KINDERENERGY
WWW.KINDERENERGY.ORG
#MoveBrainSaveEarth
Educating in Sustainability California - headquarters@kinderenergy.org - @kinderenergy
Kinderenergy
July 31, 2019
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#MoveBrainSaveEarth is a high school program designed by KINDERENERGY that helps students find purpose while working with others to improve the natural & social environment on Earth. Youth learn what it takes to become social entrepreneurs and global health actors by turning a social problem in the developing world into an international business case project that is completed by them before the school term ends. KINDERENERGY believes that youth have the good will, intelligence and technological background to save Earth. This “hands on” practical problem solving initiative empowers students to identify a problem, design a strategy and execute their solution, giving them purpose, building self-esteem and promoting inner happiness. In addition, it gives them the critical thinking capabilities and entrepreneurial skills to prepare them for the future.
How it works: The students are shown various photographs in class which highlight problems other children in developing countries face on a day to day basis. The photos might be showing anything from a lack of adequate drinking water in Africa to playing soccer barefoot in India, to having three babies sharing one crib in Mongolia. The mentor/teacher challenges the students to analyze the different situations and think of simple solutions, pointing out what global health issues are involved and how simple soccer shoes can 1. serve as an incentive to go to school, 2. protect feet while playing and 3. help relieve the burden of disease in children (i.e. wearing shoes can help fight soil transmitted helminths; clean water & toothbrush can help fight NOMA disease; clean water & soap can help fight respiratory infection and diarrhea, the two deadliest diseases in children). The mentor/teacher might ask the following question, “if you could do one thing for these kids, what would it be?” Accepting the challenge, the students design a development solution to one of the problems they have seen and turn that problem into an international development case project, emulating a real business case with a proposed solution they have imagined. In their proposal, they determine geographic location, country politics, type of diseases affecting children in that area, projected budget, logistics, foreign currency issues, foreign language, fundraising, marketing and possible manufacturers (preferably local manufacturers).
“Education puts wind in a child’s sail”
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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Everything is done at school. With the help of a faculty member, university mentor, or volunteer employees within a CSR program, the students set out to complete their project before the term ends in May. Students realize that the more people they get involved in the project, the greater the chances are that the project will be completed successfully. Students are encouraged to be very creative and are given an enormous amount of freedom when it comes to creating a fundraising and marketing plan. Anything from classic bake sales, performing a concert, to online crowd fundraising is allowed. 100% of money earned by students for projects goes to fund projects. Sponsoring companies can help students succeed in any number of ways, supplementing fundraising, encouraging staff volunteering in marketing etc. If the target amount is not reached, the project adapts to the circumstances. (Failure to reach budgeted amount is ok. What is key is that students gain confidence in themselves and learn in the process.)
With the continuous guidance of the mentor/teacher/corporate volunteer, they are able to turn their wish into a reality. After much hard work and skillful planning, they see the fruits of their labor. The children they had seen in photos months before will receive the item(s) they were lacking, (a new water well, bicycles, bathrooms, soap, toothbrushes, new soccer shoes or a new rain harvesting system). The US high school students experience tremendous joy and self-esteem when they see that they have been successful at changing, and perhaps even saving, the lives of people in another country. They experience the “Circular Impact Effect”; the happiness they hoped on others comes back and affects them positively too. “Double impact, double joy” is the powerful result of giving oneself freely, with nothing in return expected. On top of it all, they have learned some very valuable entrepreneurial skills, which will become very useful in the future!
“Skills development reduces poverty and better equips young people to find decent jobs where ever they live. It triggers a process of empowerment and self esteem that benefits everyone. And it strengthens youth capacity to help address the many challenges facing society, moving us closer to ending poverty, hunger, injustice and environmental degradation” Ban Ki-moon
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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IzzyB. Project Leader, Lake Forest Illinois, WASH Project, Cambodia/ 2015
2015- One of two individual family bathrooms for rural families in Tajen, Cambodia. Project Manager was Izzy B. She and her team at Lake Forest High School in Illinois were delighted to design this WASH project. Goal: $250 for one bathroom. Total earned: $500! This project saved lives!
2016- Project “Ride For A Reason� consisted of giving bicycles to rural children in Tajen, Cambodia so they could get to school easier. Goal: $600.00 for 15 bikes. Total: $1,800.00. Project Leader was Hannah G. from Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, New York. Partially sponsored by Red Jacket Juices.
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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Hannah G. / Project Leader NYC/Cambodia “Lack of transportation is a barrier to education.”
Cambodia project 2016 Thanks to Hannah G. and her team at Our Lady of Mercy HS in NY, Project “Ride For A Reason”, this young passenger & other classmates have their own bikes now to get to school.
Uganda project 2017 Project Leader Hannah G. and her team also designed a solution to drought problems school children in Lwengo District, Uganda face every day. “Let it Rain” project built a rain harvesting system for this rural school in Northwest Uganda. Goal: $18,100.00. Total funded: $4,000. This project completed in early 2019 with financial help from Live Mountain Europe & VW-Spain.
