Erika Gray's Senior Project Blog

I’m sitting here at the computer, pre-screening books. Can I just say I have only been doing this for about  10 minutes, and I already have the key pad memorized? Oh my gosh, soon I’ll be able to ramble off random ISBN numbers!

Invisible Children

In the spring of 2003, three young filmmakers traveled to Africa in search of a story. What started out as a filmmaking adventure transformed into much more when these boys from Southern California discovered a tragedy that disgusted and inspired them, a tragedy where children are both the weapons and the victims. After returning to the States, they created the documentary “Invisible Children: Rough Cut,” a film that exposes the tragic realities of northern Uganda’s night commuters and child soldiers. The film was originally shown to friends and family, but has now been seen by millions of people. The overwhelming response has been, “How can I help?” To answer this question, the non-profit Invisible Children, Inc. was created, giving compassionate individuals an effective way to respond to the situation. As a non-profit Invisible Children works to transform apathy into activism. By documenting the lives of those living in regions of conflict and injustice, they hope to educate and inspire individuals in the Western world to use their unique voice for change. Their media creates an opportunity for people to become part of a grassroots movement that intelligently responds to what’s happening in the world. But their work extends beyond the borders. In war-affected regions they focus on long-term development, working directly with individuals and institutions that are eager to realize their full potential. Through education and innovative economic opportunities, they partner with affected communities and strive to improve the quality of life for individuals living in conflict and post-conflict regions. Invisible Children’s approach to humanitarian work is founded in the strength and intelligence of the Ugandan community. They learned early on it was not only important but essential to heed the wisdom of people that had not only lived in the war, but were surviving it. These people would know better than anyone what the greatest needs were and the best ways to meet them. What Invisible Children came to find is that while there have been many efforts to address the issues that stem from living and fighting in such a long-lasting war, the people of Uganda are asking for a future beyond the conflict. Their pleas have become our development strategy. All of IC’s programming is a partnership between those of us at Invisible Children and those in the Ugandan community. They focus on long-term goals that enable children to take responsibility for their future and the future of their country. The programs are carefully researched and developed initiatives that address the need for quality education, mentorships, the redevelopment of schools, resettlement from the camps, and financial stability. I, as well as Invisible Children, believe that the problems of central Africa need to be tackled comprehensively, from peace to education. Solving these issues will be no easy task, and it will take all of us doing all that we can to ensure it. Join me in the race for peace, watch this video to find out what we, Life Christian Academy, is going to do to change the world.

Schools For Schools

The Schools for Schools (S4S) program emerged from Invisible Children Uganda’s overarching goal to help rebuild the standards of secondary education in northern Uganda. The projects under the umbrella of S4S encourage academic excellence not only within students, but also on a much larger scale within the schools. By delving to the root of local development issues and improving education holistically from the ground up, we are able to help foster long-term change in the quality of education in the region through a variety of implementation practices. Schools for Schools is one of the largest-scale projects to date addressing the North’s need for improved learning environments and a greater investment in secondary education. By comprehensively rebuilding 11 of the most promising secondary schools in the region, we are looking beyond the temporary fix of simply putting kids in classrooms, but rather at providing sustainable access to quality post-primary education at a nationally competitive level. Since its inception in the spring of 2007, the Schools for Schools program has raised over $4 million, with 90% of the funds going to implementation on the ground at our 11 partner schools. Another component was added for the third round as well: a book drive. Invisible Children struck a partnership with Better World Books, an organization dedicated to collecting used books, reselling them and donating a portion of the proceeds to improve literacy worldwide. During the 100 days of the competition, students collected over 1.9 million books in what became the largest book drive in history. Better World Books processed all of these books, sending certain titles to our partner schools. The books that were not sent to our partner schools were either sold, with a portion of the proceeds going to Invisible Children, or recycled. Other devisions of S4S involve: Eco-San (Ecological Sanitation) is an alternative to conventional sanitary systems based on an ecological approach to human waste as a recyclable, environmentally friendly resource, such as fertilizer. War-Trauma Counseling, Training and support of teacher and student capacity development is provided through workshops, regular stakeholders’ sessions, and monitoring and evaluation. Interlocking Soil Stabilized Blocks, ISSB technology creates a higher quality, less expensive and more environmentally friendly alternative to the bricks that are normally produced in East Africa. The Rainwater Harvesting Technology uses already existing infrastructure to harness the abundant source of rainwater from the rooftops of school buildings. The water comes at no price and is of very good quality when collected properly.

