e-Learning for Kids Announces New Advisory Board Member

E-Learning for Kids (EFK, www.e-learningforkids.org), a global nonprofit foundation dedicated to providing free online learning for children 5-12, today announced the addition of Dirk Tussing, the Executive Director of the Learning Executive Exchange in Chicago, to its Advisory Board.

To read the press release which includes a reference to our project at Khai Tri, click here.

"Mr. Tussing has been involved with e-Learning for Kids for more than a year now and has supported the organization in numerous ways. These include championing the foundation with the Rotary Clubs from around the world, implementing the EFK courses in Vietnam at the Khai Tri Orphanage, building a social networking site for the foundation (http://elearningforkids.ning.com/) where one can join a group, view photos from schools around the world using the EFK courseware, download a poster about EFK in over ten languages, teleport to an Orientation Center for the foundation in SecondLife, read a blog, or informally learn more. "

Chicago fundraising event with e-Learning For Kids founder, Nick van Dam

e-Learning For Kids founder, Nick van Dam, visited us in Chicago from Amsterdam while he was in the United States for work. Nick shared information on the free and fun computer-based learning programs that now has grown to over 150 courses to 250 executives who help provide learning programs to companies.

Photos of this e-learningforkids fundraising Chicago event are available on facebook: visit
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=176856&l=9e7ca&id=668525312 to see pics.

THANK YOU DONORS FOR OUR PROJECT: An Giang University & Rotary Helping Homeless Children at Khai Tri in Vietnam

We have raised enough money for purchasing two SMART Boards through their Seed Program and eight www.ClassmatePC.com with Solid-State-Drives.

Our Chicago Volunteers helping in the Kitchen

Newest young visitor from Tom's home town in Long Xuyen (thanks to Dillon International)

Our Team Expressing our Thank You to Our Donors

We had a wonderful turn out for our 2nd Annual Vietnamese Benefit Dinner at Hadley School for the Blind (Winnetka, IL). We have raised enough donations (nearly $5,000) to start working purchasing the new state-of-the-art technology for Khai Tri Orphanage & An Giang University Foreign Language Department to help build English skills by adding creativity curricula in rural elementary education. You can click the SMART Board below and take a flash tour of the wall-mounted version we plan to donate two SMART Boards: one at Khai Tri Orphanage and one at An Giang University in the Foreign Language Department (English). Now that we have the funds donated we will need to next work on the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with the help of the Library of Vietnam NGO (www.LibraryOfVietnam.com).



We still need to find donors for two LCD Projectors (required for each SMART Board) and eight more CMPC with SSD to complete the desired next phase. Please contact me via email at Rotary@learningexecutive.com if you want to help.

Emerging Technology Fair for Kids Learning (Oct 9th, Chicago)

As I get to know Nick van Dam better and have watched the ways our network of thought leaders have been helping kids around the world, it’s amazing to learn about the new technologies that are now available. With my travels this last year to remote corners of the earth, I have been able to collect several hard to find emerging technologies. For example, have you heard of MIT’s $100 OLPC laptop or the new Intel-powered ClassmatePC – would you like trying to use them? If you would, then join us at this emerging technology fair for kids.

We are hosting this session at SMART Technologies’ downtown Chicago office; they are helping us secure a state-of-the-art interactive whiteboard for the Khai Tri Orphanage Innovation Center we helped built with the Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield and Library Project of Vietnam.

We also will be dem9nstrating Nick van Dam’s e-LearningForKids free and fun educational computer software for kids ages 5-12. You can watch a recent global CNBC broadcast on July, 12th 2008 of Nick’s foundation directly from YouTube:



For more information, click here.

Khai Tri Kids Doctor's & Dentist Report (hum .. or "Football" Report)

Tom suggested that the www.MedicalAidForVietnam.org July 2008 mission stops by Khai Tri Orphanage to check on the kids. Our understanding (which we receive contradictory information) is that the kids probably do not have access to quality medical and dental care. Well when the doctors and dental teams arrived the kids we so healthy that the spent most of the time of playing football (which we call soccer in the United States) with the boys. The kids were great and gave the medical team an amazing workout. Thu (an English teacher at An Giang University) shared that Khai Tri played football in a tournament with another school the week before and won too.





A few days later, the medical mission returned to give the Khai Tri kids a gift. Four of the dental & pharmacy team members from Vancouver bought a ping pong table for the kids to have more fun. After the team returned to the North American, Tom and I sat down with Khai Tri's principal and he agreed to put the ping pong table in the Innovation Center we built since there was plenty of room. We'll ask our friends at An Giang University for pictures to share and make sure the ping pong table is not locked up and not used.

Summer of 2008 will be remembered by the Khai Tri Kids - Their 1st Talent Show

Tom headed back to Vietnam this summer to help with another mission for the http://www.medicalaidforvietnam.org/ I joined him to experience the raining season and visit the Vientiane Capital, Laos. One of the unexpected surprises was to notice the kids English was significantly better than in January '08. We also met Thu & Will (visiting faculty at AGU.edu.vn from Michigan). Thu explained the kids had a five week summer camp which was lead by an American from California. We also found out Khai Tri had their first talent show and we were given a two hour DVD. I'm trying to upload the video to the internet, but the video file is HUGE ... Stay tune and i'll replace the screen shot below with a link to Google!video when I have everything sorted out.

Corinne is back from Viet Nam, lots of stories to tell, stop by 24 Feb, enjoy friends, food, stuff…and hear all about it.

Hello Friends & Colleagues,

I am just back from Viet Nam where, as some of you may know, as part of the Chicagoland Learning Leaders organization partnered with Rotary Winnetka/Northfield, I assisted in installing an elearning center for an orphanage in Long Xuyen. What an awesome trip. Thanks again to the many of you who contributed, your donations are helping to make dreams possible for these kids.

Since email cannot possibly explain…I am hoping you can stop by the my residence in Schaumburg on Sunday, 24 Feb, 1-5pm to see pictures, have a snack/drink, enjoy friends, and hear all about it. I will present a “slide show” at 2pm. You’ll be surprised about the things that you might think are universal, are not…like the process to cross the street!

In case you’re interested, I brought back a number of unbelievably gorgeous items (purses, silk pajamas, bracelets, embroideries, etc) that you can purchase as a donation – 100% of your purchase will go to our next orphanage project and your purchase/donation is eligible as a tax-deduction.

As a side note, while in Long Xuyen working at the Khai Tri orphanage, I connected with a young orphan girl and her two brothers. I made a commitment to them to assist in their education. The older sister, Sa Ron, wants to become a teacher and give back as those who have helped her. So now I have 3 new “kids” so to speak…

I look forward to sharing my experiences and stories with you!
Please feel free to bring others and pass this to your friends who may be interested…

Sunday, 24 February, 1-5pm
2pm slide show for Friends, Previous Donors, Drinks, Snacks and Gifts

Kind regards,
Corinne

Great Community Support Attended the Khai Tri Dedication Ceremony

We had a great Dedication Ceremony at Khai Tri Orphange on January 19th The community support was wonderful and representatives from Chicago included: Dirk, Tom, Kristen & Wesley, Jody, Scout, Corinne, Adam and Kathy.

Khai Tri Dedication Ceremony (Jan 19, 2008)

We had a great turn out from Winnetka-Northfield Rotary Club and members of the An Giang, Province community for the dedication ceremony. During the dedication ceremony our group distributed over 400 pounds of slightly used clothes, school supplies, beany babies, candy to all the kids and brought five computers and tables for the innovaation center. we plan to post more pictures shortly. Many thanks to everyone who as helped this dream become a reality.