About 5 hours ago, “HP from Palo Alto, California” just rocked our world (and helped a bunch of public school classrooms) by plunking down $50 on each of the 13 challenges mounted by ScienceBlogs bloggers in the DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge. That’s a total of $650!
I’m thinking there’s a good chance that the “HP” here is Hewlett-Packard, in which case “Yay!” for the historic high-tech firm finding the ScienceBlogs challenges and supporting them unprompted. But if “HP from Palo Alto, California” is an individual donor, here’s a big “Yay!” for that awesome act of individual generosity.
Either way, HP rocks (and should totally claim a chemical structure sampler from me if one is desired)!
UPDATE: HP seems to have donated $50 to every challenge in the whole drive — making this a huge total donation indeed! Go HP!
Category Archives: Kids and science
DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge: day 7 progress, and prizes!
Today is the one week mark in our month-long drive with DonorsChoose to raise funds for public school classroom projects, and it is no surprise that ScienceBlogs readers have been generous in their support. As I write this post, the ScienceBlogs leaderboard indicates:
The sprogs raise an important scientific question.
Actually, it might be a philosophical question.
Younger offspring: One of my classmates told me that you fart every second.
DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge: Day 4 update.
Here’s a quick update on how the ScienceBlogs contingent is doing in the DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge.
Since we kicked off the challenge on Thursday, three more blogs have mounted challenges:
A Blog Around the Clock (challenge here)
Christina’s LIS Rant (challenge here)
Thus Spake Zuska (challenge here)
And, as I type this, 61 ScienceBlogs readers have donated a grand total of $4,784, funding projects that will reach 1,329 students.
Of course, there are more students to be reached. If you’re the kind of person who likes to give a project the last chunk of change it needs, here are some projects that are within $100 of completion.
Friday Sprog Blogging: the classroom snake gets fed.
A few weeks ago, the elder Free-Ride offspring was anxiously awaiting the feeding of Ziggy, the classroom ball python. Sadly, that feeding was delayed on account of the elder Free-Ride offspring’s teacher having jury duty.
Feeding the classroom snake, apparently, is not a task you leave to a substitute teacher.
In any event, since then, Ziggy has enjoyed a couple of feedings. Here, the elder Free-Ride offspring tells me about yesterday’s feeding.
PETA has a bone to pick with DonorsChoose.
I don’t usually go looking for a fight, but there are some cases where I’ll make an exception.
You know, of course that I’m a big fan of DonorsChoose. And you’ll recall that PETA’s tactics make them a problematic organization as far as I’m concerned regardless of what your views on animal welfare or animal rights might be.
So, when PETA takes a swing at DonorsChoose, of course I want to jump in off the ropes and swing back. What’s PETA’s issue with DonorsChoose?
DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge: Helping kids at the cost of a little dignity.
At Uncertain Principles, Chad is motivating his readers to donate to his DonorsChoose challenge by offering a big reward:
Last year, I famously got $6,000 in contributions by offering to dance like a monkey, but I’m not sure what would follow that. So,
What should I offer to do if I manage to reach the overall challenge goal of several thousand dollars in total contributions?
I’m obviously not going to do anything illegal or immoral, but I’m willing to sacrifice a little dignity for a good cause, as you can see at the link above. So, what can I offer to do that would get you to donate money to help school kids through DonorsChoose?
It looks like the discussion of Chad’s big reward is still ongoing. (I’m rooting for a recreation of a great dispute in physics with hand puppets.)
But Chad is not the only one with a DonorsChoose challenge to fund, nor is he the only one willing to put his dignity on the line to help public school students get the resources and experiences they need. So let’s talk about what you’d like me to do.
DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge: Did I mention fabulous prizes?
You already know that we’re working with DonorsChoose to raise some money for public school teachers who are trying to give their students the engaging educational experiences they deserve (and who, owing to dismal state and local budgets, need our help more than ever). You also know that our benevolent overlords at Seed will be randomly selecting some donors to receive nifty prizes (details about this to be posted as soon as I get them).
Of course, helping public school teachers deliver the education their students deserve is it’s own reward, but that doesn’t mean you might not want a little something to recognize your donation. So, as I did last year, I’m going sweeten the deal by offering some incentive to everyone who donates to my challenge.
Because money seems to be tight for almost everyone, I’ve knocked down the level of some of the donations needed to get particular thank-you swag, and I’ve added a “crafty” new incentive this time around. Here’s what you can get if you donate to my challenge:
DonorsChoose 2009 Social Media Challenge: raising our own classroom stimulus funds.
Around this corner of the blogosphere, folks frequently bemoan the sorry state of the public’s scientific literacy and engagement. People fret about whether our children is are learning what they should about science, math, and critical reasoning. Netizens speculate on the destination of the handbasket in which we seem to be riding.
In light of the big problems that seem insurmountable, we should welcome the opportunity to do something small that can have an immediate impact.
During the month of October, a bunch of us ScienceBlogs bloggers will be participating in the annual DonorsChoose “philanthropic throwdown for public schools”, which this year they’re calling the 2009 Social Media Challenge. (You may recognize it as the Blogger Challenge of yore.)
Friday Sprog Blogging: reading magazines with the elder Free-Ride offspring.
Owing to the fact that I had to focus my attention on getting healthy in a hurry so I could catch a plane yesterday evening, I asked the elder Free-Ride offspring to write something for this week’s Friday Sprog Blogging entry. Owing, I think, to my apparent fragility, the elder Free-Ride offspring assented to this request without argument, and without demanding a cash payment.
I really do have wonderful kids.
In any event, the elder Free-Ride offspring offers a summary of an interesting article from a magazine that is a favorite at Casa Free-Ride, National Geographic Kids, and then pitches a few ideas for stories the sprogs would like to see in it in some future issue.