Better World Books

Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than six million new and used titles in stock, they’re a self-sustaining, triple-bottom-line company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders. They’re breaking new ground in online bookselling. Better World Books believes that education and access to books are basic human rights. That’s why books sold on BetterWorldBooks.com help fund high-impact literacy projects in the United States and around the world. Here’s the best part: In addition to selling new titles, Better World Books supports book drives and collects used books and textbooks through a network of over 1,800 college campuses and partnerships with over 2,000 libraries nationwide. So far, the company has converted more than 25 million donated books into $7.3 million in funding for literacy and education. In the process, we’ve also diverted more than 13,000 tons of books from landfills.

Even though my blog can be most interesting to read and follow

Just though I’d let everyone know about Invisible Children’s Bookdrive blog..

Also, IC Bookdrive is on facebook! Add them.. lets grow their friend list super big!

I was just looking at the Invisible Children page on facebook. In looking through their pictures, I found pictures from Lacor Secondary School! That’s the school that LCA is sponsoring!

To check the pictures out, click here!

Good Afternoon!

I received an email this morning with all the information I need to start the book drive!

Please go through your bookshelves and pick out lightly used books and send them my way! Better World Books is especially looking for lightly used college text books, and pretty much any other college level book. Soft and hard cover reading, and some self-help books are accepted. Childrens story books, text books, activity books and coloring books are not accepted.

Please pray and ask God to lead you to the correct decision in your donation. If you have books that you would like to donate to this great cause, please email me at erikagray01@gmail.com and let me know that you are interested in donating!

Thank you so much in helping me reach my senior project goal!

Good Evening!

I just wanted to update everyone on what is going on with my senior project.

After I signed up with S4S, they told me that someone would email me with all the information that I needed in order to continue with S4S. Because I didn’t receive an email, about four days later I emailed Invisible Children, just to check in. They emailed back and let me know that their partner Better World Books was/is having some technical difficulties. A rep from Invisible Children told me that Better World Books fixed everything and should email me with all the information I need within the coming days.

I can’t wait to get in contact with them! I am so ready to start this book drive and raise awareness and money for the children in Uganda.

Oh yeah, did I mention that the school that raises the most money, or sends the most books get to send a representative on a fully paid trip to Uganda? If I didn’t, that is what my goal is. Along with writing an amazing paper, and creating an awesome presentation, I want to be Life Christian Academy’s school representative to go on a life changing trip to Northern Uganda during the summer of 2010.

Yesterday, I emailed the fund raising director from Invisible Children. In talking to them, they recommended that I sign up for “Schools for Schools.” I went to the website yesterday afternoon and signed LCA up.

The Schools for Schools (S4S) program emerged from Invisible Children Uganda’s overarching goal to help rebuild the standards of secondary education in northern Uganda. The projects under the umbrella of S4S encourage academic excellence not only within students, but also on a much larger scale within the schools. By delving to the root of local development issues and improving education holistically from the ground up, we are able to help foster long-term change in the quality of education in the region through a variety of implementation practices.

To raise funds for program implementation, Invisible Children created the world’s first real-time, interactive humanitarian web site (s4s.invisiblechildren.com) where money raised could be viewed as it accumulated. During each round of competitive fund raising, students worldwide are able to check the progress of their Ugandan partner school, as well as see proposed implementation projects, student bios, and video updates.

Life Christian Academy is now a participant in the Schools for Schools Campaign, raising money to send to schools in Uganda. We are raising money for Lacor Secondary School.

Along with participating in the S4S Campaign, I want to call upon the community of Wilmington and Hampstead to come together by collecting books to send to Ugandan Children, to further their education.

Together with their partner, Better World Books, Invisible Children is starting a new chapter for northern Uganda. This year the =book drive will focus on collecting high-quality, newer books that can be used to support programs like Schools for Schools.

I found out that I can collect books from the community, “screen” them online, and send them to Better World Books, for free! In order to send the books free of charge, I must screen them and “register” them online, when I register them, I received points based on the book. Each book has a different point value, which can be found online, when I screen them.

This is such a great ministry, and I am very excited that I will be able to raise awareness through out the Wilmington and Hampstead area.

Good Morning!

Today, I have decided that I am going to document everything that I research, discover and learn while I am gathering information for my senior project.

So far, I have decided a topic. Invisible Children. This is a non-profit organization with a mission to make the world aware of the suffering, pain and cruelty that is being pressed upon the children of Uganda.

Last night, I watched the “Invisible Children Film” recorded while three men went to Uganda in search of these children.
If you want to watch an overview of the full film, click here

Hope you enjoy! Keep reading, there is more to come…