounded academic program, empowers the voices and visions of participating students. TCS’s MWI is a solution for a new era of public education and global citizenship.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

Each January, the Mid-Winter Institute (MWI) offers a unique new lens through which students of the Cinema School learn the art of filmmaking. In their first year, 9th graders are introduced to the realm of Animation. In 10th grade, students spend the month learning and creating within the structure of the Music Video. As 11th graders, students enter for the first time into the world of dialogue, where they immerse in the Sync-Sound Short.

In their final year, students take their first big step into full-scale filmmaking with the Collaborative Thesis Project. For one month each winter, all curriculums a TCS operate concurrently, creating a 30-day film conservatory of daily structured learning in each medium.
The Institute comes fully equipped with a curriculum that spans cinematic history, hands-on experimentation and elements of story, and hosts a diverse array of renowned leaders in the industry who serve as instructors and lecturers. Most importantly, the Institute puts the camera, a tool for catalyzing new perspective and engagement, directly into the hands of the students. This bold approach to education arms students with the power of storytelling, schooling them in the fundamentals of film and beyond. Through the incorporation of guest instructors, the Institute plugs students directly into the industry. The Ghetto Film School, the over-arching organization that developed the Cinema School and MWI, believes this model proves that when students learn through the lens of something they care about, real creative power is unleashed.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

The Cinema School (TCS) and component program the Mid-Winter Institute (MWI) are unique among peers in the marketplace. TCS stands alone as a select-admissions public high school in New York City with an integrated film curriculum rooted firmly in narrative storytelling. Other youth media organizations do exist within New York City, but they differ in two important ways.

First, their operations generally educate youth outside of the classroom and independent of the public education system. And second, most youth media organizations rely heavily or exclusively on the documentary format. TCS and MWI have a deep belief in the compelling power of narrative, and the critical challenge it presents to young people. It is likely that as models such as MWI continue to prove successful in the field, direct peers will begin to emerge. As this occurs in the market for creative education, TCS and programs such as MWI will remain at the forefront of the field because of the strength of their educational model, as well as the Ghetto Film School’s robust network and long-standing relationships within the film and entertainment industries.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

After attending Columbia University, where he earned a master's degree in public administration and social work, Joe Hall, Ghetto Film School’s Founder and President, worked for a community development organization in the South Bronx, and by the age of 27 was overseeing a department of 150 employees. In 1999, Joe received a foundation fellowship that placed community leaders into different fields. He chose to study film at the University of Southern California.

At USC, Joe realized that there was a real racial and economic disparity in the makeup of the students attending the nation’s top film school. The school’s dean explained the expense of filmmaking shut many out of the process, including talented youth from the Bronx. Joe returned to the Bronx in the summer of 2000 to found The Ghetto Film School, and to provide local youth with access to the film and media industries.

In 2009, the Ghetto Film School, in partnership with the New York Department of Education, introduced the nation’s first public film high school, The Cinema School. As a lynchpin of the school’s curriculum, the Mid-Winter Institute was developed as a month-long conservatory during January of each year.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

The Ghetto Film School (GFS), the laboratory that developed The Cinema School and the Mid-Winter Institute, alone has reached over 500 emerging filmmakers through programs and community partnerships. A recent study found that within GFS students graduate from high school at a rate double that of their peers (100% of students, compared with 42.05% of NYC Black and Latino students, and 49.5% of all NYC students) and more than 80% of students enroll in college (compared with 62.6% for all NYC high school students). The study further found that students are consistently accepted to top colleges and universities, including Columbia University, Smith College, and NYU/Tisch.
Each year The Cinema School (TCS) enrolls 80 students per class in its film-based curriculum. Since opening its doors in 2009, TCS and the Mid-Winter Institute (MWI) have directly impacted 160 students to date. At TCS, students also exceed the standards set by their peers across the city with a 97% attendance rate and a 100% Regents Test pass rate (compared to 55% in NYC). MWI enhances these statistics by providing a creative conservatory that brings the stories of these emerging filmmakers to the world.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

The Mid-Winter Institute (MWI) is poised to continue impacting 80 students per class per year (240 in 2012, 320 in 2013) with each annual rendition. In the next five years, the MWI program will have engaged 400 students in addition to the 160 who have experienced the institute thus far. The idea is certainly replicable both within the Cinema School as well as within all communities domestically and globally. The program serves as a terrific and established model for other innovators in creative education to learn from and apply directly to their own work.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

The successful completion of the 2012 Mid-Winter Institute

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Evaluating and strengthening 9th and 10th grade curriculums from 2010 and 2011 (July – August 2011)

Task 2

Designing and developing a new curriculum for the 2012 11th grade class (September – October 2011)

Task 3

Securing a strong line-up of guest speakers and field trips for the 9th, 10th and 11th grade curriculums (October – December 201

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Evaluation of the 2012 Institute and development of the 2013 Institute with all four grade levels

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Evaluation of strengths and weakness of 2012 including student, teacher and parent assessments (March – June 2012)

Task 2

Public screening of student work upon the completion of the 2011-12 school year (June 2012)

Task 3

Designing and developing a strong final 12th grade curriculum for 2013 (July – August 2012)

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101 - 1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1001‐10,000

Sustainability

Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured

Non-profit

What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?

The process of executing the first two Mid-Winter Institutes (MWI) in 2010 and 2011 required designing a ground breaking and innovative curriculum, as well as organizing a vast network of stakeholders. Though the tasks initially seemed like daunting barriers, the Ghetto Film School and Cinema School staff have been able to meet all such challenges thus far. As the Institute grows to include two additional curricula and full line-ups of guest instructors, GFS will rely on the strength of its leadership and the inventiveness and dedication of its staff for support to address all future challenges as they arise.

How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?

The Cinema School and umbrella organization Ghetto Film School see information-technology and media as being major players in shaping the future of our global economy. As information becomes universally accessible, the true leaders and innovators of our next generation will be those who can best tell the story that the numbers provide. An investment in the next generation of creative artists, producers, and active storytellers is an investment that will steer representation towards diversity, long-term sustainability and success.

Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?

The Cinema School and umbrella organization Ghetto Film School firmly believe that failure is never an option. The organization is 100% committed to investing all resources to ensure the success of MWI. The organization has experienced two extremely successful years of the Mid-Winter Institute and looks forward to developing and evolving the program as each new year unfolds.

Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding

The Mid-Winter Institute’s umbrella organization, the Ghetto Film School, operates with the support of a diverse array of funders including government, corporate and foundation support, as well as a strong earned income engine. As the organization and its programs expand, the Ghetto Film School plans to further develop forms of earned income and to further strengthen each pillar of support so that it never relies too heavily on one revenue stream.

Tell us about your partnerships

The Cinema School (TCS) relies on many key partnerships to fulfill its mission. These partnerships include both those who donate high quality products and services as well as direct funders. Wieden+Kennedy (an independent global ad agency), Final Cut (a creative editorial company) and Headsets & Highballs (a media network comprised of young industry leaders and artists) all provide in-kind support for TCS. NewsCorps, ConEdison, and the JP Morgan Chase Foundation are partners who provide funding support for programming and operations.

What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?

The Ghetto Film School (GFS) has nine full-time employees, all of whom dedicate time to the execution of the Mid-Winter Institute (MWI). The Cinema School's Program Coordinator, Andres Santiago, and GFS's Program Director, Derrick Cameron, are the two dedicated full-time staff members on the program. MWI relies further on the support of its stellar line up of guest instructors who in the past have included such top filmmakers as Wes Anderson, Charles Stone III, Spike Jonze, Tamra Davis, David O. Russell and many more.

Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply

Investment.

Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply

Research or information, Innovation or ideas.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list

Summary

http://www.facebook.com/BSRorg

Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences

The Ghetto Film School seeks to educate, develop and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers.

Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences

The Mid-Winter Institute cultivates creativity by putting the tools of narrative filmmaking directly into the hands of students.

