Crowdsourcing Education for One Billion People
This Meeting's HighlightsProgram: Crowdsourcing Education for One Billion People
Speaker: Tariq FancyMeeting for the week of December 28th to January 3rd, 2015* * *I
s this your first time to visit us? If so, welcome to our meeting!Each Monday our week’s meeting is posted early in the morning, U.S. Pacific Time. These meetings are designed so that you can read and watch what we post anytime during the week. The entire meeting takes about 45 minutes to complete, with the video conference recording of the program being the bulk of the time.Note that you can easily read this meeting with your favorite device, so feel free to take our meeting on the go with you; read it while on public transit, waiting in line for coffee, or even at the park! Please also make sure to complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
Greetings
Message from the President
Greetings, and a Happy New Year to all our members and guests!Our eclub began almost a year ago, launching on January 26th, 2015, and we are excited to launch into a second year of providing inspiration, encouragement, and plenty of food for thought to all who take in our meetings.Being in Rotary means being oriented to serving others, not only because that's how to improve the world, but because it's how to live life well.One raison d'être for our club is to serve Rotarians everywhere by providing a high-quality and highly flexible option for making up missed meetings. We believe that a weekly dose of Rotary's work, images, and history is a great way to connect with great people around the world while being intrigued by the stories of what they do.And with that major dose of why we do what we do, let's launch into the last meeting of 2015!Rotarian guests, we ask that you consider contributing something - whatever for you is the regular cost of a Rotary meal, perhaps - to the efforts of our club. Please choose one of the options below:
Send via our secure Happy Dollars form.
Send via Google Wallet to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send via PayPal to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send a check via snail mail (see below for instructions)
To pay via Google Wallet or PayPal, you'll need to log in to your account with those companies.Those of you who prefer a more traditional approach can mail a check made out to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley to our treasurer: ℅ Allen Thompson, 13500 Cascade Ct., Bakersfield CA 93314.Non-Rotarian guests, there is no need for a donation from you. As we see it, your job is to simply enjoy what you read and watch, though at the end we do ask that you let us know you were here and also leave a comment letting us know what you think. This club is loaded with folks who love sharing ideas, and we look forward to your sharing yours!
The Power of Images
We believe that there is power in imagery, and that a great photo can inspire in its own unique way.
This week's photo is from our club Camera Czar, Keith:"Last Saturday, we attended the Parade of Lights in San Rafael with some Rotary friends. Decorated boats from several yacht clubs in the area cruised up and down the canal. I took several photos, but the lighting conditions were very difficult (harsh lights with dark backgrounds). I was able to get several photos, but none were "tack" sharp because of the long exposures from a moving boat. By combining them into this collage, they actually look sharper and the composition is more interesting."
The Power of Ideas
Every week we bring you thoughts from thinkers past and present which we think may inspire you. This week’s quote is from Reinhold Niebuhr.
Change is the essence of life; be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.- Reinhold NiebuhrWe love seeing anyone make a change that excites and inspires, and hope you will move towards what you can become as the year kicks into gear!
The Power of Moving
Earlier this year, we added the wildly cool Learn video by Rick Mereki to a meeting. This week, we treat you to another Mereki piece, Move.
May 2016 be a year in which you move toward what you dream to be!
Reminders
Members, if you have not already received your dues announcement from Treasurer Allen for January to June, you will certainly receive it soon. Please pay promptly!
To Our Members: The Giving Challenge
During December, we asked each of our members to tell us about a cause he or she supports (other than Rotary), as a way of helping the club get to know everyone a little better. The answers have been spread across the four weeks, and this week we finish with the good news that everyone participated - cool!
Note Frank's item below - it's as much a question/invitation as a statement, and anyone interested can send a note to President Rushton to pass along to connect with Frank and his mentee, William.
Member: Mark Dohn cause: World Bicycle Relief why: As a kid growing up, I rode a bicycle for the freedom it gave me to explore and think. Later, it became a passion and a sport that allowed me to travel the country and the world riding and racing. To say a bicycle has been important to who and what I am is an understatement, and I still ride to clear my head, think, and stay in shape. World Bicycle Relief understands the power of the bicycle and works in the Third World, supplying bicycles to students, entrepreneurs, and healthcare workers so that they can access the resources that would otherwise be too far (or unsafe) to travel to on foot. I donate to the cause each year, but more importantly, I ride in a jersey and shorts with their name and logo on them on group rides. It allows me to be an ambassador of sorts and share with other cyclists this great program.
