Last Fall 2008, two of my cultural anthropology courses and I devised a campaign to encourage entire classes at Baruch College, where I teach, to donate ONE LAPTOP PER CLASS. The project is designed like this: For less than $10 per class member or instructor, each class collaborates to donate $199 laptop. We haven't figured out all the incentives for participating yet, but with only 2 sections in the beta project last fall we raised over $650 and donated 3 laptops. We created a viral video to promote it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSWu6CLVL6Y">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSWu6CLVL6Y</a>. This was all done the last 2 weeks of classes before finals. Participants were amazed.<br>
<br>A few weeks ago, Nokia decided to do a social responsibility ad about me and my students and the OLPC donation project we created. Just saw the final cut of the 2 min documentary yesterday it is amazing. It is supposed to go national in 1-2 weeks. It features a conversation with students about the OLPC project, why laptops vs. food, and what participating in the project means as students at Baruch College which is one of the most diverse institutions in the U.S. with students from over 120 different countries who speak over 100 different languages.<br>
<br>Would love any suggestions on <br><ol><li>How to make this competetive among our 700 classes. Do we compete for highest percentage of class participation, the largest donation of any class, and/or by division (we have three schools within the college--business, arts&sciences, and public affairs)? <br>
</li><li>The viral video is designed to encourage other colleges and universities to compete. Any one here want to play with us and compete with Baruch College? This would be an inter-varsity sport.</li><li>I heard that OLPC is launching a college program this fall. Anyone know where I can find out more about this.S omething like a college corps for OLPC. <br>
</li></ol>Will keep you posted on the Nokia launch. <br>Best, <br>Kyra Gaunt<br>Assoc. Professor, Cultural Anthropology & Black Studies<br>Baruch College-CUNY<br>New York, NY<br><br><br>-- <br>- <br>Kyra D. Gaunt, Ph.D.<br>
2009 TED Fellow <a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/profiles/view/id/27884">http://www.ted.com/index.php/profiles/view/id/27884</a> <br><br>Dare to be different - Agree to be Offended & Stay Connected (TM). Embracing difference and racism is an opportunity to be courageous no matter what. <br>
<br>"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." -- George Bernard Shaw<br><br>
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