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From Books to Brilliance provides access to books and educational materials in impoverished communities. Countless children in our world grow up with no books. In Nicaragua and Guatemala, many of the rural poor live on less than one dollar a day. Without access to basic services such as potable water and sanitation, families struggle just to survive each day. Books are rarely found. At the local schools, teachers plan lessons and instruct with no textbooks. Children fortunate enough to attend school learn to read from words written on the blackboard, but without books cannot read to learn. Few children reach their intellectual potential. We believe that in creating access to books and information, a better future becomes possible for citizens living in abject poverty.

TELSA has carved out two areas of action for its mission; one is long-term and the other is short term. Its area of action is India, particularly rural India. The long term goal is to promote the concept of a master plan approach to rural change whereby each village is encouraged to prepare a master plan for its overall development in order to address the long-term needs of its population in a holistic manner across all aspects of living: childhood development, literacy, education, human resource development,rural infrastructure development, industrial development, job creation, retirement and so on. The goal here is to reverse the trend of distress migrations to cities where rural populations end up in slums with all the concomitant problems of ill-health, crime and alienation. This goal is sought to be accomplished by carrying on campaigns amongst indian populations in villages, urban slums, academia and policy-formulation circles. For its short term goal TELSA strives to provide immediate help to poorer sections of the population in villages, especially in the area of children's education. The method chosen is to make school attendance a more attractive proposition to both children and parents in disadvantaged households. Children from poor households suffer from several disadvantages, such as first generation exposure to education, lack of access to existing schools due to lack of transportation, loss of income to families deprived of child labor earnings and so on. Besides, schools in villages lack basic infra-structure in terms of sanitation, drinking water, class room furniture, classroom supplies, teacher motivation etc. The help sought to be provided by TELSA attempts to address one or several of these deficits.

Our mission is to educate and inspire current and future generations about the experiences and contributions of women by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the evidence of that experience. . . . Respecting and honoring all women and their experiences . . . Respecting all individuals’ beliefs, cultures and ideas . . . Inviting and encouraging participation and open dialogue from women, men and children . . . Integrity of our collection and in our presentation of women’s history . . . Diversity, cultural competence, cultural democracy and inclusion in our organizational structure . . . An organizational environment that builds and fosters open, honest, considerate communication and a spirit of cooperative problem solving, consensus and community . . . Planning, responsible decision-making, well-designed systems accountability, and fiscal responsibility . . . Enthusiasm, positive attitude, creativity, recognition, humor, commitment, support, passion, acceptance . . . Human life and human rights.

The GWHS Alumni Association ensures GWHS' status as San Francisco's leading comprehensive public high school, enabling faculty to provide all students with opportunity for academic success at GWHS and beyond, and strengthen graduates' bonds with each other and with GWHS, by: - funding over $33,000 in fiscal year 2021-22 to teachers and coaches for classroom supplies and student activities. - giving over $28,000 in scholarships to over 3 dozen deserving graduating seniors in May 2022. - sharing alumni and school news and publicizing reunions and related events to over 6,600 alumni members by mail, email and social media. - honoring distinguished graduates with Hall of Merit and Lifetime Service Awards. - preserving and documenting GWHS' rich history with personal interviews and archiving artifacts and ephemera we plan to display in a permanent location.

Fundacion Via Cocina is a community based project focused on improving the health and economic development of vulnerable women, youth and underprivileged in Medellin Colombia. With a personalized training and mentoring system sharing healthy food recipes, cooking techniques and applied financial planning and entrepreneurial small business fundamentals, we build a program for individuals and families based on their current reality, applying the training to objectives created with them, for them, in their own home. Additionally, we provide classes to individuals and groups who want to learn to cook healthy dishes with local ingredients for their families, transforming them into uncommon flavors that are low in fat, oil, salt and sugar-free. These activities look to decrease frequency and severity of non-communicable diseases in the communities, including obesity, diabetes and cholesterol.