7 attachments

HERproject: Improving Women’s Health and Wellbeing Through Global Supply Chains

Created on 08/17/2011 by Racheal Yeager

About You

Organization: BSR Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Racheal

Last Name

Yeager

Twitter

https://twitter.com/#!/BSRnews

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

BSR

Organization Website

http://www.bsr.org/

Organization Phone

415 984 3200

Organization Address

Sutter Street, 12th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104

Organization Country

United States

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

HERproject: Improving Women’s Health and Wellbeing Through Global Supply Chains

What change do you want to bring to the world?

BSR’s HERproject seeks to promote female-dominated low-wage workplaces – predominantly clothing, footwear, and electronics manufacturing facilities – as access hubs for quality information about general and reproductive health, basic counselling and services, and referrals to external women’s health services. We use peer education and nurse capacity building to empower female workers to take responsibility for their health and the health of their families and communities. We want to help close the reproductive health access gap in support of MDG 5 and help women overcome simple day-to-day health challenges that limit their wellbeing and their capacity for economic participationWe also seek to make the business case: Healthier workers make for a healthier business.

What are the primary activities of your project?

Launched in 2007, BSR’s HERproject links multi-national companies and their factories to local NGOs to create sustainable workplace programs that increase women’s general and reproductive health awareness and wellbeing.HERproject delivers general and reproductive health knowledge and seeks to improve health services provided to women workers inside factory settings in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam. HERproject curriculum is tailored to each factory, but generally includes hygiene, menstrual hygiene, reproductive health, female anatomy, infectious diseases, sexually transmitted infections, maternal health, family planning, and harassment and abuse. Some factories also include ergonomics, workplace safety, and mental health components. HERproject programs are 12-18 months in length and are delivered through a peer education methodology. Activities include health needs (baseline) and impact assessments in every factory, as well as training events and techniques tailored to individual factory needs. HERproject also seeks to build partnerships with local health service providers.
HERproject has operated in 80 factories reaching approximately 100,000 women workers globally. More than 10,000 female factory workers have had their health assessed and more than 3,000 peer educators have been trained. This initiative has not only improved women’s health, but has also demonstrated that there is a return on investment, in the form of reduced absenteeism and turnover and other benefits, for companies who provide similar programs to their workers.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

HERproject’s first innovation was to design a needs-based program versus an objective driven model. Our program was built on a foundation of a six-country in-depth needs assessment, and country-specific training materials development.
Secondly, HERproject is innovative in our effort to engage working women in their place of work. Many successful community health education programs exist, but female factory-workers were not benefitting from these initiatives. In addition, targeting women who are earning an income contributes to a positive ripple effect: Equipped with better information about their health, women are more likely to educate their families and friends, thereby improving the health and wellbeing of communities.
A third innovation of the HERproject model is collaboration and scale: HERproject has 13 company partners, many of whom are industry competitors. No other factory-based health programs can demonstrate the same level of collaboration. This collaboration enables us to expand the reach of our program to additional factories and geographies, making HERproject unique in our global reach and scale of over 80 factory programs.
Finally, a fourth innovation of our model is our focus on the business case, and our commitment to adapt each program to individual factory circumstances. These commitments promote factory ownership and sustainability. HERproject has also made significant contributions to the field in demonstrating quantitative and qualitative business impacts from our programs.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

The women we work with on HERproject range from 20 and 40 years of age, with the majority under 30. Most come from rural areas outside of the cities where they are working and live away from their families.

Worker education levels vary by country. In China, India, and Vietnam, for example, most workers are literate and have completed primary school, though most have not completed secondary school. In Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Egypt, low literacy is common, and most workers have not gone beyond primary school.

Most women that we work with earn at or just above the minimum wage for their skill level in the manufacturing sector. In most countries, other than Bangladesh, these wages are considered a living wage. In all countries, these wages are markedly better than average income of an agricultural household or of workers in the informal sector.

Gender disparity is present in all the countries we work in and has a significant impact on women’s wellbeing. Domestic violence and other forms of abuse are known to occur but are rarely discussed. In Egypt female genital mutilation is common.

Health needs are remarkably similar across the different geographies. Most women lack any formal education on personal or reproductive health. Menstrual hygiene related infections and pain are common; family planning knowledge is low; basic nutritional components of foods are unknown and common eating habits do not provide adequate iron and vitamins. Knowledge of basic hygiene, pre- and post-natal care, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, are also shared need areas.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

HERproject was founded by a BSR team in 2007, which included Chad Bolick, Ayesha Barenblat, and Cody Sisco. HERproject was created in partnership with and with financial support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. HERproject’s inspiration came from two studies BSR did with the Packard Foundation in 2002 and 2006, which examined the reproductive health risks facing female factory workers in Asia and Central America. The research was intended to expose areas of vulnerability and compel international companies and local factories to action.

However, the study also revealed that local NGOs, who delivered successful health education at the community level, were unable to reach women working in factories because of factory suspicion and lack of trust.

Around the same time the Extending Service Delivery Project, a USAID funded initiative active from 2005 to 2011, published a return-on-investment study from a factory-based women’s health initiative in Bangladesh. This study found a $3:$1 ROI from the intervention due to reduced absenteeism and turnover.

The demonstrated access gap at the local level, combined with data from the ROI study, compelled BSR to createan initiative which leveraged BSR’s access to international companies and their supply chains. The initiative was dubbed HERproject for the acronym “Health Enables Returns” because the founders felt the business case would engage companies. They were right: HERproject began with one company participant in 2007 and now has thirteen. Many cite the business case as the reason they became involved.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

HERproject’s global impact is measured by numbers of women reached along with the quality and sustainability of impact achieved. HERproject has reached approximately 100,000 women in over 80 factories in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and Vietnam. More than 10,000 female factory workers have had their health assessed and over 3,000 peer educators have been trained. Quality of impact is assessed at a factory level (below).Sustainability of impact is measured by the degree to which participating factories continue activities. As of January 2011, 19 out of 25 completed factories continued women’s health activities.

HERproject’s impact in each factory is measured by health awareness improvements, behaviour changes, factory management perspective on program, and any business benefits of the program. To date impact measurement has been conducted by local HERproject implementing partners, but we are developing metrics to compare results globally. Surveys are conducted at the beginning and end of each program.

Factory interviews have shown that HERproject improves women’s empowerment, not justhealth. These changes are powerful, particularly in contexts where women are rarely given opportunities to lead.

We also measure business impacts from HERproject, and have conducted ROI studies in Egypt, Pakistan, and Vietnam. These found quantifiable business benefits in the form of reduced worker absenteeism,attrition, and “error rates” – mistakes made in manufactured garments. Absenteeism rates for women in one factory in Egypt decreased from average 19% to 10.7% from baseline to endline year.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

More than 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Our six month milestone will be to expand participation with five more companies and to add 25 new factory and five more farm programs.

Task 1

Attract funding required to expand the program over the 2012-2015 period to new geographies and focus areas, and to take our factory program to scale.

Task 2

Conduct advocacy with the consumer goods industry to encourage wider scale investment in factory-based women’s health programs.

Task 3

Assess success of Kenya-based farm pilot to inform expansion of farm program in Africa to new countries which may include Rwanda, Tanzania, and/or Uganda.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

(1) Publish factory implementation framework to promote replication
(2) Establish farm programs in one new African country
(3) Present findings to one public health audience

Task 1

Conduct assessment of women’s health needs and economic participation in three key countries in East Africa.

Task 2

Create factory program methodology and tools, and publish and promote within the consumer goods industry.

Task 3

Disseminate health and business benefit findings as part of our advocacy efforts.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

Over the next three years, HERproject hopes to evolve in the following ways:
(1)Maintain and expand HERproject Factory and Farm programs in Asia and Africa; and,
(2)Apply HERproject findings and tools to support broad-based advocacy with the public and private sector on the need for and value of workplace-based health programs in key supply chain industries.

Both activities will support the overriding objective of achieving MDG 5 by promoting female workers’ general and reproductive health awareness and wellbeing. Through increased HERproject activities and multiplier effects of advocacy, scale and replication, BSR and our HERproject partners will seek to increase our impact ten-fold from 100,000 women to one million women by 2015.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

The barriers associated with HERproject implementation are mitigated in large part by the fact that the initiative has been operational since 2007. Nevertheless, there are a few risks inherent in our model, including:
»Access to suppliers or farms is dependent upon buyers
Multinational companies, particularly in the garment industry, frequently reorganize their supply chains due to cost or other concerns. While this is a serious risk, this situation has occurred in only 2 out of 80 factories HERproject has worked with. This risk is mitigated by the fact that most participating brands treat HERproject as a “reward” for long-term suppliers in good standing or new suppliers in which they are making a long term investment.

