November Competition - Bonus Trip

Check out the official video on The Schools for Schools Blog or Youtube

Here’s the deal:

· We want to set a goal for all of you to get 500 dollars to us before December 1.

This is insanely doable. Schools have done simply done bake sales and

Change for Change and collected more than this. There are 1,207

schools signed up for S4S right now. If each of you reach this goal we

could have 603,500 dollars for the partner schools.

· Schools who get over 1,000 dollars will receive an Invisible Children Mystery Package as a thank you.

(Jason Russell loves mysteries, and is sort of excited to make this package.)

If each of you get 1,000 dollars we would have 1,207,000 dollars to

rebuild the schools. Guys, one event could get you well over 1,000

dollars. Put together a benefit concert, a dance party, or collect change

at your football game. If you have a bake sale every week

and put out Change for Change jars in local stores and collect 500 dollars.

Then host an event and raise 500 dollars. Done. 1,000 dollars.

· The school who sends in the most money between now and December 1^st will be able to send a representative on the trip to Uganda.

Everyone is starting in the same place for November. This opportunity

starts the moment you read this e-mail and checks must be post-marked by

December 1. The school that gets the most money over 5,000 dollars within this time

can send someone to Uganda on the S4S trip..If winning the entire competition

daunted you, know that this is up completely up for grabs by anyone. You have a month

to charge this and get as much money as possible for your partner school.

I won’t even dare to allow myself to dream of how much money we would

get if even half of you raised over 5,000 dollars. Actually, let us think about it.

How does 3,017,500 sound to you? Sounds like new schools to me.

Alright y’all. Now is the time. It’s time to do this. It’s time to take a stroll down the path of the unconventional. It’s time to live for something so much larger than yourself. It’s time to unify with thousands around the world to fight to end this war. (Dramatic music enters now).

Trick or Treat for Change may be a good place to kick this off.... Just saying.

We would like to challenge of you. We are calling out to all of the Schools for Schools clubs who dare to compete with us and over 1,000 schools around the world.

The challenge will commence the infamous night of October 31^st. Dawn your costumes. Grab your pumpkin buckets. Prepare to divide and conquer the doorsteps of your community.

We would like for you to Trick or Treat a little differently this year. Go to every possible door in your community that time allots. However when offered candy, deny it. Tell them who you are, what school you are with, and about the Schools for Schools program. Tell them about how you are providing students in northern Uganda hope for the future by supporting the rebuilding of their school. Then instead of candy, ask for their spare change. (After that take their candy )

The interns are going to do the same thing here in San Diego. The school that collects the most money and postmarks it to us before November 6^th will get what we collected. You have a week after Halloween to count your change and get a check to us.

Just a tip: I would consider putting some money in your bucket before heading out. It will make you look more legit if it looks like others have already given to you.

Let's do this

Hello everyone!!

I have had a blast getting to know all of you and hearing all that you are doing. If you don't realize how massive this movement you have joined is, let me enlighten you:

• Through the efforts of youth all around the world, 4 million dollars has been raised specifically for the Schools for Schools program in the past 3 years.
  
• Over 2,000 schools worldwide have been involved.
  
• Last year we ran the biggest book drive in history, collecting almost 2 million books.
  
• 1,800 people came out to Washington D.C. over the summer to lobby -- the largest lobby day for any African conflict
• 80,000 participants came out to the Global Night Commute in 2006
• 68,000 participants came out to Displace Me in 2007
• 85,000 participants came to The Rescue in 2009.
  
• We've been on Oprah, NBC Nightly News, CNN, MTV News, Extra, etc...

Don't miss out on ending a war.

I was thinking this weekend about this opportunity to be a part of Schools for Schools. I was president of the club when I was a senior in high school. I know at first I was full of drive and ready to do this! But I lost site of what I was doing. I got distracted for living for myself. Senior year. It was time to slack off. Honestly, it's one of my biggest regrets. I do not want you guys to miss out on having a huge impact on the lives of these students in Uganda. They need you. You have the potential and the ability to give them hope for the future.

You can get thousands of dollars. You WILL get thousands of dollars. Just don't hesitate to make it happen. Let these tips run around in your noggins, come up with the brilliant world shaking ideas, and then do them. Make this happen.

1. Think about your resources and connections.
   
2. Don't hesitate to ask for businesses in your area to support you.
   
3. Never have a fundraiser without asking a business or organization to match what you get.
   
4. Don't try to stay within the normal fundraising constraints. Be young. Be crazy. Be funny. Use your talents!
   
5. Don't be afraid of failure. Ok, so you only get 10 dollars. Don't let it discourage you. Have ten more fundraisers that get 10 dollars and voila you have 100 dollars.

MEND
Watch this. Love it. Be amazed. Get one for all of your friends
http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/?p=1845

MEND is designed to seam a personal connection between products and their makers, while repairing the lives of women in distressed regions of the world.


WE WANT OBAMA
We are knocking on doors and making calls to get Obama to make a statement on the war in northern Uganda. Add your name to the list and be one of the many rallying to hear from Obama

Helpful Resources

Thank you so much to all of you who signed up for Schools for Schools. I am SO excited to work with all of you. You guys are coming up with such incredible ideas. Get on them as soon as you can.
There are 79 days left in the competition

As you all hopefully know, I am your Schools for Schools representative. I am here to help you out with absolutely anything. If you have any questions please do not hestitate to call/e-mail/facebook/ text me.

