Social Actions helps individuals and organizations use social media to plan, implement, and support peer-to-peer social change campaigns so that grassroots solutions to local and global problems can flourish. I have blogged about them before (and am involved as a project mentor), most recently here.
Today, Social Actions launched a plug-in for WordPress bloggers that will place ‘possibly related classroom projects’ from DonorsChoose.org at the bottom of posts, so that readers can find opportunities to take action to help classrooms around the world. DonorsChoose.org “is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.”
Social Action Labs, Lead Programmer, Eric Cooper, really did a lot to make this happen and deserves lots of props. So does Joe Solomon and Peter Deitz from Social Actions, as well as the rest of the crew.
If you have WordPress, why not check it out! I will be installing it tonight and you can watch the blog here to see it live in action! I’d love to hear your feedback about the new plug-in and ideas for other ways Social Actions Labs can be working to build actionable content you and your organization can use! Learn more on the Social Actions website.
“help classrooms around the world” — huh? I will definitely be watching your blog, cause I have no idea what that means! 😉 See ya soon.
If I had wordpress I’d give a test drive. I use typepad. Peter mentioned something about a more universally available widget at some point in the future
Pete – Thanks for pointing out that I wasn’t very clear on what DonorsChoose.org even does! It is a “simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.”
Hope that helps clarify!
Beth – Yes, Joe Solomon and the team in the Social Actions Lab are hard at work building out additional widgets that will pull in textually-relevant social action opportunities. The tools will be useful for bloggers and organizations alike. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they get used in the online communities.
Hi Amy, Thanks for blogging about our efforts. The generalized widget should be available at the end of August. By the way, your input on the conference this week was incredibly helpful. Thanks!
Thanks, Peter! I hope to keep people informed when the other widget is ready as well. Such awesome work!
Amy – It’s so cool to see classroom projects next to your blog posts! Did you check out the media-related classroom projects on your “Can You Teach New Media” and the green/sustainability-focused classroom projects on your “Giving made Green” post!
http://www.amysampleward.org/2008/07/31/can-you-teach-new-media/
http://www.amysampleward.org/2008/07/29/giving-made-green/
It’s wild how such different posts can raise awareness for specific, relevant projects that can make a real impact for the next generation. Congrats!
thanks, joe! yes, it certainly is super cool 🙂
thanks for making this happen and letting me provide relevant ways to help children and classrooms. i’m really looking forward to the general widget later this month!