links for 2006-12-29

• Reason Magazine – The Trouble with Troubled Teen Programs
  Teenagers are being sent to “boot camps” for various offences – many don’t make it out alive.
  (tags: bootcamp torture teenagers law youth rights)

Beauty and Brains Pageant – Real or Scam?

Last night I stumbled upon the website of the Beauty and Brains Pageant, an international pageant for all women aged 17 and above, regardless of citizenship, residence, marital status, or place of study. From its website:

Sponsored by the Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships (IFERS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organization, the Beauty and Brains Pageant emphasizes personal achievement and community service.

Participants are gauged on four aspects: the interview, business attire, evening gown, and community service (no swimsuits). The winner (Miss Beauty and Brains?) would earn a $10,000 scholarship, and a 6-week casting workshop. (Runners-up get scholarship money too.)

Now I’m the antithesis of a beauty pageant contestant. The closest I am to “modelly” is having had glamour photos taken (once as a birthday present, once as a lucky draw prize) and having fun dressing up in costume. I do not have beauty-queen looks, I find fashion and beauty (in the material sense) boring, I do not aspire to be a model – indeed, the only thing “beauty queen”-like about me is my name. However, this pageant seemed rather intriguing. It seemed to be focused more on personal development than on looks. Even their application form (PDF file) is surprisingly decent: most of the questions are based on community work, career plans, and role models, and there are no questions about looks – nothing about height, weight, vital statistics, colours, or anything of the sort.

Besides, it’s something I actually qualify for. I have been hunting high and low for scholarships for myself, but could not find anything I qualified for. I was either in the wrong course, the wrong country, of the wrong nationality, or just didn’t fit some other random requirement. The only one I’ve applied to so far is the Dean’s Merit Scholarship offered by my faculty, and that’s technically for a future student coming into second year – not a current student like myself that’s already spent a semester. Here, they don’t care where I live, where I study, whether I’m single or married (I wonder if they’ll care that I have a boyfriend?), or what I’m studying. I could even have children and I’d still qualify.

As un-pageanty as I am, I considered applying anyway, just as a lark. I remembered one of the contestants of MTV’s Made, a self-described tomboy who wanted to be a pageant contestant. She was struggling through the whole pageant process (which she described and showed as rather fake), and while she ultimately didn’t win, she had more personality than all the other contestants put together – and even became Homecoming Queen (or Prom Queen) at her school! At least, if nothing else, it would make a good laugh. However, I couldn’t seem to figure out if IFERS or the pageant itself were legitimate. Among some concerns:

• Googling for IFERS or the pageant only brings up itself, PR websites, or Craigslist postings. There are few third-party references, and none of them were reputable sources such as newspapers or other media sources.
  
  
• While IFERS claimed to have awarded scholarships in connection with groups like the American Film Institute, I could not find independent verification.
  
  
• The founder of IFERS, Newton Lee, does seem to exist – he is in charge of the Hollywood Lab at the National University of Singapore. However, he seems to be quite the self-linker – he wrote his own Wikipedia entry and all references to the pageant on Wikipedia (where I first heard about it) were added by him.
  
  
• There isn’t much information available about the other organizers. Some are Google-able, but there’s nothing concrete to link them to this pageant other than the pageant website.
  
  
• While they do have a Network for Good profile, they’re not on Charity Navigator or the IRS Publication 78 Search. (Then again, Up With People is in the same situation, and I know for sure they’re legit. So who knows.)
  
  

• It’s not stated clearly what the US$300 entry fee (paid once you are selected) covers – indeed, there isn’t much information about costs for travel and accommodation. At least they do offer to refund the money if you can’t come.
  
  
• The selection process is similarly vague. How do they pick people for the first pre-pageant round? What are they looking for overall – looks? Intelligence? Community spirit? If looks don’t really matter, then why have a pageant?
  
  
• They can’t even get the date consistent – IFERS has it listed as end-June; B&B says it’s end-July.

In the absence of independent third-party verification, I will list the Beauty and Brains Pageant as a possible scam, or at least not very well organized. Which is a pity, as the concept seems to have potential – concentrating on community work and personality rather than looks. Then again, it might turn out like Miss Earth did – purportedly about the environment, but all the awards were beauty based (“Best Hair”? “Best Skin”?) and the template interview response being “This is a picture of a drought/war/flood/etc. Droughts/wars/floods/etc are bad. Therefore, we must recycle.”

This brings up something interesting, though. Currently many beauty pageants (at least in the USA) have become viable sources of scholarship money. Indeed, when there aren’t many other options, young women (and occasionally young men) are able to get their education nearly or completely funded through a pageant appearance or two. Miss America, the biggest American pageant, is also one of the world’s biggest scholarship providers, awarding over $45 million in cash and scholarships for winners in national, state, and local levels. Miss America has also gone out of its way to look for more “brains”, as evidenced by its 2002 winner Erika Harold, bound for Harvard Law, who won because she outdid everyone else tremendously in the interview section even though she was beaten in the other sections.

But what about other pageants worldwide? Are they still based on beauty, or have they made efforts to look for well-rounded participants? How do you judge beauty, anyway? As one poster queried in a thread about Miss America’s ratings:

The Miss America system, from bottom to top, provides more scholarship money to women in this country than any other organization. If we rant to rail about anything, that’s the place to start. Why isn’t the largest scholarship program for women one that emphasizes academic performance and community service without regard to physical performance and appearance?

Indeed: why is the world’s largest scholarship provider not an educational body but a beauty pageant?

EDIT: They have responded to an email I sent, claiming to be 100% legitimate and answering a few questions about applications and the $300 (goes towards pageant procedures and scholarships). They responded from a Verizon email address, so I don’t know how legitimate that makes them though.

