Content Matters

What if, instead of buying a cappucino at Starbucks each Friday, you donated that money to a good cause? And what if you could convince 50 of your friends to do the same?That's what @amandamooney is trying to organize via her Twitter network.

Each Friday, she allows a member of her social network to propose a charity and each member donates $5. Last week, $180 was raised for a 3-day breast cancer awareness walk proposed by @valerial.  This Friday (october 24), Amanda selected my nomination - Donor's Choose.  I'm donating my funds (I'll go beyond the $5) to the Kids Flip Over Books project, where the Library Media Specialist at a Syracuse, NY-based school needs two Flip cameras for first grade classes.  Here's a bit more info, though the full details can be found here.

1st graders will become camera operators as well as stars of their own videos. First, we will work on compare/contrast by sharing information about our school/class/home via the camera and then using the information to make double bubble maps to show how we are alike and different.

Then students will write about the books we read during library story time. As a class, they will write book commercials, book reviews, or questions to ask viewers. Students will practice speaking loudly and clearly and looking into the camera; then the camera operators will videotape.

So, who is Amanda Mooney?  I've never met her in person, though I've followed her on Twitter for a while. She recently joined the Chicago office of Edelman PR and has a great grasp of the capabilities of social media. It's especially impressive in that I think she's all of 22 years old. You can follow Amanda on Twitter @amandamooney. And don't forget to pony up your $5 each friday. Together, we can really make a difference.

UPDATE: As of 8pm tonight, we had achieved our goal and fully funded the remainder of the $417 needed for this project. So, the first graders at theMcKinley-Brighton Magnet School in Syracuse will be receiving their Flips soon.

I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but Donors Choose rocks and Amanda Mooney and her twitter challenge network are amazing. Together, in one day, we helped two classrooms get the tools they needed to impact the lives of 44 kids.  So, what did you accomplish today?

UPDATE 2:Just received this email from the teacher who submitted the proposal. Talk about nearly instant gratification: