Project Update - November

Hello Friends!

Just thought it was time for a quick update, to make sure everyone is in the loop. Signups for the project this year have gone extremely well, and the new "no deadline" setup seems to be meeting everyone's needs A LOT better.

A few facts (ok, this is a little bit of bragging...):

• As of today, I have 56 classes who have been matched with partners and are actively engaged in the project.
• These classes represent 6 different countries, on 3 continents:
• Canada
• USA
• China
• Indonesia
• England
• Ireland
• There are 16 classes currently waiting to be matched.
• Most participating classes have successfully been matched with a class in a different country.
• Participating children range in age from 3 to 8 years old.
• The Map has been update to reflect the most recent participants. Head over and have a look!

A few reminders:

• Signups will remain open year-round. If you know someone who is interested in joining, it is never too late!
• If you are in the Southern Hemisphere and are worried that your school year calendar will make it too difficult to find a partner, THINK AGAIN! Please sign up - many participating teachers are very flexible!
• I just added a "Get Project Updates via E-mail" widget to the blog (look up there in the top right corner), so if you would rather have these posts arrive in your inbox, just submit your e-mail address! If you are interested in following the project, but not ready to actually participate yet, this is a great option for you, too.
• All project updates and announcements from me will now be posted as blog posts - this eliminates the risk of getting caught in your spam filters. Please visit regularly, add me to your feed reader, or subscribe via e-mail. 
• If you are participating in the project, and have blog posts/school newsletter articles/online projects/local media coverage/other easily-shareable project documentation, I would LOVE to feature it here. You can e-mail me or tweet me (@happycampergirl), and we can figure out the best way to spread your good work.
• If you are sharing the project at a conference or PD session, I would love to hear about it, too. If you have slides or handouts to share, I would be happy to embed them here.
• If you are tweeting about the project, use the #kinderworld hashtag so we can all read your news!
• If you did the "self-matched" option, please encourage your partner class to sign up using the online form, so that I can add their school to the map, as well.

HUGE thanks to all of you who had to be patient while you waited to receive your match. My first priority is to make matches that will provoke interesting conversation and reflection for our young students. This process is not always fast - it is entirely dependent on who signs up, when. I hope the wait has proven to be worth it!

Coming soon: A public twitter list of participating teachers, to help foster even more connections between teachers committed to global awareness for young students.

Thanks again for all your enthusiasm for this project. I dearly love playing "Yenta Santa" and watching relationships between classes (and teachers!) develop.

Warm wishes and sunshine from The Canada;

Amy