Links in Post:

• Beauty and Brains Pageant
• Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships (IFERS)
• Official Beauty and Brains Pageant 2007 Application Form (.PDF)
• QUT Creative Industries: Executive Dean’s Merit Scholarships
• MADE | MTV
• Craigslist
• Newtonlee.Com
• NUS Hollywood Lab
• Wikipedia Contributions: Newtonlee
• Organizers of the Beauty and Brains Pageant
• Network for Good
• Charity Navigator
• Up With People
• Miss Earth
• Miss America
• Salon. Com: Brains 1, Barbie 0
• Metafilter: Comments on 20294

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links for 2006-12-26

• What are the basics of a well-rounded self-education? | Ask MetaFilter
  Basically what the question asks!
  (tags: culture education learning literature science selflearning autodidact)
• What can I learn from comic books? | Ask MetaFilter
  “I like to learn things, but textbooks are boring! I find comic books gripping in ways that normal books aren’t. Can you all offer examples of educational, information-rich comic books (or, if you prefer, “graphic novels”)?”
  (tags: books education alternative learning)
• Beauty and Brains Pageant ®
  “Sponsored by the Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships (IFERS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organization, the Beauty and Brains Pageant emphasizes personal achievement and community service.” Open to all women internationally above
  (tags: beauty pageant brains scholarships community service education interesting hmm)
• Institute for Education, Research, and Scholarships
  “We are a California-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity organization dedicated to improving society by providing resources to high achieving students, scientific researchers, nonprofits, and educational organizations.”
  (tags: education research scholarships resources)

links for 2006-12-25

• Creative Capital Foundation
  “Creative Capital, a New York City-based nonprofit organization, acts as a catalyst for the development of adventurous and imaginative ideas by supporting artists who pursue innovation in form and/or content in the performing and visual arts, film and vid
  (tags: art business documentary finance foundation funding grants innovation listings marketing money opportunities organization scholarships Reference support work)
• The MacDowell Colony
  Provides space to aspiring artists to concentrate on their work while receiving guidance.
  (tags: art community corporate fellowships grants innovation learning writing)
• For School Districts – College Summit
  “College Summit provides districts with a strategy and tools to transform college enrollment throughout the district. “
  (tags: college leadership enrollment education)
• Global Youth Action Network
  “GYAN’s purpose is to leverage the collective power of young people to change the world. We provide a clearinghouse of information, resources and opportunities for making a difference.”
  (tags: activism charity development network ngo nonprofit organizations social service youth)
• Interfaith Youth Core – Home
  “First envisioned in 1998 by a group of passionate and committed college students, the Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) is empowering young people of faith to be leaders in building a pluralist society.”
  (tags: activism faith religion tolerance college youth leadership)
• iEARN – International Education and Resource Network
  “Started in 1988, iEARN is the world’s largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to collaborate on projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world.”
  (tags: culture education global initiatives international learning online resources teaching youth)
• CIVIC-US
  World Alliance for civic unity.
  (tags: community development global ngo society civic international)
• CIVICUS World Assembly
  “The CIVICUS World Assembly is a forum for international civil society representatives to get together, exchange ideas, experiences and build strategies for a just world.”
  (tags: assembly seminar forum civic society international ideas)

links for 2006-12-24

• Global Student Entrepreneur Awards – Welcome
  “The EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards presented by Mercedes-Benz Financial and produced by EO, recognize those outstanding undergraduate student entrepreneurs who are simultaneously juggling course work and cash flows – and succeeding at both!”
  (tags: business entrepreneur entrepreneurship youth awards international global)
• Inc.com | 30 Under 30: America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs
  Profiles of 30 young entrepreneurs in America.
  (tags: entrepreneurship youth USA profiles entrepreneur)
• Sun2Surf: Being a Microsoft Intern
  “The Experience Microsoft Programme (EMP) – an internship programme where Microsoft Malaysia takes in university graduates under its tutelage for 12 months.”
  (tags: internships microsoft malaysia youth technology)

Hopes for 2007

In about a week’s time 2006 will end and 2007 will take over. Hopefully, it will bring along some changes when it comes to youth and education. Among the changes I’d like to see:

1.People losing their obsession with grades and degrees – this obsession is starting to get really, really scary. People are in despair and depression, feeling lost and lonely, even nearly killing themselves – mainly because they feel they haven’t fulfilled society’s expectations of getting straight As and entering a prestigious university on a full scholarship. This is dangerous.

Instead of treating students like grade cattle, let’s see them as human beings – with their own interests, personalities, and temperaments – and actually look out for their welfare, not just their study skills. The cap on the number of SPM papers taken per student should help somewhat (so now there isn’t as much a competition over “how many As you have”) but let’s expand that to degrees and scholarships too.

2. People losing the entitlement complex, especially with scholarships – believe me, I know it’s hard not earning a scholarship when you feel you deserve one. I’m racking my head trying to find one I qualify for. However, as written here before, the “I-have-straight-As-therefore-I-MUST-get-a-scholarship” mentality is really getting tiring. There aren’t enough scholarships for everyone with straight As to go around, and besides, there is more to it than just grades. The same thing goes with universities and jobs too – just because you have certain characteristics doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get a place in a “top university” or get a high-paying job straight off the bat.

Life requires effort. Whether that’s hard work, or smart work, depends. But things don’t just fall into your lap (unless you’re very lucky!!) – whining about it would not get you anywhere. Make an effort!

3. People being less status-conscious – a lot of issues related to the current education system can be boiled down to one word: status. Sure, it’s not a bad idea to want to go to the best university, earn the best degree, get the bes job – but are you looking for the best for you, or just what other people think is “the best”? Do you want to take Science or Medicine because you enjoy it, or because it’s got the reputation of being a “good subject”? Are you applying to Harvard because it’s what you want in a school, or because you want the “glamour” of the name? Do you want to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company because you’re dedicated to the career path, or because it gives you status?

As Denise Clark Pope, Stanford lecturer and author of Doing School: How We’re Creating A Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students notes, college (and many other things) is a match, not a trophy. Rankings and ratings don’t really matter – different methods suit different people, and what may be considered the “best in the world” wouldn’t be the best for you. (Harvard isn’t the be-all and end-all of university!) Look for the best, for you – not because you want to impress someone.

4. Different interests and ventures are encouraged and supported – right now, in Malaysia, there seems to be a few templates of “the perfect youth”. To be supported and encouraged, you’ll need to be:

• Top of the class, taking Biology, Physics, and Chemistry, gaining a million As and earning a scholarship to an Ivy or to Oxbridge to do Medicine
• Attractive, trendy, doing something related to music or fashion or design – which then gets you extra attention from companies like Levi’s (Ok, so I’m slightly bitter.)
• A sports wunderkind that can outplay everyone in the Olympics, Commonweath Games and the Guinness World Records

While well-meaning, this leaves out many other youths that are doing worthy things but may not fit the scientific/trendy/sporty mould. What happened to Rakan Muda? Why is our nearest thing to a “youth grant” reality TV show? Why won’t the Government speak up for youths that may not be the typical “straight A” student but have made a life for themselves?

What we need is more support – whether from the Government, or the media, from schools, or from the public. Lives take on all forms, and we should respect and support the dreams of our youth, even if they’re atypical.

5. More options are made available for learning in all forms – one of the big issues hindering Malaysians from looking up alternative education is that many of the resources are not available to them. Many good opportunities (educational, professional, or financial) are limited to people of a certain country or nationality; even those that are open to all may be out of their reach (usually due to a lack of money or time). Yet there isn’t enough incentive given to these otherwise-interested people to pursue such interests.

More options and opportunities should be opened up – for example, providing more scholarships to subjects outside of science or medicine, or accepting university credit for out-of-the-box ventures. A lot of opportunities (such as being the Malaysian Youth delegate to the United Nations) seem to be word-of-mouth only; why not promote them to more people through wider means, such as the media? Why keep it a secret? Let’s also provide more financial support for those who do want to pursue such opportunities but may not have the means to do so.

6. Those who actually do want to go to school can go to school – for all the talk about how students must go to school lest they get their parents jailed, the Government sure isn’t making this easy for them. Many children and youths aren’t able to go to school – whether due to lack of money, having to support their family, or just not being able to pass bureaucratic hurdles (such as this case of a 7-year-old who can’t get to school due to her lack of citizenship). Then there are the schools themselves – either they’re far away, or are lacking in resources, or just aren’t ideal learning environments.

If you want people to go to school, make it worth their time! Provide funding for families in poverty so that their children can go to school instead of having to work for support. Heck, take a closer look at why poverty happens to begin with, instead of just slapping on a Band-Aid and ignoring the bigger problem. Provide more funding to schools so that they have adequate resources, facilities, and infrastructure – all this money on skyscrapers and megaprojects could help so many schools to function better. And take a close look at the current curriculum: does it promote learning, analysis, creativity, understanding? Or is it just a matter of rote memorization and test-taking?

7. Education becomes more holistic – right now, the focus of traditional education seems to be more on getting top grades and getting a job. The whole purpose of education is not at all celebrated. Instead, it becomes more about fitting a mould and following orders. Even the method of teaching is skewed – it’s less about appreciating the subject matter and more about cramming in enough information to pass a test.

Education is about learning and living. It’s about examining and exploring; interacting with yourself, others, the world; creating and imagining; implementing and taking action. It’s so much more than a paycheck or a grade slip. It’s about taking in what the world has to offer, processing it all, and giving back. Let’s go back to what education is truly about.

What are your hopes for education in 2007? Happy holidays everyone!

Links in Post:

• EducateDeviate: Mourning Over Loss of Scholarships: Do We Want To Die For As?
• The Star (Malaysia): 12 subjects max: That’s how many papers an SPM candidate can take
• EducateDeviate: Scholarship Woes: Here We Go Again
• Amazon.Com: Doing School: How We’re Creating A Generation of Stressed-Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students
• Nescafe KickStart
• Youth at the United Nations: Youth delegates to the United Nations
• EducateDeviate: Go To School – Or Go To Jail
• EducateDeviate: Help A Stateless Girl Get To School

links for 2006-12-23

• Santa Clara University – Leavey School of Business -Women Leaders for the World
  A leadership training program for women internationally.
  (tags: women leadership education training university)
• 351 CAMP
  A hip-hop based camp for young Australians in January, with workshops on songwriting, music, art, and much more
  (tags: hiphop camp australia youth music songwriting lyrics dance production aerosolart art graffitti)
• Youth at the United Nations: World Youth Report 2007
  “World Youth Report 2007 will examine the challenges and opportunities existing for the roughly 1.2 billion young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in the world. Distinct from the 2003 and 2005 editions, it will provide a regional overview summarizing
  (tags: youth report un unitednations development education employment health poverty violence)
• Young Australians
  “The Foundation for Young Australians is an independent national grant-making organisation, funding and working in partnership with youth-led initiatives which aim to positively contribute to young people and their communities. “
  (tags: funding young youth volunteering development projects australia)
• UNICEF – Voices of Youth: Take action
  Profiles of youth leaders from all around the world. Add your own!
  (tags: youth leadership international profiles inspiration ideas un unitednations unicef)
• IndependentVolunteer.org : Home Page
  Listings of volunteer opportunities that are low-cost or free.
  (tags: listings volunteering international work lowcost free)
• College-Startup: Entrepreneurship, blogging, and college
  Tips about entrepreneurship while in college.
  (tags: college entrepreneurship future howto ideas inspiration interesting marketing resources money university youth education)
• National Youth Rights Association: Log on, drop out, cash in
  “With his boyish mien and more geek credentials than engineers twice his age, the suddenly wealthy Swartz belongs to a new generation of young, brainy geeks who began booting up and logging on when their friends were still watching “Sesame Street.” Before
  (tags: technology youth college university student dropout economics wealth hightech business)
• National Youth Rights Association
  “The National Youth Rights Association (NYRA) defends the civil and human rights of young people in the United States through educating people about youth rights, working with public officials and empowering young people to work on their own behalf. We be
  (tags: rights ngo youth nonprofit)
• Welcome to the Youth Rights Network – Youth Rights Network
  “The Youth Rights Network is a community driven youth rights resource sponsored by the National Youth Rights Association. Still in its infancy, the Youth Rights Network(YRN) is expanding fast and intends to house an extensive collection of youth rights re
  (tags: youth rights wiki resources links)
• Resources for Young Entrepreneurs
  Plenty of links and resources for young entrepreneurs.
  (tags: entrepreneurship entrepreneur resources youth links)