»Factory or farm management interfering in program content or delivery
Because training delivery requires the removal of workers from their work stations, interference remains a common challenge. BSR helps maintain brand engagement and pressure and provides guidance and lessons learned across our group of partners.

»Raised awareness may not lead to behavior change
This is a risk of any program which uses information to drive behavior change. In the case of HERproject, we have found that women are eager for access to this information and it does not take much encouragement to get them to share it with others. Moreover we have seen increased uptake of relevant products and services—such as sanitary napkins, emergency contraception, and gynaecological examinations—when these are made accessible and affordable to participating women.

Tell us about your partnerships

HERproject’s partnerships with companies, NGOs, governments, and factories are crucial to our success. Our partnership with our main government funder, Sida, quadrupled our annual budget and allowed us to quadruple program activities. Partnerships with local governments provide materials and capacity-building. Our local NGO implementing partners have taught us and each other best practice training methodologies. We are full partners in program content and design. They provide important context on the challenges on the ground. Our company partners provide important benchmarks for factory perceptions and expectations. They have improved our ability to communicate with and operate in factory settings. They help improve reporting systems andhelp us expand to new cities or countries.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$500,001‐1 million

Explain your selections

HERproject is supported financially by a combination of foundation and government grants and corporate contributions. HERproject started in 2007 with a grant from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. Since then the initiative has expanded significantly with ongoing support from the Packard Foundation, the Levi Strauss Foundation, and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). Contributions from these funders cover the costs of BSR management of the HERproject program.

Corporate contributions cover the full cost of local implementation costs in selected supplier factories. These costs are paid directly to local HERproject implementing partners. In 2010, the 13 company partners involved in HERproject contributed a total of $300,000, or 35% of a total HERproject annual budget of $850,000.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

We plan to strengthen HERproject by enhancing collaboration, advocacy, and tools to support scale and replication. We are committed to taking our program from a series of pilots to a widely recognized initiative and replicable model. This will require advocacy to promote mainstreaming women’s health education in the workplace. Our data on the business case for women’s health programs will be critical to these efforts but we will also need to collaborate for maximum impact. We hope to collaborate with the ILO and/or local labor groups, as well as international companies.

Further advocacy will be required at the local level to build the infrastructure that will support our objectives. In particular, we plan to engage Ministries of Health and Labor to share findings and provide recommendations to improve health services provision for female factory and farm workers, particularly in countries where these industries represent critical export sectors.

Another main focus area for us will be enhancing our standardized tools and methodologies. In June 2011 we launched the HERproject Toolbuilder, which provides an online platform for educational tools development for our implementing partners. We feel that the Toolbuilder represents a significant innovation for scale, and plan to continue improving and expanding its capabilities to support our expansion.

Finally, we intend to enhance our impact measurement capabilities and conduct a robust longitudinal analysis of HERproject impact and sustainability across our focus countries to support our expansionobjectives.

Challenges

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Restrictive cultural norms

SECONDARY

Health behavior change

TERTIARY

Lack of access to targeted health information and education

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Restrictive cultural norms: A significant focus of HERproject is reversing harmful cultural myths about women’s health, many to do with menstrual hygiene. These myths are extremely harmful to women’s health and once reversed, provide significant relief.

Health behavior change: We promote simple and low-cost health behavior changes, such as increased hand washing, use of sanitary napkins, proper use of family planning, and how to eat well on a budget.

Lack of access to targeted health information and education: HERproject provides targeted health information and education for women who might not have access to that information otherwise.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

SECONDARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

TERTIARY

Leveraged technology

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

We are currently working to expand our geographic outreach and impact within existing countries and into new countries. Expansion within existing countries is ongoing – we continue to add new cities for participation as well as new factories in existing cities. We anticipate adding 4-5 new focus countries over the next three years.

Our focus on adding complementary services is to expand our efforts in factory nurse capacity-building. Our 2012-2015 strategy includes a pilot nurse training program.

We leveraged technology with the creation of the HERproject Toolbuilder (www.herproject.org/toolbuilder), an online platform for creating low-literacy training materials.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

Government, NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

HERproject’s collaboration with companies, NGOs, governments, and factories are crucial to our success. Our partnership with our main government funder, Sida, quadrupled our annual budget and allowed us to quadruple program activities. Partnerships with local governments provide materials and capacity-building. Our local NGO implementing partners have taught us and each other best practice training methodologies. We are full partners in program content and design. They provide important context on the challenges on the ground. Our company partners provide important benchmarks for factory perceptions and expectations. They have improved our ability to communicate with and operate in factory settings. They help improve reporting systems andhelp us expand to new cities or countries.

Connecting the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

Created on 08/17/2011 by BYHP

About You

Organization: Boston Young Healthcare Professionals Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Melina

Last Name

Ward

Twitter

Facebook Profile

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Boston Young Healthcare Professionals

Organization Website

www.byhp.org

Organization Phone

908-872-3725

Organization Address

94 Day Street, Unit #2, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Organization Country

United States, MA, Suffolk County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States, XX

Is your organization a

Not registered

How long has your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Connecting the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders

What change do you want to bring to the world?

Boston Young Healthcare Professionals (BYHP) is a pioneering organization focused on connecting emerging and passionate healthcare professionals in the greater Boston area to build strong cross-sector relationships and build knowledge across all healthcare fields. It provides a vital opportunity for young professionals to connect, collaborate, and share knowledge and experiences in the complex and evolving healthcare environment. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst and resource for the development of young and emerging healthcare professionals who will work together to ensure informed healthcare improvements for all and to navigate the immense challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for healthcare.

What are the primary activities of your project?

BYHP seeks to highlight diverse perspectives on key healthcare topics, provide insight into various healthcare fields, and foster relationships. BYHP offers a range of different events and opportunities to both BYHP members and the public focused on: 1) education, 2) professional development and networking, and 3) targeted civic engagement with Boston area organizations. We believe our model has the ability to transform the field of healthcare by training young professionals to engage in cross-sector discussions and education to ultimately be better equipped to improve the health outcomes of individuals, families, and communities in the Boston area and beyond. BYHP creates a forum for young professionals who might not meet otherwise to convene in the hopes of driving knowledge and change in the healthcare sector.

To successfully execute our activities, we have an executive board of seven members to lead organizational strategy as well as focused committees to strategically implement marketing/communications, fundraising, programming/events, and membership to help sustainably grow the organization.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

BYHP stems from the realization that Boston lacks a healthcare forum for young professionals across healthcare fields to develop meaningful cross-sector knowledge and relationships. Currently, other educational and professional development organizations and forums in Boston focus exclusively on one field and/or on more experienced professionals. The lack of this forum results in limited opportunities for young healthcare professionals to reach outside their respective silos and gain exposure to the larger healthcare landscape. BYHP believes that a cross-sector forum is especially important in Boston where the state is a leader in healthcare innovation and policy and where healthcare is one of the largest employment sectors for the next generation of healthcare leaders. The healthcare system needs leaders with cross-sector knowledge, perspectives and networks to continue to drive improvements in quality, efficiency, and access in the face of the healthcare system’s increasing complexity. It is our vision that BYHP members will bring their cross-sector knowledge, perspectives, and relationships to influence others in Boston and beyond; it is this generation of innovative thinkers who will have the greatest influence on the future of health and healthcare in the US and internationally.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for less than a year

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

BYHP’s target audience is young healthcare professionals passionate about launching their careers in Boston and building relationships and knowledge across all healthcare disciplines. They range from ages 21 to 35, holding a bachelor’s, master’s, or terminal degree, with at least one year of healthcare work or internship experience. They represent a wide range of healthcare disciplines, including but not limited to: clinical, provider, payer, pharmaceutical/life sciences, medical devices, policy/advocacy, consulting, research, legal, IT, and government. BYHP seeks to ensure that all young professionals who identify as part of the healthcare sector are aware of and can participate in our events and discussions.

