I am in an organization called DECA (an association of marketing students). My two partners, Valerie Targy and James Teutschmann, teamed up with me to create a large event to raise funds for Pencils of Promise. Our education is very important to us so we wanted to do all we could for PoP, knowing that there are children in the world who don’t have the means to attend school. We created a large event which was a car show. It was held on October 23, 2011.

60 cars showed up to support the cause. We also had carnival games, a huge concession, bands, clowns, raffles, and much more. Our event was very successful and we were able to invite the news crew down to cover the event. To raise more money we created pencils with the PoP logo on them and sold 1,000 at a dollar each. We also had the chance to be on the local radio to create awareness in Nebraska for Pencils of Promise.

We also created awareness by attending conventions, setting up tables at school functions, and having people wear shirts we made for the event. Overall everything we did was very successful. One of our major goals was to spread the word about PoP throughout our community, because we were the first to help in Nebraska, and we did just that. We made this into a DECA project for the year and took first place at state (which also created more exposure.)

We are now headed to Salt Lake City Utah for nationals. We hoped to help make an impact on children and with all of our hard work we are honored to send the PoP team a check. Keep making a difference PoP team!!!

We couldn’t make a difference without the help of people like you Maggie! Thanks for choosing to make a difference and keep up the great work!

Last month, PoP’s founder Adam Braun was invited to speak on a panel at the Girl Scout’s Century of the Girl Expo in Philadelphia. This special weekend offered two days of interactive workshops and fun for girls of all ages. Girls were encouraged, inspired, and motivated by speakers such as PoP’s supporter, Sophia Bush, Charity Water’s CEO, Scott Harrison, President of the WNBA, Laurel J. Richie, President and CEO of Leader to Leader Institute, Frances Hesselbein and many others.

Topics ranged from leadership, arts, the environment, outdoor education, science, technology, math, healthy living and community service. One of PoP’s very own Community Engagement Interns, Jayne Miller led a workshop for girls looking to get involved with PoP. We are so proud to be a part of something so wonderful as inspiring and shaping the girls of our future.

• The village is located 20 km from Luang Prabang, just across the Mekong river in Chomphet District, the poorest district in the Luang Prabang province.
• The village’s population is ethnically diverse, with representation from Lao Lum, Khmu, and Hmong ethnic minority groups. Most villagers make a meager living by selling river weed, fishing, or farming rice and vegetables.
• Sa Nouk used to be a much larger village, but many have moved into the city to seek better employment opportunities. As such, the village has only fallen farther off the government’s radar for educational support.

Prior to PoP Involvement

• Sa Nouk’s existing school was built over 70 years ago. Despite continued maintenance upkeep from the members of the community, the school’s wooden structure couldn’t withstand the decades of wear and tear. Prior to being torn down to clear room for the new PoP school, the 70-year old structure was in such poor condition that it was rendered completely unusable.
• The village has been on the government’s waiting list for a new school for over 10 years, but there has been no sign of hope for a government-sponsored school in the near future.
• Despite the lack of support from its government, the Sa Nouk community has shown a strong commitment to education by holding classes in homes throughout the village – generally structures with dirt floors, no walls, and bamboo roofs.

New Structure

• PoP began construction of the new school in January 2012. The school’s estimated completion is early June 2012.
• Students from not only Sa Nouk, but also four neighboring villages, will now enjoy a brand new, three-room structure, housing a two-room primary school and a one-room preschool. The new school will serve an estimated total of 68 students.
• PoP also plans to implement SHINE programming in Sa Nouk. Twice per month, one of the PoP SHINE coordinators will spend the day teaching and engaging the students of Sa Nouk with activities and lessons related to a healthy lifestyle, ranging from good hygiene practices to environmental awareness.

We kicked the evening off by greeting and welcoming all of our guests and I read Adam’s testimony on how PoP first began. We then proceeded to show one of the promotional video’s on the PoP website, but unfortunately the video took forever to load so we did not get to show it. We even did a practice run before guests arrived to ensure it would work, but it was just one of those things.

We all thoroughly enjoyed a delicious steak meal and then it was time for our Education Pop Quiz, which you should find below the pictures. You could feel the nervousness in the room when we announced we were going to hand out a quiz. We assured the guests that the questions should be fairly easy to answer and that we wanted them to have fun doing so. We were right on the fun part, but most of the guests said that a lot of the questions on the quiz were difficult…..oops:) We gave out 2 gift cards for Tim Horton’s for the top 2 winners.

At this time, Michael thanked everyone for coming and explained how the PoP pencils were their favors to take home as a keepsake. He also let the guests know that we would be coming around to serve dessert. We started by serving the newly purchase cake and then served the remainder of the guests my pencil cake.

Nonetheless, the evening was a success and we ended up raising enough money to educate 20 children through PoP! It was a first time experience for all of us to host a Steak Night and we could not have been more happier to know that we worked together to make a difference…one pencil at a time!

PoP Education Quiz

Geography:
1. Where is the rock of Gibraltar?
2. Which country owns Greenland?
3. Name 1 country where Pop has built schools

Home Ec:
4. What should you use when putting out a grease fire?
5. Is an avocado a fruit or vegetable?
6. Name the 3 primary colors

Math:
7. Problem solve: If it costs Adam Braun $25,000 to build 1 school, how many people would it take to help him do this if each person donated $13?

Science:
8. What is the name of the ingredient that makes plants green?
9. C02 means
10. What is the scientific name of exploding star?

Canadian History:

11. Which Canadian singer supports Pencils of Promise?

Answers:

1.Europe

2. Denmark

3. Laos, Nicaragua, Guatemala

4. Baking Soda

5. Fruit, but most chefs prepare them as vegetables

6. Blue, Red, Yellow

7. 1923

8. Chlorophyll

9. Carbon Dioxide

10. Supernova

11. Justin Beiber

Pencils of Promise is seeking a self-motivated, detail-oriented and marketing driven Corporate Partnerships Intern for the summer 2012.

The Intern will report directly to the Partnerships Manager and will primarily support outreach and communication efforts for a growing portfolio of corporate partners.  Core areas of support include market research, preparation of client materials and contact management within SalesForce.

This is an excellent, part-time unpaid position that will play a significant role in scaling the partnerships department. If you’re looking to take the lead and acquire hands on skills and experience in the nonprofit space this summer, this position is for you!

Responsibilities:

• Identify and research prospective partners
• Build a network of key contacts at target corporations
• Create and maintain key communication materials for partners
• Enter, track and maintain contact records and opportunities in SalesForce
• Develop and run monthly sales reports• Assist with additional fundraising and marketing activities as needed
• Participate in additional projects and skills as needed
• Contact your student advisor to request approval for independent study/school credit, if applicable (may also qualify for community service hours)

Qualifications:

• In pursuit of an Associate or Bachelor degree
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter committed to deadlines
• Detail oriented
• Firm grasp on marketing and corporate social responsibility initiatives
• Experience in SalesForce or similar data management system is a plus
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office Suite
• Interest in international development and nonprofit issues
• Strong commitment to the PoP mission

Include 3-5 brand partner recommendations and why you feel they would be beneficial to PoP in your cover letter. Apply here!