Comments on: Pencils for kids http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:41:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: ctnumt http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-7676 ctnumt Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:49:02 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-7676 tFPlEo <a href="http://hhyjazwdxqhb.com/" rel="nofollow">hhyjazwdxqhb</a> tFPlEo hhyjazwdxqhb

]]> By: neuwrvkchv http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-7661 neuwrvkchv Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:35:35 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-7661 NfZnPx <a href="http://toygsuskldul.com/" rel="nofollow">toygsuskldul</a> NfZnPx toygsuskldul

]]> By: Early http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-7659 Early Mon, 12 Dec 2011 17:16:15 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-7659 Perfcet answer! That really gets to the heart of it! Perfcet answer! That really gets to the heart of it!

]]> By: Viveka Weiley http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-6543 Viveka Weiley Thu, 15 Apr 2010 05:00:39 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-6543 Then this is a structural problem. Schools should be funded per-child from Federal revenue. Otherwise schools in poor areas will have less funding than schools in rich areas; this perpetuates poverty. Many other countries understand this, why not the US? In a society that believes in advancement through merit (as I understand the consensus position of the US polity to be), it should be easy to understand that children are not to blame for the poverty of their parents or their neighborhoods. Access to comprehensive education should be considered a basic human right. I think it's stunning that the US chooses to waste the intellectual potential of its children in so profligate a manner. As it seems there's no political will to fix the problem at its systemic root, I commend Nat for acting directly. V. Then this is a structural problem. Schools should be funded per-child from Federal revenue. Otherwise schools in poor areas will have less funding than schools in rich areas; this perpetuates poverty. Many other countries understand this, why not the US?

In a society that believes in advancement through merit (as I understand the consensus position of the US polity to be), it should be easy to understand that children are not to blame for the poverty of their parents or their neighborhoods. Access to comprehensive education should be considered a basic human right.

I think it’s stunning that the US chooses to waste the intellectual potential of its children in so profligate a manner. As it seems there’s no political will to fix the problem at its systemic root, I commend Nat for acting directly.

V.

]]> By: Amy http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5178 Amy Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:15:29 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5178 Hey friend - I was just checking in on you to see what you've been up to. This entry gave me the chills. Well played. Amy (MITLL Amy) Hey friend –

I was just checking in on you to see what you’ve been up to. This entry gave me the chills. Well played.

Amy (MITLL Amy)

]]> By: Jason http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5123 Jason Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:14:06 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5123 Nat, Thank you for mentioning this. This really made me think. I am looking at it now. Some of these things are so simple, yet so hard to learn without. I am going to pass this around to people that I know. The more people who can contribute a few dollars the better. Best, -Jason Nat,

Thank you for mentioning this. This really made me think. I am looking at it now. Some of these things are so simple, yet so hard to learn without.

I am going to pass this around to people that I know. The more people who can contribute a few dollars the better.

Best,
-Jason

]]> By: Tomeu http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5069 Tomeu Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:41:39 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5069 Pardon for the plug, but if you are a GNOME hacker and would like to impact the learning outcome of hundreds of thousands of children in developing countries around the world, please consider helping out with Sugar: http://blog.tomeuvizoso.net/2009/09/free-education-as-in-free-speech.html It's expected that before the end of this year 2 million children will be using Sugar to improve their learning in countries such as Rwanda, Peru, Uruguay, Nigeria and Nepal. Sugar Labs is 100% volunteer based and all the help we get makes an impact in the learning of those children. Pardon for the plug, but if you are a GNOME hacker and would like to impact the learning outcome of hundreds of thousands of children in developing countries around the world, please consider helping out with Sugar:

http://blog.tomeuvizoso.net/2009/09/free-education-as-in-free-speech.html

It’s expected that before the end of this year 2 million children will be using Sugar to improve their learning in countries such as Rwanda, Peru, Uruguay, Nigeria and Nepal.

Sugar Labs is 100% volunteer based and all the help we get makes an impact in the learning of those children.

]]> By: Alex Sandoval http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5067 Alex Sandoval Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:56:51 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5067 CONGRATULATIONS! Go on! Alex CONGRATULATIONS!

Go on!