The Vietnam Education Society was established in 2005 to raise funds to cover the cost of construction for new preschools and primary schools in rural Vietnam. Local authorities manage and operate the facilities, which are inspected by VES and our partner, East Meets West, on a regular basis. VES opened its first school in Vietnam in June 2007, a ten room school that serves close to 400 students in the small community of Cat Ne, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam. A multipurpose room and early childhood development centre were added to the school. Since that time, VES has built three other schools and is currently (Spring 2013) working on plans for the fifth facility. VES also works with the Pacific Links Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping stop human trafficking along the border regions in Vietnam. VES provides 40 scholarships for at risk girls and sponsors a summer camp to provide these girls with support and life skills

The Belair Cooperative Nursery School, established in 1962, is one of the oldest preschools in the City of Bowie. The school is a non-profit, non-sectarian, and non-partisan organization. It has been accredited by the Maryland State Department of Education since 1970. The Belair Cooperative Nursery School rents classroom space from the Christian Community Presbyterian Church on Belair Drive in Bowie. Our purpose is to provide children with a group experience that extends the values of family life by fostering a sense of community involvement. It is the philosophy of the school to encourage student awareness of and participation in one’s natural, social, and cultural environment. The school attempts to provide a program which is appropriate to the child’s stage of development and which is satisfying to him or her. The school introduces the students to music appreciation as well as Spanish. We strive to recognize the unique characteristics and abilities of each child and to cultivate in each a love of learning and a consideration of others. Parental involvement is an essential part of a cooperative school. The parents form the Board of Directors and govern the entire program. They hire the teachers, assist in planning the educational program, and participate in the classroom on a rotating basis as teacher’s aides.

Center for Municipal Development (CMD) is a non-governmental organization aimed at facilitating sustainable economic, political, legal, social, informational and intellectual development of towns, cities, districts of Tajikistan. Within its mission, the CMD has identified the following organizational tasks: o Develop and introduce policies and concepts for regional and local development in Tajikistan o Research, monitor and conduct comparative analysis of conditions, features and trends of municipal development in Tajikistan and Central Asia countries; o Implement socio-economic, educational and legal support programs, local and international collaboration for sustainable and improved human, social and economic capacity of cities and districts, including settlements and villages of Tajikistan; o Facilitate social partnership and cooperation between governmental, commercial and nongovernmental entities at the local and regional levels, as well as partnerships with foreign counterparts; o Support local public authorities and self-government institutions in development and implementation of reforms in local planning, budgeting and management areas; and o Render methodical, advisory and legal assistance to public service enterprises in quality service improvement and expansion at local level.

Biosphere Expeditions is an award-winning not-for-profit conservation organisation, and a member of IUCN and the UN's Environment Programme. For us successful conservation is the collective effort of individuals. We invite everyone to join us on our wildlife and wilderness projects all over the world. Whether young or old, become a citizen scientist for one or two weeks, or more. The foundation of our work is science and local need. We focus on sustainable conservation projects that target clearly defined, critical issues that humankind has the power to change. You, our international volunteers, work hand-in-hand with local biologists and communities to drive positive outcomes for biodiversity - the creation of a protected area for snow leopards in the Altai is just one recent example. Biosphere Expeditions is a member of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) and of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Governing Council & Global Ministerial Environment Forum. Achievements include the implementation of our conservation recommendations and species protection plans by numerous national and regional governments and NGOs, the creation of protected areas on four continents, scientific and lay publications, as well as capacity-building, training and education all over the world.

Founded in 2013, dreaM Endlessly is a college and career preparation non-profit that services students beginning in 8th grade through 2 years post technical certification or college graduation. Working with students in the Chicagoland and Dallas/Fort Worth areas, dreaM Endlessly's mission can be summed up in one word: dreaM. dreaM: Possibilities, Opportunities & Reality. We strive to provide college/career planning and support for all students, parents and educational institutions. Our goal is to be the premier provider of educational resources for all students, particularly those of disadvantaged backgrounds: providing tutoring, guidance/counseling and partnering with educational institutions to increase enrollment and retention rates of minority, low-income and first generation college students across the nation. dreaM Endlessly will increase college acceptance, enrollment and retention through practicum and research of 5% or better in high minority, low socio-economic and metropolitan areas across the United States via satellite locations. We will provide innovative approaches of outreach through virtual technology to provide services to students in all areas. Through dreaMing Endlessly, we will create visionary and empowered individuals equipped with the skills and knowledge of their talents to be professional leaders in their community and society as a whole.

