Investments in knowledge pay social dividends

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." -Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard University Thanks to the growth of the open-source philosophy, not everyone need suffer under the cost of oppressive student loans to gain thoughtful and meaningful education. A number of initiatives are working to share knowledge online and off - see below for two stellar examples:

Offering free classes open to everyone, the Experimental College of the Twin Cities or EXCOTC is dedicated to transforming education on the principle that everyone can teach or take classes and all classes are free. As an all volunteer run organization EXCO is no bigger than those who participate. "When you act, EXCO grows," so visit their website or Twitter and sign up to take a class, facilitate a class, or attend one of their upcoming events! Spring Class applications are due Monday January 18th. Open Culture's website touts that it has the best cultural and educational media on the web. They've compiled a list of 250 free online courses from the world's leading universities. The collection includes audio and video courses in the liberal arts and sciences available for download straight to your computer or mp3 player. For more, check the end of their listing, which includes a few additional resources for General Open Course Collections, including YouTubeEDU.

"My parents told me, 'Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.' I tell my daughters, 'Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.' ~Thomas L. Friedman

The 110th Christmas Bird Count: Citizen Science in Action

In the spirit of bringing holiday cheer as far as into this new year as possible, I wanted to highlight a group whose local volunteers I have recently learned from and lobbied with on climate action issues. The Audubon Society wraps up its 110th Christmas Bird Count today, demonstrating that despite the over-professionalization and specialization of technical roles, ordinary citizens are still empowered to use their everyday skills and local knowledge for the common good. It's not just for the birds.

From December 14, 2009 through January 5, 2010, tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas took part in an adventure that has become a family tradition among generations. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with binoculars, bird guides and checklists go out on an annual mission - often before dawn. For over one hundred years, citizen scientists have braved snow, wind, and rain to take part in the Christmas Bird Count, making an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other organizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations and to guide conservation action. From feeder-watchers and field observers to count compilers and regional editors, everyone who takes part in the Christmas Bird Count does it for love of birds, the excitement of friendly competition, and with the knowledge that their efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation. To learn more about what the birds are telling us about climate change, see the latest report, "Birds and Climate Change: Ecological Disruption in Motion."

Trailblazers: Charting A Course for the Future

I'm excited to be a Host Committee Co-Chair for the Leaders of Today and Tomorrow (a program of the League of Women Voters - Minnesota) Annual Conference! It's slated to be a spectacular event for collegiate women and emerging professionals featuring a broad range of topics spanning personal and professional issues. Read on for details and register online by March 1st to get early bird pricing. Hope to see you there!

I hope you dance . . .

"Life's not about waiting for the storms to pass...

It's about learning to dance in the rain."

~Vivian Greene

Photo credit: George Eastman House

Resolved, that we'll take 2010 by storm!

Last year's new year's resolution-making event was a certifiable blast, so we're giving it another go! The plan is to get together with some ideas, questions and people who can challenge us to think about what we want out of life, clarify goals for the new year, and have a good time hanging out with good people. Feel free to invite friends and we'll see what plans we can make for a fantastic 2010! Email minnesotarising@gmail.com to let us know to expect you or RSVP on our Facebook event page. Resolved, 2.0 Sunday, January 10, 2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Common Roots Cafe 2558 Lyndale Avenue South Minneapolis, MN As a conversation starter, here's the 95 year plan exercise from Barbara Sher's "I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was"

To create a ninety-five-year plan: 1. In the first column, start at birth and number up to 95, by fives or as you like. 2. In the second column, list "Major Events" that take place during those years (getting born, starting school, moving, whatever seems important) 3. In the third column - share "What I Learned" and write the the most important thing you learned or expect to learn at each age. 4. In the fourth column - list, "The Most Amazing Thing I Saw," during those past years or anticipated future. 5. At the bottom, share, "What I Would Like to Tell Young People" and proceed to write what this imaginary walk through ninety-five years has taught you about the meaning of life.