Alex

]]> By: Nat Friedman http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5066 Nat Friedman Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:54:15 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5066 Schools are funded by local property taxes. People complain about their property taxes and this is what happens. Schools are funded by local property taxes. People complain about their property taxes and this is what happens.

]]> By: Thomas http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5065 Thomas Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:26:22 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5065 I find it really stunning that there are schools so poor in the USA. It is certainly great to help them, but I also hope there are people trying to make the school system better to avoid to have such poorly funded schools. I find it really stunning that there are schools so poor in the USA.
It is certainly great to help them, but I also hope there are people trying to make the school system better to avoid to have such poorly funded schools.

]]> By: Karl Lattimer http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5064 Karl Lattimer Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:13:00 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5064 I see what you're saying here about the big charities, and it's not just about cute pictures. However nat has a point about the crowd sorting, the thing about the web is it lets lots of people connect to lots of people, so why not exploit that with systems like this which make it; a) accountable to the donor, I know what my money is being spent on b) selectable to the donor, I can choose what I spend my money on c) informative to the donor, You know when something has been achieved and that re-enforces a positive feeling. These are all the elements of a system that can organise itself, and the more individuals involved the greater the chance of success. Consider for a moment, disaster relief efforts and how they're organised, if you could imagine a network, similar to this in which organisations, nations and charities can all connect at the same time as the average joe, and select what resources they can donate. For example nations donate x number of rescue workers of a specific type, which are available and can be there in a specific time frame. Organisations donate heavy lifting equipment, earth movers and various other tools which are required, charities can send rescue workers, food and medical supplies, other forms of aid like tents etc... Individuals could donate funds to assist charities specific goals, or any other specific goals which need to be achieved. As long as the publicity is put in place when disaster relief efforts are started then having a system like this which is accountable, selectable and informative would not only prevent corruption from slipping in, but would also attract wider support for any relief efforts... Of course, if you could consider a globally connected system like this wouldn't only run in those circumstances, it could run continuously... I think this is slightly better than charities like the NSPCC blanket advertising on TV at enormous cost, NLP ridden and emotionally intensive adverts, every time something happens to a child... even if its a child they couldn't possibly have helped... and yet the cost associated with those adverts is tremendous. I see what you’re saying here about the big charities, and it’s not just about cute pictures. However nat has a point about the crowd sorting, the thing about the web is it lets lots of people connect to lots of people, so why not exploit that with systems like this which make it;

a) accountable to the donor, I know what my money is being spent on
b) selectable to the donor, I can choose what I spend my money on
c) informative to the donor, You know when something has been achieved and that re-enforces a positive feeling.

These are all the elements of a system that can organise itself, and the more individuals involved the greater the chance of success.

Consider for a moment, disaster relief efforts and how they’re organised, if you could imagine a network, similar to this in which organisations, nations and charities can all connect at the same time as the average joe, and select what resources they can donate.

For example nations donate x number of rescue workers of a specific type, which are available and can be there in a specific time frame. Organisations donate heavy lifting equipment, earth movers and various other tools which are required, charities can send rescue workers, food and medical supplies, other forms of aid like tents etc… Individuals could donate funds to assist charities specific goals, or any other specific goals which need to be achieved.

As long as the publicity is put in place when disaster relief efforts are started then having a system like this which is accountable, selectable and informative would not only prevent corruption from slipping in, but would also attract wider support for any relief efforts…

Of course, if you could consider a globally connected system like this wouldn’t only run in those circumstances, it could run continuously…

I think this is slightly better than charities like the NSPCC blanket advertising on TV at enormous cost, NLP ridden and emotionally intensive adverts, every time something happens to a child… even if its a child they couldn’t possibly have helped… and yet the cost associated with those adverts is tremendous.

]]> By: Karl Lattimer http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5063 Karl Lattimer Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:58:22 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5063 Nope I didn't know about that, I didn't know that I could actually make a microloan myself! This is pretty cool :) Nope I didn’t know about that, I didn’t know that I could actually make a microloan myself! This is pretty cool :)

]]> By: Will Yancey http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5062 Will Yancey Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:22:07 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5062 Nat, I read Waldo's blog a lot and this is one of the coolest little philanthropic things I've seen in a while. Well done. Will Charlottesville, VA Nat,

I read Waldo’s blog a lot and this is one of the coolest little philanthropic things I’ve seen in a while. Well done.