Massachusetts has proven itself to be a leader in the reform of the United States’ broken healthcare system. Committed to the idea that access to healthcare is a basic human need, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to put in place a practical plan to expand affordable health care, passing comprehensive health reform legislation in 2006. It is this climate of healthcare innovation in Massachusetts that has drawn young, healthcare professionals to Boston to jumpstart and expand their careers. However, Massachusetts still lacks many cross-sector opportunities for these young, dedicated professionals to collaborate and share knowledge and experiences as part of a larger effort to fix the fragmented healthcare system.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

When Alena Smalligan first moved to Boston to begin her career in the healthcare sector in 2010, she envisioned endless opportunities to foster cross-sector relationships and knowledge, both of which she knew were critical to the development of leaders in the healthcare sector. However, when she entered hospital consulting, she gained an immense amount of hospital knowledge and developed her network around this area but struggled to find opportunities to interact with young professionals in other related areas of healthcare. Meanwhile, Jessica Hamilton was active in the consumer healthcare advocacy hat she entered in 2009. While it was an exciting time and she was at the center of issues related to healthcare policy, she didn’t know anyone outside of her organization who was also dedicated to building an influential career in healthcare. Jessica and Alena joined together to create BYHP to fill this gap by providing young healthcare professionals with the network, knowledge, and development opportunities necessary to achieve their full potential to affect change. The vision of the founding executive board that Jessica and Alena chair is for BYHP to serve as the go-to organization for healthcare professionals passionate about developing knowledge and relationships across the sector. This vision will be achieved by focusing on educational events and structured opportunities to develop relationships with passionate young professionals from across the sector.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

To date, BYHP has more than 650 individuals who have signed up to receive notifications about BYHP’s future events. With the membership base continually growing over the course of the last year, BYHP has already held three professional networking events, two educational events, and a formal launch event to officially introduce the organization. The launch event saw more than 250 attendees, representing the spectrum of healthcare disciplines.

We have also recruited a diverse Advisory Board of experienced healthcare professionals, including a former state representative, a member of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" obesity initiative taskforce, a community health center executive, and a compliance officer at a pharmaceutical company—just to name a few. The Advisory Board is composed of accomplished professionals from across the healthcare sector and provides guidance on organizational development and strategic planning.

Our growing membership body, both in terms of the number of members and the number of fields which the members represent, has been an important metric in measuring the early stages of our success. BYHP is committed to consistently monitoring and evaluating its activities through specific and measurable objectives and goals, including for example: event attendance, member satisfaction surveys, event feedback, percent of market reached, and relationships with area organizations/businesses.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1,001-10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

To solidify the foundation for BYHP to be a sustainable, efficient, and respected organization.

Task 1

To complete 3-5 strong educational events for BYHP members and the public.

Task 2

To engage an even broader range of young healthcare professionals from different areas of healthcare.

Task 3

To develop and implement an ongoing communications and marketing strategy to increase BYHP’s public presence, as well as attain 501(c)(3) status.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

To position BYHP to become the go-to organization for young healthcare professionals in Boston.

Task 1

To hold First Annual Conference to celebrate one year (e.g., demonstrate longevity, increased partnerships, impact).

Task 2

To develop strong, symbiotic relationships with employers, graduate schools, etc. in Boston and the greater Boston area.

Task 3

To maximize the number of opportunities for members to develop collaborative relationships through educational and civic engagement opportunities.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

BYHP strives to have a large and diverse membership base of young healthcare professionals. To support current and future members, BYHP has set the following goals: 1) to develop strategic programming and financial partnerships across the healthcare sectors with corporations and organizations; 2) to support members to develop collaborative relationships with colleagues in other sectors; and 3) for BYHP to be a known and respected entity in Boston among employers and the community across sectors. Further, we hope to continue to reach more members with the goal of replicating BYHP’s innovative model beyond the greater Boston area.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

Although we are a registered charitable organization in the state of Massachusetts, at this time, we do not have IRS, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status. With respect to fundraising, this has limited some of our efforts, and currently financial barriers are one of our main concerns in ensuring that we have both the greatest immediate and long term impact. To address this issue, we have established membership dues and entrance fees for our educational and professional events in order to offset the cost of the events thus far. However, we seek to ensure that cost is not a disincentive for participation in BYHP’s activities and events, as we recognize that many of our members and interested parties face fiscal challenges as students or employees of non-profits. We want to be accessible to all members of the healthcare world, regardless of ability to pay.

Through fundraising and the membership and event fees, we have the fiscal resources to establish a sustainable foundation; however, the financial barriers related to the build-up phase of the organization are the biggest challenge to maximizing BYHP’s immediate impact and long-term potential.

Tell us about your partnerships

Although we do not have any formal partnerships at this time, we plan to develop strategic programming and financial partnerships across the sectors with corporations and organizations in Boston. To date, the BYHP leadership has received tremendous support from our employers and several other organizations and educational institutions, representing the diverse range of healthcare disciplines we seek to engage.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$10,001‐50,000

Explain your selections

BYHP is supported by dues from the BYHP Executive board, membership fees, fees charged at events, and by contributions and sponsorships from organizations and businesses. We have also received a great deal of in-kind advice and venue space to hold our events.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

We will strengthen our organization by continuing to define sustainable practices and protocols to ensure the long-term success of BYHP. We plan to utilize a comprehensive social media strategy to meet busy young health professionals where they are and aid in their learning and career development so that they can better work to improve health outcomes in years ahead. By expanding our membership base and community outreach, our members will play an important role in mentoring the pipeline of future healthcare leaders. We see measuring and achieving the metrics outlined in the “Impact” section as a crucial component of strengthening BYHP in the coming years.

Challenges

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Other (Specify Below)

SECONDARY

Other (Specify Below)

TERTIARY

Other (Specify Below)

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

Barrier 1: the lack of a healthcare forum for young professionals across healthcare disciplines. Barrier 2: poor health outcomes and unsustainable healthcare costs due to a siloed healthcare system, which is exacerbated by the lack of innovation spurred by collaboration. BYHP will serve as a forum for young professionals across all healthcare disciplines to collaborate, share knowledge, and grow their careers. Through these strengthened relationships, they will be able to gain deeper insight into the challenges of healthcare as well as offer enhanced solutions. We believe that as BYHP members develop in their careers, they will build a tighter net of collaboration between disciplines and relationships; between not only individuals, but also organizations and corporations across the nation.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

SECONDARY

Enhanced existing impact through addition of complementary services

TERTIARY

Repurposed your model for other sectors/development needs

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Our growth activities consist of expanding membership and the number of educational and professional development events. While these activities are primarily focused on expanding our reach in the Boston area, we see the potential for replication of our model in other metropolitan areas with large healthcare profession populations.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

At this point we do not have any formal collaborations with the above institutions, however, we are seeking to develop strategic partnerships with these kinds of partners.

Co-Designing Exceptional Health Care Experiences Using the Patient and Family Centered Care Methodology and Practice (PFCC M/P)

Created on 08/11/2011 by michelleg1

We want to create a paradigm shift in the way healthcare is provided. The PFCC M/P uses Design Science and Experience-based Design (EBD) to focus on real-time observation of health care experiences through the eyes of patients and families. This focus allows us to discover, implement, sustain, and spread transformational changes in care delivery. Co-designing health care experiences with patients, families, and care givers provides exactly what patients and families want, while improving patient safety and clinical outcomes and decreasing waste and cost.

About You

Organization: PFCC Partners @ The Innovation Center of UPMC Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Tony

Last Name

DiGioia

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/PFCC_

Facebook Profile

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Patient-and-Family-Centered-Care/176450858618

About Your Organization

Organization Name

PFCC Partners @ The Innovation Center of UPMC

Organization Website

pfcc.org

Organization Phone

412-641-8683

Organization Address

3380 Blvd. of the Allies, Suite 270 Pittsburgh PA 15213

Organization Country

United States, PA, Allegheny County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Co-Designing Exceptional Health Care Experiences Using the Patient and Family Centered Care Methodology and Practice (PFCC M/P)

What change do you want to bring to the world?

What are the primary activities of your project?

