Los Altos Students Deliver Aid In Haiti

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It is always heartwarming to hear about how our local youth continue to step up in making the world a better place.  Just this past week, the Los Altos Town Crier ran an article about the humanitarian efforts of group of students.  Once you have read the article, I encourage you take a moment and visit the web site listed at the bottom of the story…

Sleeping in tents, meeting representatives from grassroots organizations, playing soccer with the locals and helping rebuild a school are just a few of the activities a group of local students managed to fit in over their summer trip.

A delegation of 15 high school and college students, including seven from Los Altos High School, teachers and one parent embarked on a good-will mission to Port-au-Prince. Their goal was to bring aid to Haitian community organizations and pitch in to rebuild a Haitian school following the devastation caused by the 7.0 earthquake Jan. 12.

Global Exchange, a San Francisco-based non-profit group, organized the trip. Los Altos High teacher Seth Donnelly, who has visited Haiti eight times, initiated Los Altos High’s participation after students approached him expressing interest in assisting Haiti firsthand.

“It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life to see how our delegation just game to life while bonding with Haitian peers and activists,” Donnelly said.

Several students who traveled to Haiti volunteered with the Los Altos High-originated One Dollar for Life (ODFL) organization. ODFL-participating high schools raised approximately $20,000 for Haitian relief. Half of the money was delivered via the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, a Bay Area organization that collaborated closely with Haitian grassroots organizations, schools, farming co-ops and women’s groups even before the earthquake, Donnelly said.

The students distributed the remaining $10,000 this summer to various Haitian groups through the Haitian Emergency Relief Fund.

“One hundred percent of the money from the ODFL drive was given to grassroots organizations, unlike a lot of large aid,” Donnelly said. “Students were able to see dollar for dollar that everything they raised went to actual organizations in Haiti.”

Donnelly said that during the students’ stay in Haiti, they witnessed how little of the major aid – pledged by governments and raised by nongovernmental organizations – seems to actually reach the people of Haiti.

“You need to give in a sustainable way,” said Ian Glasner, a Los Altos High School senior who participated in the venture. “You know that you are going to make a difference, but you cannot see it right away.”

While distributing the $10,000, students witnessed the courage, ingenuity and tenacity of Haitian leaders active in women’s groups, schools and other community organizations, who are trying to rebuild their country against the odds, Donnelly said.

“The earthquake happened six months ago, and there is still rubble everywhere,” Glasner said. “The streets are torn up, and the government has done nothing.”

In addition to distributing money, Donnelly said the group:

• Established deep ties of friendship and solidarity with Haitian activists and youth.

• Distributed medical supplies, donated by an Oakland nurse, directly to the Aristide Foundation, which operates mobile medical teams that serve people in the camps.

• Participated in the construction of a new Haitian school.

• Distributed approximately 200 solar-powered lights, donated by One Million Lights and World Centric, to Haitian community organizations.

• Distributed food and dental supplies to youth in Cité Soleil, one of the poorest areas in Port-au-Prince.

Glasner said he felt differently about life when he returned from Haiti.

“When I came back, my friends were like, ‘You missed so much,’” he said. “I couldn’t care less. People were dying in Haiti. Television is boring. I couldn’t care less about seeing the latest movie or sitcom.”

Glasner said he hopes to accompany Donnelly on another trip to Haiti.

For more information on One Dollar for Life, visit www.odfl.org.

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SAT, ACT, A.P. … I.B.?

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In August 2009, I wrote a blog post about how families, who relocate to Los Altos, have already researched the strong public and private schools in town. For global families who relocate often, there are additional education considerations: continuity of a globally available educational program … the International Baccalaureate.

The New York Times just published an article about I.B., so I thought I would share an abbreviated version.  As you know, it is eminently helpful to work with knowledgeable agents.  Having served on the Los Altos School Board, Carol & I strive to provide a level of nuanced insight not readily duplicated by other Realtors.

While some concerns have been raised about the I.B. program in the past, there are many families who consider this an invaluable experience for their children. At the end of the day, having the type of quality educational choices available, in and around Los Altos, is important. We would be more than happy to help you navigate your available options, from schools to housing. As you begin your search, we offer to help you with your questions, when you are ready.

Enjoy …

SAT, ACT, A.P. … I.B.?

The alphabet soup of college admissions is getting more complicated as the International Baccalaureate, grows in popularity as an alternative to the better-known Advanced Placement program.

The College Board’s A.P. program, which offers a long menu of single-subject courses, is still by far the most common option for giving students a head start on college work, and a potential edge in admissions.

The lesser-known I.B., a two-year curriculum developed in the 1960s at an international school in Switzerland, first took hold in the United States in private schools. But it is now offered in more than 700 American high schools — more than 90 percent of them public schools — and almost 200 more have begun the long certification process.

Many parents, schools and students see the program as a rigorous and more internationally focused curriculum, and a way to impress college admissions officers.

To earn an I.B. diploma, students must devote their full junior and senior years to the program, which requires English and another language, math, science, social science and art, plus a course on theory of knowledge, a 4,000-word essay, oral presentations and community service.

The I.B. program is used in 139 countries, and its international focus has drawn criticism from some quarters.

Some parents say it is too closely tied to both the United Nations and environmentalism. From its start in 1968 until 1976, the program was financed partly by UNESCO. It is now associated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and until recently it endorsed the Earth Charter, a declaration of principles of sustainability that originated at the United Nations.

Many schools, and many parents, see the I.B. partly as a way to show college admissions offices that students have chosen a rigorous program, with tests graded by I.B. examiners around the world.

“I don’t think there is anyone who does not respect the I.B.,” said Panetha Ott, an admissions officer at Brown.

Fewer colleges give credit for the I.B. than for A.P., but dozens give students with an I.B. diploma sophomore standing and some offer special scholarships.

The I.B. is also being offered now in some struggling urban schools where educators say it helps put low-income students on par with their richer peers.

Last fall, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave the program a three-year $2.4 million grant to prepare low-income and minority students to participate in the I.B.

As for where you can find I.B. schools, California and Florida have the most, and New England the fewest.

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