StartSomeGood News

Breaking Heels is focused on creating an adjustable height high heel and funding demand-reduction programs to combat human trafficking and sexual exploitation in addition to funding scholarships for survivors. The shoe is designed to have an adjustable height shoe allowing the wearer to go from a short to a high heel with a simple flip of the heel. With the funds raised, Breaking Heels will be able to launch this high heel shoe line and, if fully funded, will be able to complete patenting and create injection molds for the height adjustable shoes.

Building Girls Work Crew, a paid, hands-on construction experience for twenty 17 to 24-year-old girls in Portland, Oregon, is looking to officially launch on August 28^th this year. This campaign is seeking funding for just three of those 20 girls to learn practical construction skills, preparing them for serious careers in construction. They will also receive lessons on credit and banking, nutrition, fitness, and life navigational skills. Just $1,000 supports one young lady through this program and toward a sustainable life for herself and her family.

Reading a Human Right seeks to promote a reading culture in all age groups, specifically children, in Tshabalala, Bulawayo, and Zimbabwe. With the campaign funds, Reading a Human Right will purchase books for Inhlathi high school, Maphisa primary school, Tshabalala public library, and Alliance preschool. More access to books will set the groundwork to alleviate crime, poverty, and increase education and self sufficiency to develop these impoverished communities.

Cultured Pearls Empowerment Group for Girls is a character development organization whose overall mission is to produce contributing young women for society. Young women in the program are matched with a mentor who has overcome similar life obstacles and provides the necessary, first-hand experience and encouragement. With the funds raised through Help us CULTIVATE more PEARLS, 30 girls will be able to enroll in the program for 10 weeks free of charge.

The GeekHub is a school-based team of IT professionals in central Ukraine with a goal to teach talented youth the skills needed to launch their careers in software development. GeekHub seeks funding to purchase two projectors that will be used to increase teaching efficiency by allowing the teachers to hook their computers to the projectors. This will allow them to explain the material, show the code examples, and help students see illustrations and examples on a big screen.

Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rescue Centre:The Australian black cockatoo is having a tough time surviving, as the film, On a Wing and a Prayer, explains. This campaign will help fund the purchase of that acclaimed ABC film as an educational tool for 2,000 schools along with a downloadable study guide. Education is the key to saving this bird from the brink of extinction and the key to survival for the Black Cockatoo.

Wecyclers has tipped! Wecyclers was founded by recent graduates from MIT and Harvard. Embarking upon their professional careers, they are using their knowledge and connections from school to lay the groundwork for the launch of Wecyclers this August in Lagos, Nigeria. Wecyclers tackles urban waste crises by encouraging households to recycle using SMA-based incentive programs paired with convenient collection services. Thanks to its great supporters, Wecyclers will now be able to create a pilot recycling program for at least 200 households for 5 months. With three days still left in this campaign, there is still time to help Wecyclers expand this program to reach more than 200 households.

Making a fantastic and exciting late surge, Community Youth Mapping (The Center for Collaborative Change) was able to finish up successfully, surpassing its $2,500 tipping point. CYM, established in Newark, New Jersey in 2009, includes youth in essential community development while also building their interest and capacity to be our future civic leaders. Through exit surveys, CYM has found that 64% have an increased interest in the well-being of their neighborhood, 86% improved their communication skills, and 90% increased their knowledge of healthy food access. The campaign funds raised will allow CYM 2012 to hire a staff of three to supervise youth for six weeks and develop the curriculum.

Shawn D. Ross

I am a Northwest Native living in Washington State. A graduate of Washington State University and University of Phoenix with degrees in Architecture and Education I write about social, cultural, and personal improvement on the StartSomeGood Blog and SDRinspire. I am also a filmmaker and owner of Giraffe and Penguin Productions, a single daddy of two beautiful children, avid reader, writer, and hat wearer (Not in that picture but believe me, I wear ‘em). I am currently at work on my first feature length documentary. Follow me on twitter @shawndross and visit my websites: www.sdrinspire.com and giraffeandpenguinproductions.tumblr.com

__________________________________________________________

Social entrepreneurs, have all these new and successful campaigns inspired you to start your own good? Do you have a social enterprise, a non-profit, or an amazing idea that needs some momentum to take off? Visit our site to find out how to start your own campaign today. Still have questions? We have answers—check out our FAQ section.