links for 2006-12-22

• There’s a better life… and you think about it, don’t you? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Suggest good work-study or scholarship programs for someone looking to spend about a year taking a break from the 9 to 5.”
  (tags: career philanthropy careers scholarships workstudy education)
• Why Do You Work So Hard? / Is it maybe time to quit your safe job and follow your path and infuriate the establishment?
  Is it really worth working in a typical 9-5?
  (tags: activism advice art business career motivation careers change convention dreams culture entrepreneur entrepreneurship essay ethics future howto ideas inspiration writing work travel tips time society rebellion productivity philosophy news marketing learning life jobs interesting lifestyle)
• /// ORGANIZATION 13
  “Organization XIII is what one might call a centralized depot for non-profit undertakings and concerns. The goal is not to profile a specific cause but to explore the different ways through which people can make a difference.”
  (tags: phillippines art music science events society nonprofits press endeavours projects)
• theCICAK
  Malaysian youth magazine about all sorts of issues.
  (tags: culture life malaysia politics youth education thoughts)
• Discovery Channel: First Time Filmmakers Malaysia
  “First Time Filmmakers (FTFM) Malaysia is looking for five documentaries to commemorate 50 years of Malaysian independence – films that will be chapters in the story of Malaysia’s remarkable growth from colony to independent nation over the last 50 year
  (tags: film competition malaysia documentary)
• Club 2024: Where do you see yourself in the year 2024? – CosmoGIRL!
  “We’re going to put one CosmoGIRL! in the White House by the year 2024. And the rest of you will be powerful CEOs, activists, millionaires, scientists, and leaders. Join Club 2024 and we’ll help you make it happen!”
  (tags: girls women empowerment youth ideas internships newsletters leadership)
• Project 2024 Internships: Apply Now! – CosmoGIRL!
  Apply for internships in various fields – from music, to international relations, to the environment, and much more – for summer 2007.
  (tags: internships women girls music international social activism environment careers competition)

Wanted: Interesting Youths & Interesting Projects

Every so often, EducateDeviate would profile youths and initiatives that exemplify what alternative education is all about – learning through non-traditional means and creating your own life. Some of those efforts can be seen in the Youth Initiative section of this site.

I’m on the lookout for more people and projects to cover. As you can see, I’ve run into a lot of resources and have linked up EducateDeviate‘s del.icio.us link list to here, so that a new list of links is posted every day. However, I would like to give this a more personal focus, through interviews and profiles.

So if you are, or know of:

• A young person who is living a particularly “deviating” life, or has an interesting project (around ages 13-25, though I can jiggle the ages either way)
• A youth-oriented project that is related to alternative education

Please send me an email with full information and contact details. Alternatively, do leave a comment in this entry.

I also plan to start a youth blog network related to such youths and their projects (akin to Mind Petals but not just for entrepreneurs, or BlogHer but not just for women) so if you have any knowledge of blog networks, please contact me.

Please feel free to pass this entry on as well. Thanks!

Links in Post:

• EducateDeviate: Youth Initiative
• del.icio.us: educatedeviate
• Mind Petals: Young Entrepreneur Network
• BlogHer