Office: 619-562-2799
Cell: 404-357-5757
E-mail: htant@invisiblechildren.com
Facebook - Holly Tant InvisibleChildren

There are 5 of us here in the office working on Schools for Schools. We are your Schools for Schools team and we are honored to be serving you guys. Here we are:


Natalie, Holly (me) , Tessa, Marissa, and Hayley

I wanted to give you all some resources that may help your club/project/rogue mission to save Uganda more successful.

Media:


The Update:
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/media/videos/detail.php?id=2023251066

The Rescue: (36 minutes)
http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en#/watch/

Together We Are Free: ( 40 minutes) -
http://www.livestream.com/invisiblechildren
Click "On-Demand" at the bottom right of the box. Then choose "Together We are Free"

The Rough Cut:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3166797753930210643#

Who We Are:

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/media/videos/detail.php?id=673477611

Promotion Materials:

Browse around the resources for pictures and logos that you can use!

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/theMovement/resources

This is a media packet that will help a lot with promotion:

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/media/assets/resources/files/online_media_kit.pdf

Bracelet Form:
If you choose to sell the bracelets, the money must be mailed to us by October 31st. We can not accept it if it is mailed after that. Half of the money will go to your Schools for Schools fund and the other half will go to the Invisible Children general donation.

If you would like this form please shoot me an e-mail and I will get this to you.

Curriculum:

We have created a curriculum for each of our films. If you would like this please e-mail me.

Sites:

Invisible Children:
invisiblechildren.com

Obama Site:
http://obama.invisiblechildren.com/obama

Schools for Schools:
s4s.invisiblechildren.com

Invisible Children Blog:
http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/

Behind the Scenes Blog:
http://behindthescenes.invisiblechildren.com/

Lets Get Started!

Who is ready for EPICNESS? ( Is that a word? ... Probably not. Oh well, It doesn't matter... )

I know starting out the club can be the hardest part. Thus, I wanted to give you guys some ideas to kick this off.

Disclaimer: I am giving you ideas to get your mind rolling. However, this is YOUR club. Use your creativity and gifts to make this what you want. I believe in your talents, your drive, your creativity, your resourcefulness, your originality and your craziness. Take this opportunity to change the world and run with it in any way you want. Just don't miss out on it.

GETTING YOUR CLUB STARTED:

1. Pick a time and location for your school’s first club meting :

• Register online if you haven't already
  
• Set up club leaders
  
• Fundraising ideas
  
• Set Goals
• Delegate jobs
• If you have not tried to book a screening at your school e-mail me (htant@invisiblechildren.com)
  
• Check out the Schools for Schools site. s4s.invisiblechildren.com
  
• Get familiar with the school you are supporting in Uganda.
• Talk to your school accountant about how the money system will work. I strongly suggest getting your money in as you get it rather than holding off to end. All of the money must be in December 17th at 11:59 pm to count for the competition. No exceptions made. We have to be fair.
  

2. Have a mini-screening to get people interested and involved.
If you do not already have a large group interested, then work on promoting it. Host house parties and show one of our films.
OR ask your administration if you can show one of our films or one of our short podcasts
over the school TVs.

3. START
Don't hesitate. Time is ticking. Students in Uganda are waiting. We need you to start so
that we can start rebuilding. Turn your creativity into action.

FUNDRAISING IDEAS:

Think BIG and outside of the box, but think SMALL. Not every fundraiser has to rake in thousands. I recommend having small fundraisers every week. A bunch of littles will add up to one great big.
Think about what connections you have. Is your best friend's brother dating the sister of the hottest new band in your town? Use your connections.
You can almost get anything donated. Ask for food to sell. Ask for blow up slides. Ask for sound equipment. Just ask.
THINK BIG.
Your options are endless.

• Change for Change - put out cans, walk around with cans, shake cans.
  

( This is the easiest and most successful fundraiser we have seen done. Collect change around school. Put cans our everywhere and anywhere. Utilize the school sports events. Announce what your doing at half time and then walk around with cans. )

• Bake Sale
• Tournaments - Dodgeball, Guitar Hero, Bingo, Dance-a -thon, turtle racing, Capture the Flag, Mud Volleyball ,
  
• Make and sell something - Shirts, bags, hats, jewelry, etc...
  
• Benefit Concert
• Garage Sale
• Party with a Purpose
  
• Get local businesses to match donations you get
• Sell your talents - For example: Photographer? Take portraits or friend photos during lunch for a price.
  
• Book Drive ( Ask for more information about this )
  
• Community Screening
• Stand Outside of Wal-Mart
• Car Wash
• Cow Patty - Have people pay for a square with a number on it. Place the squares around a field/parking lot. Get a cow to walk around. The first one it poops on wins a prize. Brilliant
• Walk-a-thon
• Carnival
• Craft Fair
• Homework Pass Sale
• Raffle
• Film Festival
  
• Fashion Show
• Movie on a Field
• Game Night
• Recycle

This is just the tip of the terrific ideas we have seen. I can not wait to see what you come up with.

Schools for Schools Kick Off

Hello Everyone!

Schools for Schools has officially started, I am so stoked to get to know you all. I can not wait to see the creative and life-changing ideas you all come up with. Round 4 of Schools for Schools is going to be epic. Throw yourself fully into this. This is your chance to be a part of ending a war.

I wanted to use this site to exchange ideas and work together for the cause. Yes you are all "competing", but our reason to do this is to provide the youth of northern Uganda with better education. Let's all work together to make this EPIC. But also, compete! Who of y'all are going to get to go to Uganda to see what their efforts have done?

This is going to be amazing guys. I am so looking forward to this fall. 99 days left in the competition. Start gathering. Start brainstorming. Start putting it into action. Start making a change.


Through out the competition, I am going to be posting ideas, videos, pictures, stories, loving, and anything else I come across.

Let's do this!!