Shakira Serves as Honorary Chair for Action Week 2008

Grammy award-winning artist Shakira served as Honorary Chairperson for this year's Global Campaign for Education (GCE) Action Week from April 21 - 27, 2008. Shakira appeared in Washington D.C. on Tuesday April 22nd with members of Congress as well as students from across the United States to raise awareness for the bi-partisan Education for All Act of 2007».

"Universal education isn't about charity - it's about investment. By providing vulnerable chidlren with a basic education we can create a better, safer world" --Shakira

Brown, Zoellick, Sperling and Shakira Discuss Global Education

On April 21st, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, World Bank President Robert Zoellick, Director of the Center for Universal Education Gene Sperling and Grammy award-winning artist Shakira participated in a media conference call to discuss the state of global education and out-of-school children in developing countries. This event kicked off the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) Action Week 2008. Brown, Zoellick, Sperling and Shakira joined with GCE’s coalition in 120 countries calling on government leaders to support a basic education for all children, including the 72 million young children and 226 million older youths who are out of school around the world.

Listen to the press conference here» --- Read the transcript here»

Youth Advocates Receive Training on Education for All

Over 50 high school and college delegates from across the U.S. participated in a two-day training organized by the Global Campaign for Education and RESULTS. During the training, youth learned the important facts and figures on the current state of global education, as well as how to speak effectively and convincingly about the Education for All Act.

Mary Njoroge, former Minister of Basic Educaiton in Kenya, spoke to the youth about the challenges to providing a quality education for all. Ms. Njoroge saw an increase of more than one million students overnight in 2003 when Kenya removed school fees as a barrier to access schooling.

See photos of the training here»

Shakira, Rep. Nita Lowey and Students Participate in Press Conference on Capitol Hill

On April 22, Shakira joined Rep. Nita Lowey, Chair of the US GCE Gene Sperling, and students from across the country to participate in a press conference to raise awareness about the bipartisan Education for All Act of 2007 (EFA) and call on government leaders to support basic education for all children.

Read the blog from students of the Global Citizen Corps about their experience in Washington, D.C.

See photos of the Press Conference here»

Congressional Leaders Meet with Shakira and Youth Delegates

Over 50 young leaders from 12 coalition organizations traveled to Washington, D.C. to learn about universal education and speak with their Congressional Leaders about the importance of supporting the Education for All Act currently in congress. Shakira also met with members of Congress to urge them to support the bill.

Since the meetings took place, two Congresspeople have signed on to the Act: Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX).

See photos of the meetings here»

The Global Campaign for Education Breaks the World Record for Largest Lesson

On April 23rd, millions of children worldwide took part in the “World’s Biggest Lesson,” breaking the world record for the largest simultaneous lesson featuring a curriculum about the denial of quality education to tens of millions of impoverished children. By taking part in this lesson, children from across the globe joined an estimated 7.5 million of their peers in learning about the importance of education and the barriers that young people face all over the world in accessing a quality education.

See photos from around the world here»

Schools and Organizations Across the US Participate in the World's Biggest Lesson

Over 16,000 students from more than 300 schools and organizations registered to participate in the World's Biggest Lesson.

• At Chaparral Hills Elementary in Moreno Valley, California, over 1,000 students, teachers, and parents participated in the lesson. Special Education Teacher Tamra Handysides said, "my students were so moved that we wrote letters to our Congressperson Mary Bono and asked for her to please support the Education for All Act. They also, on their own, have decided that they want to send school supplies to a school in Africa. Thanks so much for putting this lesson together - it has opened so many eyes to the injustice around the world."   Read more about the event here»
• More than 45 Boys and Girls Clubs from across the US participated in the World's Biggest Lesson

Kenyan Peace Activist Karambu Ringera leads the World's Biggest Lesson in Boulder, Colorado

Action Week events in Boulder were sponsored by Mothers Acting Up, Global Foundation for Education, UNICEF/Boulder, Engineers Without Borders, Friendship Bridge, and RESULTS. Additional event highlights include:

• First through fifth graders from Creekside Elementary school planned to walk 6 miles (round trip) to the event in solidarity with the children who trek miles to school everyday, as well as those without the opportunity to go to school (although incremental weather derailed those plans).
• Participants signed a "World's Biggest Lesson" letter to be sent to the Prime Minister of Japan, current chair of the G8.
• Read more about the event here»

Students from Oregon and Palestine do the World's Biggest Lesson together, live

Students participating in Mercy Corps' Why Not? program linked up via video conference to do the World's Biggest Lesson together in both English and Arabic. Students of this program have shared video essays, photos, poems, and forum postings all in the hopes of breaking down barriers and learning more about each other. Participants have been given a glimpse of what school life is like for their peers half way around the world. Now, through Action Week activities, they adding their voices to the millions of youth worldwide demanding a free, quality education for all.

Read more about the event here»

PBS Wide Angle Documentary "Back to School" Shown to Students Across the US

For the second year in a row, the Global Campaign for Education has partnered with Channel Thirteen New York to distribute over 1,000 copies of the documentary "Back to School" to educators in the US. This documentary chronicles the life of seven students from different countries as they face the every day challenges of going to school. Teachers found the documentary moving and students were amazed to discover that the simple act of going to school is something they take for granted.

You can stream the video online here»

Action Week Map Shows Events in 48 States

Now you can see where Action Week events took place all across the nation! When schools and organizations registered for Action Week, a marker with the event location was placed on the Action Week Map. Users are able to click on each marker for more event details and even search for events in different zip code areas.  The map shows that events took place in every state except North Dakota and Idaho.  Next year we aim to get events planned in all 50 states!

Check out the map here»