links for 2006-12-21

• theculturalconnect.com | Opportunities
  Plenty of opportunities for young professionals – marketing, advertising, photography, editing, writing, non-profits, and so on.
  (tags: opportunities culture professional youth editing writing photography marketing advertising nonprofits business magazine)
• Youth2 : Realising dreams
  Profiles of the 8 finalists for this year’s KickStart reality TV show season. From T-Shirts to carnatic singing, yoga magazines to BaZi – there is quite a mix!
  (tags: kickstart profiles reality television youth careers ideas)
• Youth2 : The voice of youths
  “ONE thing that frustrates young people with opinions is that most of the time, they have nowhere to go and no one to talk to. Last week, however, 50 young people from various youth organisations got to speak their minds at the “Youth Speak Out” forum
  (tags: UNICEF forum UN youth education social issues discussion debate)
• ActNow – Home
  Australian resource for activism and youth social development.
  (tags: australia activism inspiration youth community)
• The Freechild Project
  “The Freechild Project provides resources, training, and consultation to individuals and organizations interested in youth voice, youth-led activism, meaningful youth involvement, and youth-adult partnerships.”
  (tags: activism art change community media social youth)
• Home – Youth on Board
  “Youth on Board helps young people and adults think differently about each other so that they can work together to change society.”
  (tags: youth education adults activism society socialchange)
• Listen Up!
  “Listen Up! is a youth media network for young filmmakers and their allies.”
  (tags: education film funding projects youth students)
• Adobe – Corporate Affairs/Community Relations: Adobe Youth Voices
  “Adobe Youth Voices is a global philanthropic initiative that empowers youth in underserved communities worldwide to comment on their world using multimedia and digital tools to communicate and share their ideas, demonstrate their potential, and take acti
  (tags: video film adobe philanthropy activism art competition environment events internet media teaching technology web youth multimedia MediaLiteracy)
• Room 101
  A story about the student uprising and rebellion sparked by the killing of Rodney King.
  (tags: shooting youth rebellion students school police account)
• Why Children Should Have a Vote
  Arguments for allowing youth to have a vote in federal elections.
  (tags: voting children youth elections)
• WireTap Magazine – home
  “WireTap is a national online magazine by and for young people, which provides a new generation of writers and activists with a space to network, debate and organize.”
  (tags: activism alternative magazine media news writing young youth)
• Young Peoples’ Liberation Policy
  A proposed policy on liberating youth from oppression and injustice.
  (tags: youth policy oppression injustive liberation activism rights)
• University of the Poor
  “Educational Arm of the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign”
  (tags: education university poor poverty economics learning humanrights)
• Youth Initiatives
  Resources, grants, and scholarships for youth projects by the Soros Foundation.
  (tags: grants scholarships funding resources youth initiatives projects ideas)
• Youth in Global Decision Making
  Plenty of documents and resources about youth activism and youth projects.
  (tags: youth activism projects global international documents resources)
• UNESCO releases study on innovative media use of youth: UNESCO-CI
  “Young people, working with a range of media materials, produce innovative content through dialogue and discussions says a recent UNESCO study on “Innovative Practices of Youth Participation in Media”.”
  (tags: Research media youth UN UNESCO innovation communication discussion report)
• Youthink! | Home
  The World Bank’s initiative for youths and youth activism and empowerment worldwide.
  (tags: activism tools culture students web development worldchanging youth economics education global ideas information international internet issues library nonprofit Reference resources social politics)
• Youth Employment Summit
  “The YES Campaign brings together diverse stakeholders, and works with them to (1) develop the capacity of youth to lead employment initiatives; (2) promote youth employment to address key development challenges; and (3) build in-country coalitions to dev
  (tags: international nonprofit work youth careers)
• Youth at the United Nations: Internships
  Various internships for youths at the United Nations
  (tags: career careers UN unitednations internships international)
• Mind Petals: Young Entrepreneur Network
  “Mind Petals was started to connect various intelligent, smart, creative, and young entrepreneurs from all over the world.”
  (tags: business career community entrepreneur ideas information inspiration marketing youth MBA web women young entrepreneurship network)
• BYM: Welcome
  ” Our Foundation aims to address all these issues with the Brightest Young Minds summit. The inaugural 5-day summit, 21-25 January 2007, is a gathering of 100 brightest, most dynamic young adults – those most likely to have great impact in the whichever a
  (tags: summit conference youth socialchange society activism business corporate organizations sydney australia)
• The Malian Foundation Homepage
  “The Malian Foundation is an Australian charitable institution which provides free products and services catering to the needs of charitable causes worldwide. The Foundation focuses on supplying management consulting services and technology solutions whil
  (tags: australia foundation youth charity management services nonprofits)
• Youth at the United Nations: Youth delegates to the United Nations
  Being a Youth Representative at the United Nations – does anyone know how the process works for Malaysia?
  (tags: unitednations UN youth representative international issues internationalrelations)
• Global Youth Service Day
  “Global Youth Service Day is the largest annual celebration of young volunteers, where millions of young people in countries everywhere highlight and carry out thousands of community improvement projects. “
  (tags: youth volunteering international global service commemmoration)
• RodCon 2007 – Home
  “RodCon 2007 is a two-day literary convention organized by Read or Die Inc.. The convention seeks to bring together readers, writers, publishers, government and school organizations and book dealers to highlight the importance of reading and literacy in b
  (tags: phillippines thephillippines books reading convention writing publishing education)
• What are some skilled apprenticeship programs I can participate in? | Ask MetaFilter
  “I think I’m finally done with undergrad. I have no interest in grad school right now. I don’t want a career in my area of study. How does one go about finding a good apprenticeship/internship in an interesting trade?”
  (tags: apprenticeships careers trade education internships)

links for 2006-12-19

• Deferring the School | Ask MetaFilter
  What sort of programs can a high school graduate participate in in his year off?
  (tags: studyabroad studentexchange gapyear organizations ideas tips education graduation travel)
• Where There Be Dragons – Learning Adventures Abroad
  “Where There Be Dragons offers students, school groups, adults, and professional educators remarkable learning opportunities through off-the-beaten path, intimate, small group expeditions to CHINA, THAILAND, VIETNAM, LAOS, CAMBODIA, TIBET, INDIA, MONGOLIA
  (tags: abroad international jobs Research travel education studyabroad volunteering)
• Environmental Education – Lesley Audubon
  “The Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University is an academically rigorous alternative to traditional colleges and universities for undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a deeper ecological understanding of environmental education, leadershi
  (tags: environment education leadership travel ecology)
• LEAPNow – Lifelong Educational Alternatives and Programs
  A year-long program putting together internships, group study, travel, retreats, and many others.
  (tags: abroad education travel gapyear studyabroad internships retreats riteofpassage alternative)
• Inaugural National Career Carnival
  “MAXIS Communications Berhad (Maxis) is helping the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and various Government agencies to ensure the success of the first National Career Carnival 2006 (NCC) that will take place in IIUM from Dec 18 to 20.”
  (tags: news career fair carnival events malaysia)
• Let there be light!
  “How do you stimulate innovation and creativity among university students? According to Higher Education Ministry Department of Higher Education director-general Datuk Prof Dr Hassan Said, one way would be to provide students with a platform to develop in
  (tags: inventors challenge education science ideas competition malaysia)
• Along the Road to College, More Teens Take a Detour
  “Time Off to Work or Travel Helps Maturity, Educators Say”
  (tags: gapyear timeoff education studyabroad alternative projects)