2019 Ongoing projects in Uganda include: *poultry project for children *construction of new pit latrines & showers & sinks for 400 girls
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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H.S. students from Spain having fun strategizing project “Happy Feet” for Adevasi children in India after seeing photos of kids playing soccer barefoot on dirt field.
Working on a problem abroad that helps alleviate concerns at home. Much effort is being made to increase the academic competence of our students at home, inspire a greater number to enter STEM fields and to stop the downhill trend in overall academic performance of students on an international scale.1 #MoveBrainSaveEarth will improve math skills, bolster a students interest in international business, engineering, development economics and global health to name just a few. In addition, it will raise selfesteem, teach empathy and stimulate them to use new technologies to look for innovative ways to save the People & Planet. Let’s get to work and help them propel change! 1”US
High School Students Slip In Global Rankings”.
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304579404579234511824563116
Understandably, the problems facing the US educational system are worrisome however, we must not lose sight of the fact that students are eager to learn, full of innovative ideas, show a keen interest in international events and are enormously talented and creative when it comes to using technology. #MoveBrainSaveEarth combines teaching empathy, volunteerism, international relations, global health and technology to stimulate interest in international development work.
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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Purpose & emotional intelligence - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lady-gaga-yale-centeremotional-intelligence-partner-teens-delgado/
Adevasi kids in Ankleshwar, India trying on the soccer shoes they just received from pilot project in Europe. 2013
This is what we hope to do. KINDERENERGY successfully completed its first pilot project of #MoveBrainSaveEarth in 2013 in India with the help of students from a high school in Spain and undergraduate students from the local university acting as mentors. The project was initiated as described in the introduction and the students created a project in India, which entailed supplying 500 pairs of soccer shoes to young boys who always played soccer barefoot. The project was completed at the end of the term but since fundraising was more difficult than they had expected, only 250 pairs of shoes were funded. The project, nevertheless, was a huge success. Joy was felt on both sides of the globe, which resulted in the same students asking for another project the following year. The initiative is slowly spreading by word of mouth and it is our hope to get projects under way soon at high schools across the USA. In September 2018, schools in Lisbon, Spain and hopefully Denmark will become #MoveBrainSaveEarth Schools. This initiative can be incorporated into the Business, Geography or Civics curriculum or as an after school/extra credit activity. The amount of hours needed to work on the project will depend on the type of project designed and the amount of students on the team. The important thing is to have the project finished by the end of the school year.
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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Undergraduate students pursuing a degree in business, economics or finance are ideal mentors given the fact that a basic understanding of Excel, marketing and management skills are to be taught to the high school students. High school students and university mentors could very well count the time spent with these international development projects as community service hours.
Kinderenergy Kinderenergy is a 501c3 environmental charity born in Moraga, California and based in Los Angeles, California, which builds awareness that children are Earth’s most important natural resource. Kinderenergy believes that children and youth possess the necessary brainpower (intelligent energy) to provide innovative solutions to Earth’s social and environmental problems. Its founder, Elisabeth Anne Delgado conceived the idea of Kinderenergy during a sabbatical year at her Alma Mater, UCBerkeley, in 2009. Kinderenergy was initiated into the Social Media world by two Stanford University undergraduates during the Stanford’s Social-M Blitz Bazaar in 2010. Kinderenergy educates children of all ages to be excellent stewards of Earth’s natural and social environment. With #MoveBrainSaveEarth, Kinderenergy aims to prove how important and capable children & youth are in saving Earth. We are now operating in India, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Cambodia & Burundi. Global Peacemaker´s Program Another Kinderenergy initiative is the Global Peacemaker´s Program, a two-week unpaid internship opportunity working alongside Kinderenergy CEO at the UN Headquarters in New York City. University undergraduates learn what diplomatic, political, economic and social factors influence environmental management, economic development, global health and peace. Kinderenergy was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council in 2013. It also has “Observer Status” with the UNFCCC and will be present at the COP23 in Bonn. In June 2017 during the UN Ocean Conference, children between the ages of 5-12 marched into the UN to speak about why they were important for the environment and what they were doing daily to save Oceans, Planet Earth and People. It was a huge success.
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/
July 31, 2019
Kinderenergy
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Children in Ankleshwar, India before receiving shoes. 2013
Kinderenergy follows the 100% charity model, which means that all donations to projects go directly to the projects. In addition, Kinderenergy works with minimal overhead because everyone behind Kinderenergy works as a volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering with Kinderenergy, becoming a sponsor of a school project to incorporate in your company´s department of Corporate Social Responsibility, would like to have this initiative started at your high school or, have any questions about this initiative and its implementation, please contact us. Kinderenergy was honored to be a K-12 Category Finalist at the 2016 UPenn/Wharton School of Business/SEI Center For Advanced Management-Reimagine Education Awards. “Teens feel their schooling or learning are lacking in purpose or meaning so we must help them do more.� E. Delgado
Elisabeth Anne Delgado/ www.kinderenergy.org/ elisabethanne@kinderenergy.org/