StartSomeGood News

Brand New Good! StartSomeGood’s Newest Campaigns…

The Social Change Film Festival and Institute is asking for funds to send two social change filmmakers from Indonesia to the Social Change Film Festival and Institute in New Orleans. The Social Change Film Festival and Institute hosts the world’s largest social change film festival, supporting social entrepreneurs in their quest to create a better future. This festival includes four days films, panels, workshops, shorts, and special events that inspire. Wensislaus and Lola are both active filmmakers working on various films about social change. They have been sponsored by the Ford Foundation, which will provide $3,200 to cover the flight for each filmmaker. This campaign seeks an additional $3,600 in funding to cover their tuition, accommodations, and flight for one interpreter.

The Crossing’s Big Yellow Taxi Project creates songwriting camps for young Australians to build energy and passion into the Australian folk scene. The Crossing is a non-profit environmental education camp providing opportunities for youth to see sustainability in action. Inspired by Joni Mitchell’s song Big Yellow Taxi, The Crossing seeks funding to subsidize cost of the camp for remote and isolated youth. At camp, local professionals will mentor participants who will write songs and perform at the dedicated youth venue in February 2013.

Voterheads strives to create a website a person can browse—entering his interests, local zip code, and other information. In return, the site will provide the user with a consolidated email about candidates and all upcoming agenda items for local public meetings. This will strengthen relationships between citizens and government by keeping the user better informed and allowing seamless sharing of issues one is passionate about to family, friends, and local elected officials through social media outlets. Funds raised for Vote Like You’ve Never Voted Before will be utilized to launch a test version of the website in the very near future—the page design and functionality coding are already underway.

Anchors Away – Guide for Walk2School Captains is a story following 8 young student leaders who created and are now promoting a 5-point plan to encourage students to walk or ride their bikes to school. This resource creates a solution to one of the nation’s most concerning issues—childhood inactivity. This guide encourages senior elementary school children to become walking group captains who will teach and promote safe walking practices, creating safe, capable, and active children. Funds for this project will allow the author dedicated time to write, review the draft, commission an editor and illustrator, and print and distribute 50 copies to schools.

Ukuleles for Rural Thai Students is raising funds to provide ukuleles and tutoring to rural and underprivileged schools in the Rayong province of Thailand. The project aims to enrich music education by providing a cheap, fun, hip, and easy way to begin learning music. Three schools will take part in the project—they have few resources and are underfunded. Those involved in the project have already proven success with the MPS Bamboo Band. The project only needs to raise funds to purchase ukuleles for the students, as the instructors have all generously agreed to donate their time and resources.

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 @shawndross and visit my websites:sdrinspire.com and giraffeandpenguinproductions.tumblr.com.