December 1996 — Features
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A Telecommunications-Infused Community Action Project
"4. Finally, the effect on local schools has been a good one. As news of Orange County high schoolers building Web pages for Sacramento nonprofits reached the ears of local school officials and kids interested in the Internet, we began getting feelers about having locals contribute to the cause. While nothing has been firmly agreed to, we expect to see at least one or two local high schools and at least one local community college help with the project in the next year or so."
Conclusion
A major premise of Nonprofit Prophets was that when students value their positive feelings and ideas, then turn that value into effective action, they will gain a sense of themselves as caring, thoughtful and effective people. Many students don't get involved in the world around them because they mistakenly see themselves as powerless to change things for the better. Nonprofit Prophets strives to give students the deeply felt experience that even though the world is sometimes a hard place, answers do not come from apathy and withdrawal, but from caring and active commitment.
Note: Nonprofit Prophets will be open to many more participants in fall of 1996. Minimum requirements for participation are classroom access to the Internet and videoconferencing. Pilot teachers suggest doing the project with a friend or as a team so you have a close colleague for support, division of labor and sharing enthusiasm. The project is flexible enough to customize to a variety of content areas and strategies for implementation. Schools in California that lack access to the Internet and videoconferencing might contact the Education First Initiative; while schools in other regions should look to their local telecommunications providers for special offers that might exist to support schools.