Pace Center for Girls believes our communities are stronger when girls and women have the opportunity to thrive. We do this by fostering safe and supportive spaces that help our girls achieve their goals beyond what they believed possible . Our exceptional team of counselors and educators take into consideration each girl’s unique strengths, experiences as young women, and history with trauma when creating their individualized plans of care. In support of of our vision, Pace offers full academic services, counseling, life-skills training, career preparation and more in 23 communities and growing. We have seen transformational improvements among our girls personally and professionally. Seven out of 10 girls graduate from high school, pursue higher education or secure employment after the program, and nine out of 10 have experienced overall academic improvement. All girls, regardless of their story, deserve safe and supportive spaces to overcome obstacles that help them become strong, compassionate and successful women. When girls are offered the tools and support they need to succeed, a ripple effect occurs in our families and communities. If you also believe that strong communities begin with strong girls, learn how you can be a part of the change by visiting www.pacecenter.org.

From Articles of Incorporation "Ikirwa School Project is a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed but not limited to the establishment, operation, and expansion of the Ikirwa English Medium School located in the rural village of Midawe near the town of Arusha, Republic of Tanzania. Activities included but not limited to the following: fund-raising and donation acceptance, recruitment of paid and volunteer labor, capital planning and expenditures, marketing, and maintenance for the benefit of the Ikirwa school." About Ikirwa School: The idea for this project was born during a camp-fire conversation between a Tanzanian guide and a Russian-American tourist. Gasper had a dream to build a school in his home village of Midawe to give local children access to English-language education and significantly improve their future academic and employment opportunities. After spending close to a decade managing World Bank capital, Masha was looking for a way to make a tangible contribution to development. Finally, America Educates, our NGO partner and fiscal sponsor, was looking for an education project in Africa. And so Ikirwa School Project was born. We are taking a multi-phase approach to building and establishing this school, starting with kindergarten classes and organically growing the school into a single-stream education program for up to 300 students. Tanzanian students are taught in Swahili and learn English as a second language. However, English has become a language of both commerce and higher learning, limiting the prospects of government school graduates, especially those who are unable to afford remedial language instruction, which is often needed to become proficient in English. Our project's goal is to provide the option of English language instruction to the children of Midawe and nearby villages. We will leverage resources offered by many volunteer organizations and the NGOs in both providing instruction and education materials to offer world-class quality academic instruction to the students as well as career development opportunities for the teachers. Our goal is to ensure that all our students score in the top quartile of the TOEFL test at the time of graduation and the Tanzanian instructors within 2 years of joining the staff. The seed funds for the project are coming from its founders, with Gasper contributing a plot of family land for school construction and Masha financing Phase I of construction. Students will be charged tuition and boarding fees and those funds are expected to eventually cover the majority of the operating budget. Up to 20% of spots will be allocated for underprivileged children of Midawe. The architectural plan calls for construction of 13 classrooms, 4 dormitories, offices, staff quarters, dining hall and kitchen, library and assembly hall in four phases. We have completed Phase I of the project, consisting of 4 classrooms and 2 offices. On January 7, 2013 Ikirwa School open its doors to 38 kindergarten and 1st grade students and has successfully completed its first semester on March 27th. Based on the feedback we have recevied during Parent's Day, the families are thrilled to have their children in our program and are impressed by the progress they are seeing. Our vision is to build a small school that makes a big difference and stands on its own without depending on outside donors for day to day operations. We intend to grow organically and pragmatically, building a track record and using our success to attract donor funds for capital improvements.