links for 2006-12-18

• Help me be a better dad | Ask MetaFilter
  A question about a 15-year-old nearly failing school turns into a discussion about the significance of grades.
  (tags: grades school discipline life education)
• The Big Boost || Welcome to the Big Boost web site
  “The Big Boost gives awards to young people of between £250 and £1000 (11-16) and £500 and £5000 (16-25), to help them get their ideas off the ground.” for Britons.
  (tags: support finance money funding ideas youth UK projects)
• YOUTH CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL
  “Youth Challenge International builds the skills, experience and confidence of young people by involving them in substantive overseas international development projects in partnership with local youth-serving organizations.” for Canadians.
  (tags: canada volunteering worldchange projects development international youth)
• SYP – Fellowship – 2006
  “This programme is designed to give youth from developing countries opportunities at appropriate levels of the organization to engage in policy development and programming; to help build the capacity of young people; and to sensitize both the young people
  (tags: international development internships developing fellowships unitednations UN worldchanging youth)
• ABOUT UNFPA: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Summer Internship Programme
  “The Internship Programme offers a small group of outstanding students the opportunity to acquire direct exposure to UNFPA operations. It is designed to complement development-oriented studies with practical experience in various aspects of technical assi
  (tags: health international internships unitednations youth development)
• Call for participation – UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2007 in association with the Sharjah Biennial 8: UNESCO Culture Sector
  “This year’s edition of the UNESCO Digital Arts Award 2007 is at the heart of the global dialogue on the role of art as a vital force for positive change to how we shape our environment, whether determined by physical properties (spatial, geographical, cl
  (tags: arts digital opportunity unitednations urban development competition awards environment)
• Oxfam International Youth Partnerships
  “Oxfam International Youth Partnerships is a global network of young people working with their communities to create positive, equitable and sustainable change. If you are working with your community to create a positive future then you can apply to be a
  (tags: international youth partnerships development worldchanging)
• Youth Venture
  “Youth Venture, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and MTV Tr3s Voces, will select teams of two or more youth, ages 13 – 20, every week through June 29th, who submit great ideas for encouraging their peers to graduate from high scho
  (tags: latino peers school education ventures projects youth awards)
• Awards & Grants: Youth Service America
  Various grants and awards for youth projects, mainly open to US applicants but some are open for international applicants too.
  (tags: activism scholarships school awards youth projects service)
• Global Junior Challenge – Projects to Share the Future
  An Italy-based international challenge to find social change projects run by youths.
  (tags: youth challenge projects funding socialchange)
• Do Something | Home
  Various resources, ideas, and grants for youths that want to make a difference.
  (tags: activism charity nonprofit projects Reference resources schools service teens tips youth volunteering NonProfits)
• National Peace Essay Contest: U.S. Institute of Peace
  US-based essay competition based around international peace issues.
  (tags: essay competition peace youth)
• Changemakers: That Was Easy
  “The “That Was Easy” Competition. Inviting YOU to read about these Youth Ventures and be inspired, to comment on their work and participate in a discussion to advance the best strategies in youth social entrepreneurship, to spread the word about these imp
  (tags: entrepreneurship funding social youth organizations competition)
• YIELD Development
  “YIELD is an acronym for the Youthful Initiatives for Economic,Environmental,Educational & Large-scale Development.It is a non-governmental organization located in Nigeria and which is active in the sustainable development process.”
  (tags: nigeria economics environment education development nonprofit)
• Business in Development Network – BiD Challenge 2006
  “The BiD Challenge stimulates small and medium enterprise development in developing countries through an international Business Plan competition for poverty reduction and profit.”
  (tags: business charity competition contest developing development finance international)

links for 2006-12-17

• “And now on BBC 2 – the Open University”. | MetaFilter
  The history of UK’s Open University, and some discussion and memories.
  (tags: open university media uk distance learning education educatedeviate)
• Distance Learning Courses and Adult Education – The Open University
  Free distance learning from the UK
  (tags: careers degrees distance international free learning media resources school student education UK educatedeviate)
• BMW Shorties
  Make a 20-minute film about mobility (literally or sociologically) and you can stand to win RM50,000 and see your film aired in international festivals.
  (tags: film opportunity educatedeviate art malaysia media)
• Top Ten College Women: News: glamour.com
  Winners of Glamour Magazine’s Top 10 College Women scholarship contest – from peacemakers to educators.
  (tags: scholarships competition winners women studentscareers inspiration education educatedeviate)
• Scholarships Around the US
  Plenty of resources for scholarships for study in the United States.
  (tags: college education scholarships school university funding educatedeviate scholarship money tuition finance)
• How do I pay for my adventures? | Ask MetaFilter
  A college student wants to go travelling – but how does he pay for it?
  (tags: college university travel finance funding tips ideas money educatedeviate)
• Returning to college after a break | Ask MetaFilter
  “What percentage of students who take a “break” from college end up returning?”
  (tags: college education learning Metafilter break time return educatedeviate)
• How do those scummy cheats do it? | Ask MetaFilter
  How do people cheat in school? (Note: EducateDeviate DOES NOT condone cheating.)
  (tags: college Metafilter tips university cheating ideas educatedeviate education school schools)
• Golden Key Intnl Honour Society — worth it? | Ask MetaFilter
  Notes about Golden Key and other similar “honour societies” – basically: don’t bother joining.
  (tags: honour society college university finance membership education educatedeviate scam Metafilter)
• Can I take a mulligan on college? | Ask MetaFilter
  After finishing a degree and having a career on Wall Street – should he return to college?
  (tags: college education Metafilter career return advice tips startingover educatedeviate)
• Logistics & College | Ask MetaFilter
  Good with logistics? In college? Want experience? Here are some ideas you could pursue.
  (tags: logistics college experience university career skills ideas tips education educatedeviate Metafilter)
• Library educated, thank you very much. | Ask MetaFilter
  Good Will Hunting quote: “You wasted 150 grand on an education you coulda got for a buck fifty in late charges at the public library.”

  Is this true?