Our project involves implementing a simple 6-step methodology (the Patient and Family Centered Care Methodology and Practice or PFCC M/P) that identifies key patient and family encounters throughout their health care experience by repeated, direct observation (Shadowing) and Care Experience Flow Mapping. The true patient and family experience is deeply understood through this methodology, creating an urgency among care givers to improve the patient and family experience. Improvement projects are then co-designed by patients, families, and caregivers to close the gap between the current and ideal experience. Profoundly understanding patient and family experiences creates a sensory and emotional connection that brings the patient and family experience to life. Our experience has shown this methodology to improve not only patient satisfaction but patient safety, clinical outcomes, waste and cost. The PFCC M/P can be used in any care setting at any current state with very little lead time and no incremental costs. We are building a broad PFCC Community Practice to help accelerate widespread adoption of the methodology and best practices.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

The only performance improvement tool developed specifically for health care, the PFCC M/P uses Design Science and Experience-based design (EBD) as the third science for health care improvement, building on traditional clinical and process improvement methods. The PFCC M/P is a framework that allows caregivers to transform care delivery from any current state to the ideal state through co-design with patients and families. The grass roots nature of the PFCC M/P has the potential for “viral” spread. Through PFCC M/P, the functional and bureaucratic silos that serve as barriers to improving care delivery are eliminated, allowing widespread adoption of improvements.

The six steps of PFCC involve:

1. Selecting a care experience for improvement;
2. Establishing a Guiding Council;
3. Evaluating the current state;
4. Developing a Working Group;
5. Creating a shared vision of the ideal patient and family care experience;
6. Identifying PFCC Projects and Project Improvement Teams to close the gap between the current and ideal states.

Guiding Councils help remove barriers, Working Groups are permanent which supports raising the bar over time for what is ideal, and Project Teams have beginnings and endings as ideals are reached, as Shadowing is repeated and new ideals are identified.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

The PFCC M/P engages all constituencies involved in health care delivery – patients, families, caregivers, hospital leaders, thought leaders, and academia.

1) Co-design and elimination of silos within organizations engages patients, families and caregivers (defined as anyone who touches a patient or family’s care experience – doctors, nurses, therapists, technicians, parking and admissions staff, schedulers, janitors, financial representatives…) as well as hospital leaders, all working together toward creating ideal care experiences.
2) Embracing Design Science and EBD as the third method of care delivery improvement to develop, sustain, and accelerate the spread of the PFCC M/P also engages those concerned with health care reform (e.g., politicians, economists, thought leaders).
3) Adopting The PFCC M/P as the implementation tool specifically for health care improvement can fulfill the Triple Aim (improving the health of the population, enhancing the patient experience, and reducing cost of care) recently adopted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), engaging health reform leaders.
4) Embedding the PFCC M/P into health care academia (physicians, nurses, therapists…) engages those who come into the health care system when resources are scarce and the need for methods that will transform care delivery with short lead-times and no incremental cost is great.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Trained as an engineer, orthopaedic surgeon, and social entrepreneur, Anthony M. DiGioia, III, MD is Medical Director of the Innovation Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), one of the first applied research centers that focuses on merging the art and science of performance in health care. Dr. DiGioia has long studied process improvement approaches such as Lean and Six Sigma. However, when he set out to exceed the needs and desires of patients in his own practice, he created the Patient and Family Centered Care Methodology and Practice to be specific to health care rather than using strategies developed for industry that needed to be translated to health care. As the PFCC M/P showed excellent results in patient satisfaction, safety, clinical outcomes and cost in the Hip and Knee Arthritis Program, he has led an effort to export the PFCC M/P to nearly three dozen clinical and non-clinical settings throughout UPMC, with equally promising results. PFCC M/P is not just a process-improvement tool; it is a performance improvement tool focused on care experiences. PFCC M/P is not standard patient care, but standardized care delivered with the patient and family at the center.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Created in 2006, the PFCC M/P showed positive results in the Hip and Knee Arthritis Program including patient satisfaction in the 99th percentile nationally, and mortality rates, hospital length of stay, infection rates, and discharge directly home all significantly better than the national average. These positive results have been sustained for over five years. The program ranks 42nd in the U.S News & World Report‘s Top 100 Hospitals.

Over the past five years, the PFCC M/P has been exported to nearly three dozen clinical and non-clinical areas throughout UPMC including trauma, rheumatology, oncology, home care, and human resources, with equally promising results. For example, in Trauma Services patient satisfaction has increased by 14%, staff turnover has decreased by 66%, the time patients spend in cervical spine collars has decreased by 50%, and lost patient belongings has been eliminated. Each of these improvements significantly reduces the cost of care and has been accomplished without additional resources by refocusing current resources. Two UPMC hospitals are set to become “PFCC Hospitals” in the near future, and the PFCC M/P has been recognized nationally by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), the Picker Institute, the Joint Commission, and policy and academic leaders.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

More than 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Education and training will be expanded to all levels of the health care system – front line staff, clinical leaders, academia, and policy makers.

Task 1

Development of a PFCC Community of Practice

Task 2

Development of an educational program for students in the schools of pharmacy, medicine, nursing and social work.

Task 3

Accelerated outreach to caregivers, patients, families, policy makers, national, and international organizations – word of mouth has the potential to go “viral.”

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Community of Practice and project data-base
PFCC courses for academia
Collaboration with 3 additional health care universities
Participation in 3 additional national forums

Task 1

Identify members of PFCC Community of Practice, develop communication media for PFCC Community of Practice, and create PFCC Community of Practice project data-base.

Task 2

Develop educational curriculum for health care academia, develop PFCC M/P internship program, enroll three PFCC M/P interns.

Task 3

Identify and reach out to key policy holders and national organizations; participate in 5-8 activities at a national level to promote the PFCC M/P.

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

With several years of successful experience spreading the PFCC M/P locally, it is time to accelerate the spread regionally, nationally, and globally. PFCC M/P can play a major role in supporting new health care delivery platforms and the Triple Aim because it has been shown to improve quality and safety while decreasing waste and cost. Accelerating its spread will require 1) expanding our education and training, 2) building a PFCC Community of Practice and project data base, and 3) continuing to increase exposure at national forums and through publications.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

Unlike other process or performance improvement methods, the PFCC M/P is self-sustaining because of the stepped (and looped) process as well as the grass-roots nature of the methodology that creates energy, excitement, commitment, and spread. The PFCC M/P is also self-supporting in that there are no associated incremental costs. The Working Groups and project teams meet for only 1 hour/weekly and all care delivery improvements can be achieved by refocusing existing resources.

It is important that hospital administrators and physician leaders support the cultural transformation that results from the spread of PFCC M/P. Without top-down commitment, the significant progress made from grass roots efforts will begin to flatten out. Two UPMC hospitals are set to become PFCC Hospitals with the support of administrators and physician leaders; these efforts will be key to demonstrating that PFCC M/P is easy to implement on a broader organizational scale and will have positive clinical, operational, and financial outcomes.

Creating the PFCC M/P Community of Practice and project data base, expanding our education and training activities, and continuing our outreach to policy makers and health care professionals will allow us to effectively bridge the quality gap on a large (national and global) scale.

Tell us about your partnerships

While our most important partnerships are between patients, families, and caregivers, we have also created strong partnerships with the IHI, the Picker Institute, professional societies, and several universities providing training for health care professionals. These partnerships are the foundation of a PFCC Community of Practice and are critical to our effort to spread and accelerate the adoption of Design Science and EBD as the new third pillar of performance improvement and the PFCC M/P as the implementation tool that will bring about transformations in care delivery.

Our non-profit partners provide a variety of opportunities for us to spread the word about the PFCC M/P – we host webinars, teach courses, lead workshops, and give formal presentations. For example, we are presenting at IHI’s 22nd Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare in December, 2011 – with an anticipated attendance of over 5,000 people – an excellent forum for disseminating information about PFCC M/P.

We also consider scholarly and professional journals as partners in bringing the PFCC M/P to thousands of readers, demonstrating not only the approach but the significant positive outcomes for patients, families, and caregivers.

