Kids for Kenya Project Syllabus

Kids for Kenya

Trillium Charter School 2007/8

Meeting Time and Place: Fridays 1-4 in Ken’s room

Instructors:

Polly Christopher Ken Gadbow

503-459-1504 503-348-9849

Office hours: By Appointment Office hours: Fridays 12-1 and by appointment

Polly@TrilliumCharterSchool.org Ken@TrilliumCharterSchool.org

Credit available: Elective, Cooperation, Independence, Community Membership

Course Overview:

Kids for Kenya was created by students, teachers and parents of Trillium Charter School interested in the education and quality of life of Kenyan youth. We are fortunate to be able to have a special partnership with Humble Hearts School located in Nairobi, Kenya, giving us the unique opportunity to form friendships with students and teachers. Kids for Kenya provides educational opportunity for Kenyan and Northwestern youth, underscoring the interconnectedness of global communities through cultural exchange, education, and service. This Kids for Kenya class allows students to build relationships and strengthen connections both at home and abroad.

Course Objectives:

Working towards supporting our sister school in Nairobi while developing an array of essential communication, cooperation, and independence skills, students will choose areas within which to focus, including, but not limited to:

· Grants

o Students may choose from a pre-selected list of grants and learn to write and create grant packages, and/or:

o Students research grants and discuss the ethics of who we ask for money from.

· Corporate Donation

o Research corporate donors and learn to write letters of request.

· Web presence

o Students learn to create and write blogs that tell the Kids for Kenya story and promote its mission.

· Scrap Book

o Collate and format photos and stories from the Kenya trip and form a marketable scrap book.

· Small Sustainable Business

o Create a small business, run at Trillium to generate a small monthly income for Humble Hearts.

· Bike Ride/Fun Run Event

o Research and plan for a spring race fundraising event.

PLP Framework Concentrations:

Cooperation:

· Work in groups together for a common goal

· Lead and participate

· Demonstrate sensitivity to issues of equality and inclusion in group dynamics

· Understand and fulfill the roles and responsibilities involved in group success.

· Work cooperatively within diverse populations (cultural, age, class, ethnic, gender, linguistic, sexual orientation, etc.)

Independence:

· Research and find relevant resources

· Know how to access instructions and follow them

· Keep track of responsibilities, obligations, meetings, due dates, and belongings Demonstrate time management skills

· Demonstrate planning skills

Communication:

· Use language appropriate to audience

· Effectively use multiple forms of communication including speaking, writing, and nonverbal

· Recognize that all settings have different communication expectations and demonstrate flexibility

Community Membership:

· Contribute constructively to an organization’s unique structure, processes, and mission

· Demonstrate the ability to access resources to connect with communities

· Demonstrate respect for leadership, whether it be a student, a teacher, or any other person in the community

Code of Conduct:

All students are expected to know and uphold the Rights and Responsibilities of the Trillium Constitution. We will use the non-violent conflict resolution process that includes conversations, mediations, and the OVRR system.

Assignments and grading policies:

This class is graded primarily through written evaluation through self and staff assessment. For the purpose of transcripts, the class is offered on a letter grade basis as well, which breaks down as follows:

· Participation: 60%

· Projects: 40%

Letter grades, A-F, follow a 10% distribution. A is 90-100%, B is 80-89%, etc.

Attendance Policy:

It is imperative that students attend the class meetings, outings, or communicate clearly through their Personalized Learning Plans where and how they will be working to achieve their goals at that time.

Course Schedule:

This quarter, there are only six Fridays in our schedule. Therefore, Kids for Kenya will meet only on the following days:

· Sep. 14^th

· Sep. 28^th

· Oct. 5^th

· Oct. 19^th

· Oct. 26^th

· Nov. 2ⁿ