  (tags: college educatedeviate education learning school Metafilter literature books library unschooling alternative)
• I graduated college. Now what? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Okay, so I graduated college. Now what?”
  (tags: advice college education eduactedeviate life jobs careers graduation nowwhat ideas tips)
• ResumeFilter | Ask MetaFilter
  How much of your college career should you put in your resume? One posted tip: ignore the GPA.
  (tags: career educatedeviate jobs resume college university tips)
• Back to school at 40? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Should I go back to school at 40, and get that degree?”
  (tags: education information inspiration learning Metafilter school tips degrees return)
• 10 Tips for College Students
  Steve Pavlina managed to compress a whole degree in 3 semesters. Here are his tips for college life.
  (tags: advice college educatedeviate education howto inspiration learning life motivation school skills time tips university student productivity study)
• what classes should I take? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Recommend the most intriguing classes you have ever taken.”
  (tags: classes college university interesting learning education educatedeviate Metafilter)
• Now that’s what I call Marine Biology! | Ask MetaFilter
  “What’s the best way to go about going “back” to school after dropping out and taking a few years off?”
  (tags: timeoff college return university education life ideas tips educatedeviate)
• College/Uni Rankings | Ask MetaFilter
  Are college and university rankings ever useful or reliable?
  (tags: college university rankings reliability useful educatedeviate education)
• Useful University moving in tips? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Any useful tips for settling in to first week in college / university?”
  (tags: college tips university education firstday movingin life ideas educatedeviate Metafilter)
• After ‘A’ Levels: advice and recommendations for a university undergraduate. | Ask MetaFilter
  You’ve completed your A-Levels. Congratulations! Now what?
  (tags: alevels college university student life new advice tips ideas education educatedeviate)
• What do you wish you’d known/done when you were 21? | Ask MetaFilter
  Tips for those who just turned 21.
  (tags: advice college howto 21 education inspiration educatedeviate interesting learning life Metafilter organization productivity school study time tips tutorials university useful health)
• What do you wish you’d known when you were 18? | Ask MetaFilter
  Tips for the 18-year-olds out there!
  (tags: 18 college health learning life Metafilter productivity school tips youth education educatedeviate philosophy Advice)
• What would you tell 20-year-old you? | Ask MetaFilter
  More advice, this time for the 20-year-olds.
  (tags: 20 college advice health learning Metafilter life philosophy productivity school tips university educatedeviate education)
• Any suggestions for a good/affordable international summer program for a current college student? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Anyone know of any good international summer programs for current college students that are both affordable and well respected?”
  (tags: alternative educatedeviate education Metafilter international scholarships studentexchange studyabroad travel volunteering)
• Is a degree worth a million bucks? – Personal Finance – MSNBC.com
  Is your degree really worth all that money?
  (tags: money degrees finance careers jobs worth education educatedeviate college university)
• High school senior needs a real-world smackdown | Ask MetaFilter
  “I’m a 12th grade senior in a public high school and live in a town where over 95% of graduates go to college. Can I get away with not going?”
  (tags: college interesting deferment gapyear timeoff tips ideas unschooling Metafilter educatedeviate deucation degrees university)
• TIME.com: A Call to Action for Our Schools — Page 1
  “Ending high school at 16, paying teachers according to merit, turning schools over to independent contractors — a new report on U.S. education envisions radical change.”
  (tags: schools usa change reform development news education educatedeviate)
• How do I best use my time off from school to prepare for my return? | Ask MetaFilter
  “After a long and difficult struggle and much agonizing, I have decided to leave my (small, elite, liberal arts, etc) school and take the rest of the year off, with the intention of returning next fall for a fresh start. What should I do in the interim to
  (tags: return college university life education timeoff tips ideas sanity educatedeviate)
• Back To School – Lifehacker
  Lifehacker’s repository of resources for school students and educators.
  (tags: education school college university teaching learning technology tips ideas productivity educatedeviate)
• A Little Learning Is an Expensive Thing – New York Times
  A former college president gives the advice he’s always wanted to give to incoming freshmen.
  (tags: advice college culture finance future interesting life money school news tuition university education economics Learning)
• College – Lifehacker
  Lifehacker’s tips for college students.
  (tags: education school college university teaching learning technology tips ideas productivity educatedeviate)
• Back to School: Ten common college whines – Lifehacker
  Responses to “Top Ten No Sympathy Lines” – are they really “no sympathy”?
  (tags: learning study university college responses discussion expectations education stress classes educatedeviate)
• Top Ten No Sympathy Lines
  Utter any of these lines in college and you may not get much sympathy from your professor. (Personally I believe some of these “lines” do have merit.)
  (tags: advice career culture education expectations humour inspiration jobs interesting learning life philosophy professional school society student study educatedeviate teaching tips university useful work)
• Students – Lifehacker
  More of Lifehacker’s tips for students.
  (tags: education school college university teaching learning technology tips ideas productivity educatedeviate)
• Web sites for students – Lifehacker
  A link to psychology/neurology resources for students – the comment has links for all sorts of students.
  (tags: links students internet web resources college university school tips ideas educatedeviate)
• How to Be a Student
  Some great tips on how to study in school – yes, not really “alternative”, but when you’re in school any help counts! 🙂
  (tags: college education howto inspiration learning educatedeviate organization school students student study teaching time tips tutorials university reference)
• College v2
  A blog all about college life and college issues.
  (tags: college university student students life issues education tips ideas thoughts educatedeviate)
• Technophilia: Get a free college education online – Lifehacker
  PLENTY of resources for free college education online – mostly from established universities.
  (tags: classes college distance educational internet free learning library money life reference resources school students study teaching technology tools tutorials useful work web university)
• Education – Lifehacker
  Lifehacker’s many resources on education.
  (tags: Education school university college resources websites internet productivity educatedeviate tools ideas tips)
• Ask the Readers: Be a lifelong learner? – Lifehacker
  Discussion on Lifehacker about being lifelong learners.
  (tags: lifelong learning education ideas tips discussion educatedeviate)
• Josh Kaufman: Inside My Bald Head | The Personal MBA
  “”The Personal MBA (PMBA) is an experiment in educational entrepreneurism. This manifesto will show you how to substantially increase your knowledge of business on your own time and with little cost, all without setting foot inside a classroom.””
  (tags: books business classes careers development economics education technology entrepreneur free entrepreneurship howto ideas interesting internet jobs learning money news productivity educatedeviate professional reference resources school tools useful web work MBA management)
• Lifelong Learning – Blue Flavor
  “I’m a big believer that in order to succeed in life, and to make the most out of your time, you’ve got to keep seeking out learning as long as you are able.”
  (tags: entrepreneur learning lifelong education educatedeviate alternative)
• Free Learning | MetaFilter
  Even more free learning resources!
  (tags: Metafilter advice alternative productivity business career classes college resources school schools study educatedeviate teaching tips education tools tutorials educational university free useful howto information video web interesting work websites internet learning links media Reference courses Research online)
• University Blues | Ask MetaFilter
  “Has anyone dropped out of school or taken a significant amount of time off and done something exotic?”
  (tags: college education life travel university blues ideas timeoff gapyear educatedeviate)
• What should I do with the next few years of my life? | Ask MetaFilter
  “I’m a high school senior trying to plan the next few years of my life. I’ll definitely take a year off before college, but everything else is still up in the air.”
  (tags: alternative educatedeviate education gapyear time travel)
• Degrees for the self-taught? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Just how possible/feasible is it for a self-educated person to get, say, a computer science degree without actually attending classes or paying full price for tuition?”
  (tags: education computer science tuition selfeducation educatedeviate)
• Alternative Places Of Learning | Ask MetaFilter
  Post-secondary learning that takes an alternative form.
  (tags: alternative education ideas college university educatedeviate school)
• Where should I spend a year? | Ask MetaFilter
  “I’m planning to spend a year abroad after graduation. Help me pick a country.”
  (tags: abroad graduation study travel suggestions educatedeviate)
• Parenting a teenager who needs to make some big decisions | Ask MetaFilter
  “Please help me to wisely assist my reluctant teenage son choose his future and take action to achieve his goals. “
  (tags: advice Metafilter parenting education college university school careers)
• Sneaking into university lectures for free? | Ask MetaFilter
  “Ignoring the ethics, can you attend/sneak into university classes and lectures for free?”
  (tags: free learning Metafilter university college ethics interesting education)

