Pennies for Peace
Encyclopedia
Pennies for Peace is an international service-learning program sponsored by the Central Asia Institute
(CAI) that "helps educate American children about the world to show them they can make a difference one penny at a time." The program focuses on raising cross-cultural awareness through education to promote peace.
Pennies for Peace was originally founded in 1995 as “Pennies for Pakistan” The founders were two elementary school teachers, Susy Eisele and Sandy Heikkila, of the Westside Elementary School of River Falls, Wisconsin
USA. They had been inspired by a talk given by Greg Mortenson
on the harsh conditions he witnessed for children in Korphe
Pakistan. The original effort raised $620 in pennies which helped pay for materials to build a school in Korphe. The program was awarded the 1997 Richard Lewandowski Memorial Award for Humanitarian Activities. This award was presented to Westside Elementary by the Wisconsin Education Association Council
Pennies for Peace in its current form was launched by CAI executive director Greg Mortenson
to help broaden the horizons of youth in the developed world, and teach them about their capacities to be philanthropists by raising funds to cover the soft costs of building schools (paper, pencils, books, uniforms, desks, etc.) in remote, northern Pakistan
and Afghanistan
. Mortenson is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea
.
The idea behind the Pennies for Peace program is that in the developed world, "a penny is pretty much worthless, but in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan a penny can buy a lot. With one single penny, schools can buy a student a pencil. With a pencil, the student can become literate and educated." Mortenson believes one can promote peace through education, especially the education of girls, because: "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a community."
Pennies for Peace is based in Bozeman, Montana
, and as of November 2009, had raised over thirty million pennies since its inception in 1994. Pennies for Peace is registered in over 4,800 schools in USA and about twenty countries internationally.
Central Asia Institute
The Central Asia Institute is an American non-profit organization, co-founded by Greg Mortenson and Jean Hoerni and based in Bozeman, Montana...
(CAI) that "helps educate American children about the world to show them they can make a difference one penny at a time." The program focuses on raising cross-cultural awareness through education to promote peace.
Pennies for Peace was originally founded in 1995 as “Pennies for Pakistan” The founders were two elementary school teachers, Susy Eisele and Sandy Heikkila, of the Westside Elementary School of River Falls, Wisconsin
River Falls, Wisconsin
River Falls is a city in Pierce and St. Croix counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 15,000 at the 2010 census, making it the second largest city in the Twin Cities Wisconsin suburbs, which is the eighth largest metropolitan area in the state...
USA. They had been inspired by a talk given by Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson, SPk is an American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer. He is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute as well as the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace...
on the harsh conditions he witnessed for children in Korphe
Korphe
Korphe is a small subsistence farming village in northeastern Pakistan, situated at the foot of the Karakorum mountain range along the banks of the Braldu River....
Pakistan. The original effort raised $620 in pennies which helped pay for materials to build a school in Korphe. The program was awarded the 1997 Richard Lewandowski Memorial Award for Humanitarian Activities. This award was presented to Westside Elementary by the Wisconsin Education Association Council
Wisconsin Education Association Council
The Wisconsin Education Association Council is an education union representing the public policy, labor and professional interests of its members. It is affiliated with the National Education Association. Its headquarters are located in Madison, Wisconsin.-History:WEAC began as a statewide...
Pennies for Peace in its current form was launched by CAI executive director Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson
Greg Mortenson, SPk is an American humanitarian, professional speaker, writer, and former mountaineer. He is the co-founder and executive director of the non-profit Central Asia Institute as well as the founder of the educational charity Pennies for Peace...
to help broaden the horizons of youth in the developed world, and teach them about their capacities to be philanthropists by raising funds to cover the soft costs of building schools (paper, pencils, books, uniforms, desks, etc.) in remote, northern Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Mortenson is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea
Three Cups of Tea
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time is a book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin published by Penguin in 2006. For four years, the book remained on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller's list...
.
The idea behind the Pennies for Peace program is that in the developed world, "a penny is pretty much worthless, but in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan a penny can buy a lot. With one single penny, schools can buy a student a pencil. With a pencil, the student can become literate and educated." Mortenson believes one can promote peace through education, especially the education of girls, because: "If you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a community."
Pennies for Peace is based in Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
, and as of November 2009, had raised over thirty million pennies since its inception in 1994. Pennies for Peace is registered in over 4,800 schools in USA and about twenty countries internationally.
External links
- Pennies for Peace - official site
- Three Cups of Tea - official site
- Central Asia Institute
- Pennies for Peace: The Story
- Pennies for Pakistan 3rd grade video