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$500,001‐1 million

Explain your selections

Our primary funding comes from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), which supports the development of new models of patient-centered care and the PFCC M/P. Other organizations (IHI, Picker Institute, etc.) have assisted and supported our effort to spread and accelerate the adoption of the PFCC M/P, as well.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

Creating a PFCC Community of Practice and maintaining visibility through national organizations and forums is vital to spreading the word about PFCC M/P and supporting its acceleration. It is important that we continue to reach hospital administrators, physicians, academicians, and policy makers to demonstrate the simplicity of PFCC M/P and its clinical and financial outcomes.

Development of a robust on-line database is also important for growing the PFCC M/P initiative so that: 1) Successes can be qualified and quantified, 2) Working Groups and project teams can access best practices, and 3) Duplication of efforts can be avoided.

Educating new PFCC Working Groups and health care students will assure that the PFCC M/P approach of understanding care experiences through the eyes of patients and families, through Shadowing and Care Experience Flow Mapping, will continue to spread. Through this approach, the sense of urgency among caregivers is created and sustained. The cyclical nature of PFCC M/P creates ever higher levels of performance and expectations as ideals are reached and new ones are identified, resulting in cultural transformation.

Continued publication in news media and peer-reviewed scholarly journals will help us reach a broad, national and international audience so that best practices can be replicated.

Challenges

http://twitter.com/htacamp

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Other (Specify Below)

SECONDARY

Other (Specify Below)

TERTIARY

Other (Specify Below)

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

1. Addressing the significant need to improve care delivery quality outcomes, including patient satisfaction, patient safety, clinical indicators, waste and cost.
2. Training health care professionals to deliver exceptional care experiences and to transform the culture of health care delivery – how it is delivered and how it is received.
3. Addressing CMS’s Triple Aim - improving the health of the population, enhancing the patient experience, and reducing cost of care

Co-design gives patients exactly what they want/need – no more/less, making best use of scarce resources.

Education is critical in teaching health professionals about PFCC M/P and Design Science/EBD.

Cultural transformation occurs as PFCC M/P spreads through bottom-up/top-down efforts.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

SECONDARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

TERTIARY

Repurposed your model for other sectors/development needs

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Primary - Grow Geographic Reach: Multi-Country The PFCC M/P is scalable to any health system of any size in any country with any payment system (e.g., U.S., U.K., Africa, India, Canada, etc.). With the focus on making things better for the end user through co-design, there are no site- or system-specific limits to its efficacy.
Secondary - Influence Other Organizations through the Spread of Best Practices PFCC M/P allows us to change the current state of care delivery no matter what the current state is through broad participation and the spread of best practices.
Tertiary - Repurpose Model for Other Sector Needs: Sets the stage for CMS’s Triple Aim

All of our actives are current and planned.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

NGOs/Nonprofits, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

Our most important partnerships are between patients, families, and care givers. These partnerships are new to health care. Through collaboration with doctors’ offices, hospitals, outpatient centers, etc. we are able to spread the PFCC M/P and its transformative power to achieve excellent care outcomes while decreasing waste and cost. Our collaboration with non-profit groups (e.g., IHI, the Picker Institute, professional societies, health care professionals, etc.) and academia are critical to our effort to accelerate the adoption of the PFCC M/P by exposing greater numbers of people, including new health care professionals and health care thought leaders, to the methodology.

Internet Free Medical Tools: help or risk for the patients? HTAcamp will help you through

Created on 08/11/2011 by htacamp

The world is changing everyday especially thanks to introduction of new technologies and tools. Internet is providing daily new medical support tools in diagnosis and therapy in any platform.
These tools are free but are they really safe, reliable and accountable?
We want to assess them using the scientific Health Technology Assessment methodology to provide help on choosing them to doctors and patients.
The assess team is multidisciplinary: medical doctors, health economist, clinical engineers, sociologist, legal advisors etc.

About You

Organization: HTAcamp Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Mihaela

Last Name

Dubinski

Twitter

Facebook Profile

http://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=188667984502982&refid=5

About Your Organization

Organization Name

HTAcamp

Organization Website

www.htacamp.com

Organization Phone

+39 3291132777

Organization Address

Organization Country

Italy, RM

Country where this project is creating social impact

n/a

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

Less than a year

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Internet Free Medical Tools: help or risk for the patients? HTAcamp will help you through

What change do you want to bring to the world?

What are the primary activities of your project?

The Multidisciplinary group will evaluate all the medical software and tools available on the web. The tool evaluation will be 360 degree around. Medical doctors, epidemiologists, health economists, clinical engineers, sociologist, legal advisors and other specialties will deeply evaluate if the tools are evidence based and their technical features, reliability, privacy safeness.
The HTAcamp website will be updated daily with new evaluated tools but it will be also a virtual meeting place where patients and doctors around the world can discuss, suggest, comment, vote and ask questions about the tools using social network and the web 2.0 philosophy. Web-tv, community forum and e-learning for the software will be available on the website as well.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

The technology is evolving and internet is bringing this technologies quickly in to the market. The problem is that nobody is really monitoring this process, too often new tools offering clinical suggestions to physicians and patients are release without a quality control. Nowadays there is no official or government office taking care of it. The US FDA is starting to think about it now but will take care about it only in several years and only of the US market and only on purchased ones.
What about the free ones in the market? With the economic crisis everybody will prefer a free software to a high costly one. Who will check about conflict of interest? Who will check on evidence base medicine literature use? Who will check about high sensitive privacy data storage? How many young people will use their mobiles and PDA to get information and suggestions on health problems taking for granted unsupported advices? Who is behind these information? Do they have an health degree to suggest or prescribe? These and many other questions will be unanswered or answered by other unreliable groups.
Our group is and will be open to high specialists in different fields but all with an HTA (Health Technology Assessment) background. Every tools will be evaluated though a transparent HTA methodology and it will be discussed before and after been published on the website and everybody will be able to comment it. The HTAcamp website is not only a place where you can find health links, but will alert the user if that tool is accountable, reliable and safe for his/her life and privacy.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for less than a year

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

The target population is globally any patient or their relatives, doctor, nurse and health provider that will look on internet for apps, software, tools, online service, medical calculator or any electronic health support. As it is well known this kind of population is increasing exponentially everyday. The web site will be in English and eventually in other languages in the future. It will help to rely on good free health electronic supports saving money, especially in poor environments or in the young populations, but without risking health, life and privacy.

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

The Idea was thought in February 2011. Health Technology Assessment Team based at the San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital in Rome evaluate health technologies to be implemented in the hospital or to be dismissed from it.
The team often host students and just graduated specialist from different universities.
Unfortunately most of them cannot support themselves economically, that will end in the impossibility to go and present their work in meetings and that will affect their chance to find a good job.
The idea is to show on one side how well they know how to apply their knowledge and how good is their work and on the other end to do something useful for the population.
Following the UK-NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) guidelines on interventions prioritization, this is the perfect subject to show their knowledge on HTA. The free health tools have an high health impact and a wide target population and it easy to implement and it does not require huge funds to start except that for the “time spent” and “know how” and the field is new and empty of competitors because just few people have nowadays the “know how” to do it. The Publishing company “La Treggia” supported the project offering the “know how” to create the website.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

Soon after the project started the team was invited to present their work and website in several international meetings (i.e. Zurs cardiovascular symposium Austria; HTA international Brasil, Evidence 2011 UK etc). http://www.latreggia.it/p-events.html
The scientific world was very receptive on the subject and appreciated the work done in such difficult, fluid and highly technological advanced field. Several university and scientific institutions approved the idea starting new collaborations (i.e. Catholic University, Rome, Italy; Mario Negri Institution, Milan, Italy etc.). The Roman municipality is validating the idea to sponsor the website. The website at the moment is not commercialized and the subscriptions are low because we are still in the testing phase, waiting scientific feedbacks before launching the project on the web for real.

How many people have been impacted by your project?

101-1,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Stabilize the project and the team
Improve the quality of the service provided thanks to the scientific collaborations
Increase scientific audience
Open to the wide and non-scientific users

Task 1

We will share our methodology and promote the website on scientific networks (i.e. meeting) and on scientific journals publishing articles and making interviews.

Task 2

We will optimize our visibility on search engines to be more visible on the web.

