We're packing!

On September 10th, Andy and I will fly to London, then soar over Africa on our way to Botswana. We're working with Think Tank Thuto, the Diocese of Botswana, Bishop of Botswana, Victoria Musodza, and actress Kelly Hu to help students make films about Think Tank Thuto's school building initiatives. Check them out online!

From there we're off to Johannesburg. We're working with team members from Pearson Education, students from Oprah's Academy, and local students from a wide variety of neighborhoods. These students will make public service announcements about Pearson's Sara Program. This curriculum helps educators and students learn about issues facing girls all across Africa. We will bring all the computers and equipment needed. We train the students in all the elements of digital arts, from videography to full understanding of Adobe Premiere. We'll also work with educators from accross Southern Africa to teach them movie-making as well.

Then, we're off to Tanzania to work with the Jane Goodall Institute in both Kigoma and Dar es Salaam. Students in Kigoma will make public service announcements about JGI's Roots & Shoots program (check out Roots & Shoots online, too!). We're going on a video shoot in Gombe National park to visit and film the famous chimpanzees. Once we get to Dar (I'm already using trunkated vernacular), we're working with Roots & Shoots students to make PSAs about issues facing their erroding and polluted coast. We did the same thing in New Orleans and Plaquemines Parish this summer. Students in Paul Wolf's class in Plaquemines Parish, and students in Lake Charles, LA will share their films and best practices with students in Tanzania on Nokia video phones. So cool!

From Tanzania we fly to Accra, Ghana. We're working with Eric Peasah from the International Organization for Migration. He has a rehabilitation center for kids who have been rescued from having been traffiked. Kids there will make PSAs about their experiences and how their lives have changed since being rescued. Our friend and colleague Lisa Ling did a special show on Oprah last year profiling Eric and several of the kids. Thanks for the introduction! We're working on a pen-pal program with Lori Dillon and Claire Dillon at Lake Forest High School in Illinois. Students at Claire's school will use the Nokia video phones to talk with the kids in Ghana and share movies and experiences.

Finally, we head to Ethiopia to work with students and educators in Addis Ababa and Gambella. We're still working out the details for these programs, so check back soon for more information!