links for 2006-12-16

• The 2007 Social Capitalist Awards
  These companies use corporate business methods to help make a difference in the world.
  (tags: business charity educatedeviate entrepreneurship ideas philanthropy social change capitalism global)
• Ian Ybarra: Why would parents do anything else?
  “Why do parents recommend to their own children such boring stuff they think is safe? … Why wouldn’t parents support (or at least stay out of the way of) their children’s dreams to do something remarkable, something that would get them profiled in magaz
  (tags: parents parenting youth dreams careers aspirations motivation culture education educatedeviate)
• 4 Reasons Why Parents Sometimes Don’t Support Their Kid’s Dreams ? A Collection of Highly Disparate Thoughts
  Response to Ian Ybarra’s question on why parents don’t support their children’s dreams – sounds like what many Malaysian parents go through!
  (tags: parents parenting youth dreams careers aspirations motivation education educatedeviate culture system:badutf8)
• America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs
  25 of America’s successful young entrepreneurs – from flavour packets to video game marketing.
  (tags: entrepreneur youth business ideas educatedeviate entrepreneurship careers career profiles)
• Academy of the Pacific Rim
  “Our mission is to empower urban students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds to achieve their full intellectual and social potential by combining the best of the East (high standards, discipline and character education) with the best of the West (a comm
  (tags: education educatedeviate alternative east west school)
• Oprah Winfrey Supports Nontraditional Students
  “The Oprah Winfrey Foundation has donated $140,000 to provide need-based scholarships to part-time students at the Nashville State Community College.”
  (tags: oprah opportunity nontraditional education educatedeviate scholarships alternative funding)
• Colleges coveting home-schooled students – Boston.com
  More and more American colleges and universities are courting home-schooled students as they possess certain assets such as critical thinking skills, independence, and creativity.
  (tags: homeschooling college university education educatedeviate unschooling)
• Free Education :: qoolsqool
  Free educational resources for anything and everything.
  (tags: educatedeviate education tools resources information interesting learning school tips university video work tutorials howto)
• General Discussion of Grading Policy
  Dr. John P. Staeck’s grading policy; also a reflection on the grading culture of educational systems in many places.
  (tags: education grades school educatedeviate)
• Making the Grade Without Being Graded | MetaFilter
  Discussion about the Grading Policy statement, as well as schools that have alternative styles of grading.
  (tags: grades exams education evaluation college university school educatedeviate Metafilter)
• Guide to Semester at Sea Part One: Applying and Preparing :: Tom Muller :: BootsnAll Theme Guides
  Part 1 of 2: How to apply and prepare for Semester at Sea
  (tags: semesteratsea education educatedeviate alternative voyage travel studyabroad organizations resources)
• Guide to Semester at Sea Part Two: The Experience of A Lifetime :: Tom Muller :: BootsnAll Theme Guides
  Part 2 of 2: Life on Semester at Sea
  (tags: semesteratsea education educatedeviate life alternative studyabroad travel college university resources organizations stories)
• What are some Australian/international volunteer organisations. | Ask MetaFilter
  Volunteer organizations in Australia and other countries.
  (tags: volunteering international organization educatedeviate education alternative Metafilter organizations)
• Free educational resources roundup – Lifehacker
  Plenty of educational resources for anything!
  (tags: education resources educatedeviate free ideas inspiration interesting learning media life nonprofit professional school tips video educational)
• Young author is off to Oxford
  A 20-year-old engineering student that wrote a book about science will be off to Oxford soon.
  (tags: author book youth education nifty educatedeviate projects)

links for 2006-12-15

• Big Ideas @ Berkeley Marketplace | Big Ideas
  “Big Ideas @ Berkeley marketplace lets alumni, corporate and foundation partners, friends, and family support Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students who are passionate about tackling major global, regional, and local challenges such as clean energy,
  (tags: entrepreneurship student university ideas sponsorship educatedeviate education projects)
• STAYING ALIVE | VLOGIT
  Send in a proposal for a video about HIV/AIDS awareness – if your proposal is selected, you’ll get a camera to shoot it.
  (tags: mtv hiv aids activism media video film television education educatedeviate alternative youth competition contest)