Task 3

We will promote the website through social networks and social tools to reach a wider population and to stimulate the user to participate.

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

-Positive statistical feedbacks
-Positive comment of the scientific side
-Audience growth and wide participation of the users
-New members in the assessing team
-New sponsorships for the project

Task 1

We will try to create a continuous feedback line with the users through social networks and social tools (i.e. blogs and forums)

Task 2

We will open to the scientific areas with the aim to recruit more specialized people that want to participate in the project and to share new ideas and comment.

Task 3

We will look for partnership to cover expenses to avoid de-motivation in the team

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

The project will stabilize and evolve on the web evolution using new tools to share the informations and to communicate. New health tools and services will be created and distributed and we will try to follow the big wave of creativity of internet, working on the website updating as soon as possible the database but also stimulation the awareness in the scientific community and government to create a quality control on the free health apps.

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

There are no real barriers this project have a high impact on a wide and serious topic but at the same time it is a low budget project.
The fixed costs are on few and personal technical equipment and on the website cost. Most of the people working on it will come from the Partner Universities to practice on the subject as they are doing now. There are no risk on failing if the assessments are done properly even if it does not cover the entire web applications park. The risk is on completeness of the project for the huge quantity of new entrees tools in the market compare to the small group working on it. The focus goal is to increase sustainability of the core team to make it a full time job and increase the members of the team recruiting on the web interested persons that will be prepared with e-learning and webinars courses to overcome the huge quantity of apps released in the market.

Tell us about your partnerships

Actual Active partnerships: La Treggia srl publishing company;Public Health Department in the Medical Catholic University in Rome
In Evaluating phase Partnerships: Health Economic University, Catholic University in Rome; San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital in Rome; Rome Municipality;Italian Society of medical Managers SIMM; Italian Society of Health Technology Assessment SIHTA; Italian association of clinical engineers AIIC
Possible Partnerships:International Scientific Societies; Health Industries; Information Technology Industries;Non Governative Organizations (NGO), Patients Associations

Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

$10,001‐50,000

Explain your selections

Partner Universities are supplying students and fresh doctors to work on it as a stage.
La Treggia Publishing company is paying the basic expenses for the web site.
International scientific societies and Health industries are offering free access to scientific meeting.
The staff Team is doing it on their own expenses, few funds will be enough to pay the basic expenses, most of the technical instrument are free on the web (free website programs, free office, free photo editor etc.). More funds will permit to stabilize the core team. The great advantage is that the team have a strong “know how” and a great knowledge of the free tools available on the internet and will use them to do its job.

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

Doing a useful and highly specialized job and offering it for free in an highly demanding market for the product is not very hard. The key is to sensitize the public awareness of the issue and communicate the solution trough the network.
- Strengthen the economic support to create a stabile workflow.
- E-learning meeting and webinars will be created to communicate assessment results and to educate people on the use of the health tools.
- Participate to international and national meeting to spread the news and to gain consensus.
- Use social networks and new free web tools to commercialize the website.
Access to the media to increase popularity (web-tv, cable TV, Web radio, Radio, blogs, news site etc.)

Challenges

http://www.twitter.com/liveteenpulse

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Lack of access to targeted health information and education

SECONDARY

Other (Specify Below)

TERTIARY

Other (Specify Below)

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

The general population, especially patients, but also the health specialists (doctors, nurses etc) more and more often rely on web information that often are not based on scientific literature or medical evidence (evidence based medicine). New web and devices applications and service are been offered for health support without giving any background informations on how they will end up with a diagnosis or a therapy.
We think that is mandatory to show and explaining who is the author and how he create the application and any presence of conflict of interest but also if private high sensible data is stored explain where and how do they store them. An independent, scientific, accountable a transparent evaluation is needed and we try to provided it while nobody does it at the moment.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Global

SECONDARY

Influenced other organizations and institutions through the spread of best practices

TERTIARY

Other (please specify below)

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

The website is on Internet in English and based on the web 2.0 technology, this will facilitate the global reaching and intercommunication. We will strengthen our collaboration with the scientific societies and patients associations that can collaborate and spread the information. We focus on the free protection and education of the citizens on free internet health resources and we aspect word of mouth to spread.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

NGOs/Nonprofits, For profit companies, Academia/universities.

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

Partner Universities are supplying students and fresh doctors to work on it as a stage and "know how" for the methodology.
International scientific societies and health industries are offering free access to scientific meeting.

Teaching Social Responsibility Through The Arts

Created on 08/10/2011 by Susana Quinteros

Teen Pulse is a youth performance program based in Southern California on a mission to create a nurturing place for dedication, teamwork, discipline, collaboration, family, music, and learning. We also provide an opportunity for each teen to become responsibly independent and effectively interdependent in order to serve the community.

About You

Organization: Teen Pulse Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Susana

Last Name

Quinteros

Twitter

Facebook Profile

http://www.facebook.com/liveteenpulse

About Your Organization

Organization Name

Teen Pulse

Organization Website

http://www.liveteenpulse.com

Organization Phone

909.709.4882

Organization Address

Organization Country

United States, CA, San Bernardino County

Country where this project is creating social impact

United States, XX

Is your organization a

Not registered

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

Is the project that you are entering related to this organization?

Yes

Innovation

Entry Form title

Teaching Social Responsibility Through The Arts

What change do you want to bring to the world?

What are the primary activities of your project?

The future is in our youth, so why not provide them with ample opportunity to learn and grow, discover what is important to them and develop a passion for it? Teen Pulse is a vehicle that can allow teens in your life to do just that. Teen Pulse provides teens across Southern California with a safe environment to explore their dreams and receive instant feedback and guidance from peers and professionals all along the way.

What is innovative about your initiative? How is it a new contribution to the field?

Teen Pulse provides teens with a positive, nurturing environment where they can discover and stretch their talents as they experience the importance of Teamwork, Dedication, Discipline, and Collaboration THROUGH the performing ARTS.

What stage is your project in?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Tell us about the community that you engage? eg. economic conditions, political structures, norms and values, demographic trends, history, and experience with engagement efforts.

Approximately 200 words left (1600 characters).

Share the story of the founder and what inspired the founder to start this project

Skye “Coach K” Kooyman is known as the Mentor to Teens who are Changing the World and author of the book, Coach K’s Percussion Manual. She is the founder and president of Teen Pulse, a rapidly-expanding organization committed to teaching social responsibility through the arts—helping teens acquire the musical skills that are essential to a fully-realized performance and the fundamental life skills necessary to leverage their youthful energy and make a positive impact on the world. On her journey, Coach K has earned her Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Redlands, coached drumlines, and served as a clinician to all levels of high-performing bands and music education programs throughout Southern California. In particular, San Bernardino County Honor Band, Los Osos High School Bands, Summit Intermediate School Bands, University of Redlands School of Music and more have benefited from her expertise. No one wants today’s youth to miss out on creative, character-building outlets, yet the arts are being cut from education nation-wide. Coach K’s programs provide teens with opportunities unavailable in many of today’s public schools. As a percussion instructor in Southern California, she also supports the programs that still exist. Her passion and unique approach in both avenues have solidified her as an expert in inspiring teens to discover and develop their strengths so they, too, can create a huge positive impact on the world.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

Please describe how your project has been successful and how that success is measured

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How many people have been impacted by your project?

Fewer than 100

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

1,001-10,000

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

How will your project evolve over the next three years?

Sustainability

What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?

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Tell us about your partnerships

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Current annual budget of project, in US dollars

Please select

Explain your selections

How do you plan to strengthen your project in the next three years?

Challenges

http://www.facebook.com/LearnThat.org

Which barriers to health and well-being does your innovation address?
Please select up to three in order of relevancy to your project.

PRIMARY

Lack of affordable care

SECONDARY

Lack of affordable care

TERTIARY

Lack of affordable care

Please describe how your innovation specifically tackles the barriers listed above.

How are you growing the impact of your organization or initiative?
Please select up to three potential pathways in order of relevancy to you.

PRIMARY

Grown geographic reach: Multi-country

SECONDARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

TERTIARY

Grown geographic reach: Within host country

Please describe which of your growth activities are current or planned for the immediate future.