Member: Andrew Knaack cause: Sacred Heart Community Services why: I volunteered to support a Happy Holidays for my entire community.
Member: Lisa Highfill cause: Salvation Army's annual Adopt a Family why: Each year we have gotten schools in our district to adopt local families who are in need of food, clothing, and gifts for the holiday season. It is so important to teach our children to give to others in need at a young age.
Member: Manju Ramachandran cause: India Community Center and the Mountain View Los Altos Foundation why: Although many Indo-Americans in the Bay Area have realized success in business, surprisingly there are also many that have not. Immigrants are struggling to find housing, struggling to understand the US processes and struggling to find adequate medical care/child care. India Community Center is like the JCC. It is committed to helping everyone from ages 3 to 99 and offers a preschool, an after school program, a free medical clinic, a free legal clinic, Ayurvedic services, a behavioral health clinic, and a senior program that feeds close to 500 seniors a year. I give here because the ICC is trying to take care of an immigrant community that has not felt the success that most people associate with the general Indo-American community. Over 100,000 people visit annually. In addition, ICC has a thriving sports and rec center and Table Tennis Program where kids can get involved in sports. Over 215 kids come train there everyday. I volunteer here because I was shocked to find this level of need existed - from a community that I thought was successful. For the MVLA Foundation, young people are our future and I believe education is the path to get them there. The world teens are growing up in now is so different from my own experience, that I feel volunteering to advocate for the high school students in my area will give them an edge and be better prepared for the workforce (and world) they are entering.
Member: Frank Tripicchio cause: helping a college graduate why: I am working to help a recent college graduate obtain meaningful employment in the field of his expertise (urban planning and development and real estate analysis). He has until next June to land a job with a company which will agree to process the necessary documents for William to transfer his Student Visa to a Work Visa. I met with William for the second time on December 11th. and I am calling on anyone I know that could be of help. Neither William nor I are particular. We don’t care who opens the right door to his future. Could that be you?Thanks again to everyone for taking part in The Giving Challenge - an already wildly cool group is yet cooler with the messages about the many good causes we support!
Events & Projects
This section of our meeting is where you learn about both recent and upcoming events and projects our club is leading or supporting. We welcome guests to all of our events and service projects listed here.
Upcoming Events:
Did you miss our past events? Come join us for any of our upcoming events! Guests, you are welcome too!
Hiking Adventures at Point Reyes on Sun. January 24, 2016 at 10:00 AM Our eClub is taking a wilderness explorers’ adventure into Point Reyes on Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 10 AM. Pack your own picnic lunch, and prepare for a nice 5-7 mile hike! We may also do a pit stop at the world famous Tomales Bay Oyster Company’s oyster stand. Details such as the exact meeting location will be available by mid-January. Keep your calendar marked! All members and guests are welcome. Free to attend.
Sexy Salad Potluck & Wine in Livermore on Sun. February 21, 2016 at 12:00 PMCome enjoy the local extension of Napa Valley in Livermore. We will be having a salad potluck at the awarding winning Retzlaff Vineyard Winery in Livermore on Sunday, February 21, 2016, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. There will be live music and wine. This is a sexy salad potluck! Sexy salad is a way for communities to come together and give gratitude for good food and for good company. Members and guests should bring an ingredient to contribute to the salad. For example: you could bring a bowl of cranberries, a bowl of sliced steak, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, etc. We will be providing organic assorted greens, the salad dressing, along with plates and utensils. All members and guests are welcome to attend; this event is also friendly for anyone under 21 as well! (Though those not 21 or older can’t have wine, of course.)
Nightlife Exploration at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 7 PMCome with our club to explore the amazing exhibits and experiences at the planetarium during the evening for California Science Academy’s Nightlife program! We will be meeting at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 7 PM for an exciting night of science adventures! Open to all members and guests. Tickets will be available for purchase. More details coming in early March.
More Socials!You can sure expect more socials to be coming up in 2016! Members, if you are interested in helping plan socials, please reach out to President-Elect Mitty or leave a comment on this meeting. We would love to get you more involved with the social planning!
The World of Rotary
We are part of the Rotary International family, with over 1.2 million members in over 180 countries around the world. Rotary’s reach is global. Here we tell our members and guests about Rotary’s initiatives and events.
How might you finish off 2015 or start 2016? One suggestion: be active and help with Rotary's global effort to end polio!
Service Survey
One piece of being a Rotarian is finding ways – both big and small – to help others. Our members report the good deeds they do and the good efforts in which they participate, not in order to brag, but to remind us of the many possibilities there are for using what we have for those in need.
During the first full week of each month, we share the stories of how our members are finding ways big and small to improve the life of others around them. We report these moments to each other not to brag, but rather to inspire each other to find more ways of improving our communities.Members, next week's meeting will include that report, so if you haven't let us know yet what you're up to in December, now's the time!
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
Happy Dollars
Perhaps you’ve got family in from far away for the holidays. Perhaps you won’t have to have family in from elsewhere! Whatever it is that makes you happy, tell us about it, and toss a dollar or two into what we call the “Good Karma Jar” to let us know! All for good causes, this.
Member Nate Gildart ($10)Let's put this toward the PolioPlus Fund. The video from last week's meeting was a good reminder of being so close to eradication of polio. [Well timed, Nate, given the video above!]
Member Mahmood Khan ($100)This is for education and training activities our club is sponsoring with KIPP San Jose Collegiate High School.
Member Yvonne Kwan ($20)Wishing everyone a happy holiday season!
Birthdays
Lisa Highfill, creator of many fun Tidbits in 2015, finishes our year-o-birthdays with her day on December 28th.Lisa, it may be news to you that on your birthday in 1912 that San Francisco's first municipally-owned streetcars begin operations. May your teaching and ideas be the vehicle for thousands of students' journey to wonderfully interesting places!Rushton's extra note: Lisa and I have been friends for over five years (did I forget to throw a half-decade friend-party?), and I'm going to out her on her talent for making "buckeyes" - which you can learn more about here, and see her Instagram post on the family tradition here, with the drool-inducing part right here:Richard, we're gearing up for your birthday next week!
The Tidbit
Every week, we feature a new tech tidbit or life hack to make something easier, more convenient, or more fun!
Let's finish off 2015 with a seriously fun Tidbit from Yvonne. This captures that moment when you think all is lost, and learn that an opportunity for fun has arisen. Leap forward to learn this one:
Way to go, Yvonne - you'll have that score above 100 in no time!
A Little Humor
We believe laughter is like medicine. Here’s a little humor for your week!
Here are a few year-end quick thoughts from Jokes4Us.com:
A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
Dear God, my prayer for 2016 is a fat bank account and a thin body. Please don't mix it up like you did this year.
It's officially New Year's Eve, you only have a couple of hours to do all the things you will resolve not to do in the new year.
May all your troubles last as long as your New Year resolutions!
Selected Comments from Last Week
Each week, we ask all who attend to leave a comment to tell us what you think of the meeting and program. Feel free to let us know what surprises you, what inspires you, and what you'll share with others. If you have a suggestion for us, we're up for those, too!
Last week's program from Cynthia Salim about building a socially responsible business (partly as a result of what she learned as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar), along with the wonderful video by Aubri about his Rube Goldberg machine, produced plenty of comments, and here are some - feel free to drop back by last week's meeting to see the full set.
Member Tzviatko Chiderov (Illinois, USA)Merry Christmas to all celebrating! Cynthia, this is a great business model. Having the passion you do for this work, it's no surprise you've been so successful! Wishing you all the best. I knew of the feature described in this week's tidbit, but the video made it look so cool - thanks Andrew, well done!
Member Keith Marsh (California, USA)The Rube Goldberg video was priceless. The Tidbit was amazing and another good program as usual.
Guest Rory Olsen (Texas, USA)Cynthia, thank you for sharing your pep and youthful enthusiasm with us.member Chris Cochrane (Ontario, Canada)Cheerio. Bloody good meeting, mate. Merry Christmas! [See last week's note about a group of us attending the final 2015 meeting of the Rotary e-Club of East Anglia for the reference on this one!]
Member Rushton Hurley (California, USA)Cynthia, way to show what's possible when you devote yourself to a strong cause - may your business thrive!
Member Nate Gildart (Tokyo, Japan)Cynthia, your presentation was fantastic. I love the concept of your Masters degree program, and it certainly brings to education more attention to the importance of values (which you've taken to another hugely important need in the world - responsible corporate citizenship). I teach at a Catholic girls school in Tokyo. If you're ever coming to Tokyo and can spare some time we would LOVE to have you speak to and/or work with our students. People such as yourself are truly inspiring for young women.Andrew, great tidbit! I'm passing this on to families in our school (although we're an international school, not all parents speak English). Loved the Rube Goldberg video. In fact, I pasted it into our school G+ community before moving on with the meeting. Audri's enthusiasm is contagious![Cynthia's reply: Nathan, thanks so much! I'd love to speak at your Catholic girls school if I'm ever in Tokyo! Adding it to my list and will reach out when the opportunity arises.]
Member Andrew Taw (California, USA)Thank you for your presentation Cynthia! Your enthusiasm is truly infectious! Great work pursuing this niche and learning along the way
Member Shags Shagrin (California, USA)I loved the Rube Goldberg contraption video. That was one of my favorite activities in my childhood -- coming up with things like that. Very creative use of the toaster's pop-up to trigger the next sequence of activity. And a great program, too. You really should try to be on them "live" when you can.
Member Yvonne Kwan (California, USA)Thank you for sharing your story with us, Cynthia! I remember first being exposed to Citizen's Mark through Rotary International's Instagram when you were featured; I was super intrigued! I love that you are a socially responsible business owner and love your oozing enthusiasm for everything you do! Aubri's video of excitement is infectious! He's definitely on the path to being a game changer in the world. Awesome tidbit, Andrew! Google Translate's video translating feature is one of my favorites and has saved me many times on my travels abroad.
Member Heather Shaw (California, USA)Forwarded the Goldberg video to some of my engineer friends who thought it was awesome, and it doesn't hurt letting them see what Rotary is up to. Cynthia, I am a newer member of Rotary and it's great to see how their help has impacted your life and now you are paying it forward. Luv it!
Member Mahmood Khan (California, USA)Cynthia, Your energy and creativity is electrifying. Your career and your path through London (I did not know there is a study such as Human Values and Contemporary Global Ethics - WOW!) and Geneva is enviable. Your business model seem very promising. Wishing you the best for your business, supporters and suppliers. Thank you for all that you do. A true example of what Rotary can help with. Great tidbit - Google apps are amazing and a platform for amazing creative people out here. Thanks for sharing. Wishing all a very happy holiday season and a prosperous new year. Cheers.We hope you'll leave a comment, below, as well, even if it's just to say you liked the meeting! This is also a great way to build a few extra karma points heading into 2016!
The Program: Tariq Fancy, founder of Rumie
Each week we find fascinating people to share ideas on topics we think will be interesting to our members, working to focus in on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education wherever possible. This week, we have all of those!
According to this week's speaker, Tariq Fancy, it's finally possible to leapfrog poor communities around the world to a digital model of education that is cheaper, better and faster than what is currently available to them. Fancy's organization, Rumie (pronounced "roomy"), is doing this today in countries around the world, including in emergency situations such as the Ebola crisis in Liberia last year (when all the schools in the country were closed) to the Syrian refugee crisis today, using an affordable digital delivery platform that shows excellent results at a fraction of the cost of previous alternatives.But leapfrogging poor communities from books to bytes is only the first part of the long-term vision. To truly make this work for one billion people, Fancy seeks to build an online movement behind it - one to organize all of the best free content across subject areas, languages, and cultural divides, creating a public resource that is free for all of humanity to use. Rumie is doing this now with the introduction of the LearnCloud, which is today allowing teachers all around the world to help Syrian refugee children receive an education without leaving their homes.Fancy founded Rumie after seeing the success of his work to bring mobile phones to developing markets as a leapfrog innovation at a New York private equity firm. He began his career in technology investment banking with CSFB in Palo Alto. He was born and raised in Toronto to a family that emigrated from Kenya to Canada. He holds an Honors B.A. with distinction from Brown University, spent one year studying at Oxford, earned a master’s degree in Economics and Public Policy from Sciences Po Paris and an MBA with distinction from INSEAD.Members and guests, welcome Tariq Fancy!
Links:Learn more about Rumie and the work being done to help Syrian refugee children at the Rumie website.
Upcoming Programs
Now that you have completed watching this week’s program and meeting, here are some programs that you can expect in the coming weeks.
• Week of Jan 4th: UNICEF Product Innovation: Driving Innovation for Development and Emergency Response• Week of Jan 11th: Doing Good in Fiji
You’re Almost Done! One last thing: The Attendance Survey..
Thanks for reading and watching this week’s meeting. You have two last things to do before you’re done. First, we have a very short attendance survey below for you to fill out to record your attendance.
Visiting Rotarians, this is how you can get an email receipt to pass along to your club’s secretary as proof that you’ve attended our meeting if you need it for makeups.
Non-Rotarian Guests, we would love to see who is dropping by our meetings! This part is optional for you though.
More importantly, for all members and guests — we strongly recommend and ask that you leave a comment below in our comments area below. Tell us how you enjoyed the program. Ask this week’s speaker any questions you might have. Or just stop by and say hello and tell us where you’re from!