Will
Charlottesville, VA

]]> By: Xav http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5061 Xav Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:13:52 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5061 I mean, here (like in most parts of Europe) you can't find a school that miss pencils or such things. I mean, here (like in most parts of Europe) you can’t find a school that miss pencils or such things.

]]> By: Dave http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5060 Dave Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:15:39 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5060 absolutely, these things are brilliant! absolutely, these things are brilliant!

]]> By: Nat Friedman http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5059 Nat Friedman Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:11:09 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5059 Yes, this makes me sad also. If my country can't buy calculators and pencils for its children, it's not going to remain rich forever. Yes, this makes me sad also. If my country can’t buy calculators and pencils for its children, it’s not going to remain rich forever.

]]> By: Nat Friedman http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5058 Nat Friedman Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:10:16 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5058 Awesome! Yes, I agree. You might like kiva.org if you don't already know about it. It's not a donation, it's a loan, but when it gets repaid you can loan it out again. So a small amount of money can help a lot of people. And kiva is worldwide. Awesome!

Yes, I agree. You might like kiva.org if you don’t already know about it. It’s not a donation, it’s a loan, but when it gets repaid you can loan it out again. So a small amount of money can help a lot of people. And kiva is worldwide.

]]> By: Nat Friedman http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5057 Nat Friedman Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:07:56 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5057 @Dave - I agree with what you're saying, but I also like that sites like DonorsChoose obviate a lot of centralized organizational work (like identifying teachers in need) by crowdsourcing it. @Dave – I agree with what you’re saying, but I also like that sites like DonorsChoose obviate a lot of centralized organizational work (like identifying teachers in need) by crowdsourcing it.

]]> By: Dave http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5056 Dave Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:47:47 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5056 @Karl - this is one major problem within charitable orgs - people want to *see* their handiwork while some of the most important things simply aren't visible. There will always be organizational costs, to any charitable endeavor but there are very very few people who want to give money that would allow these orgs to continue doing their good works because its mundane and there aren't cute pictures to go along with it. This is by no means an indictment of giving like Nat does, or getting a cute picture. It is simply an urging to rethink what it means to help a charitable org do the mundane things that allow them to do even bigger works of good. @Karl – this is one major problem within charitable orgs – people want to *see* their handiwork while some of the most important things simply aren’t visible. There will always be organizational costs, to any charitable endeavor but there are very very few people who want to give money that would allow these orgs to continue doing their good works because its mundane and there aren’t cute pictures to go along with it.

This is by no means an indictment of giving like Nat does, or getting a cute picture. It is simply an urging to rethink what it means to help a charitable org do the mundane things that allow them to do even bigger works of good.

]]> By: Michael Kanis http://nat.org/blog/2009/10/pencils-for-kids/comment-page-1/#comment-5054 Michael Kanis Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:52:45 +0000 http://nat.org/blog/?p=1348#comment-5054 This is a great thing and the website is a great idea. Like Karl Lattimer said, it is better to donate directly to those who are in need, then to big charities. It's heart warming to see those happy kids. However this also makes me really, really sad. You live in one of the richest countries of the world and at the same time there are children in this country, that can't afford coloured pencils. :-( In Germany we just neglected a "healthy-food program", which would have provided daily fruit and vegetables for school kids. It would have cost 12.5m €. Nearly at the same time we afforded some war toys for 5.9 billion €. This is not right. :-( This is a great thing and the website is a great idea. Like Karl Lattimer said, it is better to donate directly to those who are in need, then to big charities. It’s heart warming to see those happy kids.

However this also makes me really, really sad. You live in one of the richest countries of the world and at the same time there are children in this country, that can’t afford coloured pencils. :-(

In Germany we just neglected a “healthy-food program”, which would have provided daily fruit and vegetables for school kids. It would have cost 12.5m €. Nearly at the same time we afforded some war toys for 5.9 billion €.

This is not right. :-(

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