Do you collaborate with any of the following: (Check all that apply)

If yes, how have these collaborations helped your innovation to succeed?

English is your ticket to knowledge -- Open Dictionary of English and LearnThatWord offer rich data and free tutoring online

Created on 08/4/2011 by rosiewrose

We focus on vocabulary solutions to empower effective communication. Our personalized, rich tools support effective learning.

About You

Organization: LearnThat Foundation aka eSpindle Learning Visit website more ↓↑ hide ↑ hide

About You

First Name

Rosevita

Last Name

Warda

Twitter URL

http://twitter.com/#!/Learn_that

Facebook URL

About Your Organization

Organization Name

LearnThat Foundation aka eSpindle Learning

Organization Website

http://www.LearnThat.org

Organization Country

United States, CA, Sonoma County

Country where this project is creating social impact

n/a

Is your organization a

Non‐profit/NGO/citizen sector organization

How long has your organization been operating?

More than 5 years

Innovation

Entry Form title

English is your ticket to knowledge -- Open Dictionary of English and LearnThatWord offer rich data and free tutoring online

Select the stage that best applies to your solution

Growth (your pilot is up and running, and starting to expand)

How long have you been in operation?

Operating for more than 5 years

THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage

English is the communication platform of choice for people with different language backgrounds, shared by more people than any language ever before, and key to accessing humankind's shared knowledge. Even content published in other languages tends to be available in English, if offered in translation.

Vocabulary acquisition is the primary challenge when learning any language.

The market for English language materials is estimated at $50 billion/year. In addition, building a strong vocabulary is a substantial challenge even for native speakers. Currently, 40% of fourth graders do not meet basic literacy levels; 75% of them will drop out of school as a consequence. Half of the adult US population is considered "functionally illiterate" (NIFL). Their English deficiencies makes it hard to employ them in any function that requires reading or writing.

English is a prerequisite to benefitting from the Internet's resources and to participate in effective international exchange. LTW's free, effective, and fun strategies build skill and confidence quickly and effectively. People around the globe gain access to information. Those at a loss for words can make themselves heard.

THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!

Making free vocabulary resources and tutoring available through the web is a key equalizer in the knowledge economy and the foundation for effective communication across borders.

The Open Dictionary of English (ODE) and LearnThatWord.org (LTW) provide an effective solution that allows anyone worldwide to build their vocabulary skill and confidence freely through the Internet. Free tutoring launches alongside the ODE and new tutoring modules in November of 2011 in a completely overhauled online platform.

Our project combines a few innovative aspects into an effective and powerful solution:
1 - The Open Dictionary of English (ODE) is the first wiki-dictionary with explicit usage and learner focus. It balances user votes and submissions with an editorial team for quality control and integrates with the tutoring module, LearnThatWord.

2 - LTW is the first English vocabulary solution that is based on a complete dictionary, and that provides personalized, adaptive tutoring based on the student's learning profile. Extensive research targeting further optimization of the spaced review cycle is planned with Prof. Pavlik (Memphis University) and Prof Bjork (UCLA) for the 2012/13 cycle.

3 - ODE is a free offering. LearnThatWord is offered under the Freemium model: Free tutoring can be upgraded to premium features for a membership fee or our Pay-per-result concept. Pay-Per-Result is a concept particularly popular with institutions, since it allows administration to only invest in measured learning results, assuring 100% knowledge return on their investment.

THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media

LearnThat.org and the ODE are designed to overcome the three primary obstacles to vocabulary acquisition.
It offers:
1 - Personalized word selection vs. static, prescriptive methods
2 - Enriching, usage-based context vs. technical definitions
3 - Just right, personalized review cycle vs. cramming for short-term retention

More details:
1 - The brain learns what is of interest. Letting the student select words is far superior than asking them to study a static list of words, which may be too hard or too easy. ODE allows users to tag words for free tutoring, and the LTW platform let's users easily add lists of words or to selected them from our word list archive.

Over the next 6 months we will also develop widgets that allow users to select words online, offline, and through mobile devices, for language learning that is integrated with English interaction.

2 - While definitions are useful, our brain learns best through examples. Even better: Examples that are visual and presented in relevant context. ODE is the first dictionary to offer an extensive set of video scenes per word (20+), showing how the word appears in context. We also offer pronunciations from around the world, usage samples with audio, tutoring comment, and an online forum, among others

3 - For a word to gain automaticity - to become part of our vocabulary - takes spaced review. LTW tracks user input to provide the right amount of tutoring, no more, no less. By personalizing the study cycle, students learn better and faster.

THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?

Since LTW personalizes instruction, it is the right tool for every English language learner, native or a learner of English as a second/foreign language. Since the focus is determined by the student and/or teacher, it works for struggling students as well as advanced, children and adults, in the context of a classroom or for individual self-help.
Although we are currently a paid service (with free trial), our website already has a US Alexa ranking of 55,000 and expected to reach top 10,000 with launch of the Freemium site and ODE.

Since our inception in 2004, users and publishers alike have created an extensive word list archive, which integrates the program with a large range of existing textbooks, both language arts and other academic curriculum.

We built our solution by actively seeking partnership with a large range of programs, and will continue to do so. Our existing data set and technology exceeds any other offering, and is further unique in offering a solution to all skill levels, not only to elementary/beginning English learners.

With the launch of the wiki-platform around the ODE, we expect to further expand and improve our resources.

Social Impact

This Entry is about (Issues)

FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.

Helping my daughter with word lists sent home by the teacher reminded me of the long futile hours I had spent trying to memorize vocabulary as an English language learner. It's obvious to me that "cramming" words or going through static lists that have no relevancy to the learner are ineffective, yet it's common practice.

Slowly the idea for LTW started growing in my mind. I realized that a complete and complex solution like LTW/ODE would not come from the existing publishers, who are making good money from the existing, limited approaches. Only an outsider could disrupt how vocabulary is taught, learned and internalized.

The inspiration to launch the ODE as a complement to tutoring came when I saw a picture of the red mailbox the first editor of the OED used in 19th century England to receive word info from around the world. If a project like the OED could be started with a red mail box and a pigeon shed, then launching a usage-based dictionary that presents English vocabulary as part of a colorful, global language and integrates with effective, personalized tutoring based on the wiki idea no longer seemed impossible, and a worthy adventure to undertake.

Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date

LearnThatWord has grown from membership revenue, loans from friends and family, and in-kind grants (Google grant etc.) In the beginning, we gave scholarship to literacy nonprofits who requested support.
In the 2010/11 school year, we offered free tutoring to third grade public school classrooms in the US and Canada. In this time period third graders learned over 4,000,000 words they did not know before (our result-based tracking counts words that students get wrong initially, then study via personalized practice cycle, and finally prove that they learned them successfully).

We are currently planning a major update to our site for October/November, 2011. This update will see the birth of the ODE, freemium revenue model, and new usage-based quiz modes that do not require active word entry.

We expect traffic for our site to further soar because of the free tutoring and additional offers. In addition, we will sustain the program through membership/Pay-Per-Result revenue for premium features and via sponsorships within the free tutoring quiz.

What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?

Being a web solution, LearnThatWord and ODE are indefinitely scalable, and we do expect substantial growth with the launch of the new features. Our goal for 2012 is to reach top #5,000 US Alexa ranking (currently #55,000) and to boost our monthly visitor base to 20 million users.

Long term goals: Become the Web's go=to tool for vocabulary acquisition, worldwide. Further, to engage in research that can optimize learning processes, and lead to the creation of a scientifically valid and data-driven interactive vocabulary assessment tool. This will further support learners in getting "always right" instruction and practice opportunities.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Increase number of people visiting and using the site tenfold

Six-Month Tasks

Task 1

Launch ODE, new tutoring modules, freemium model

Task 2

Promote new offerings online/offline

Task 3

Build community around the ODE

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Increase number of people visiting to 20 million per month and members to 500,000

12-Month Tasks

Task 1

Build sales team to sell premium features to institutions and corporations

Task 2

Build and expand partnerships with other projects

Task 3

Engage in public relations efforts

How many people have been impacted by your project?

More than 10,000

How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?

More than 10,000

Sustainability