Smrt Lernins

This summer, we will be hosting a Pennies for Peace program from our home. We already run a small co-op on Tuesdays, so making the leap to a one week (with at least one follow-up at the end of summer) “summer camp” seems like a totally manageable idea.

Pennies for Peace is was founded by Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, as well as being the co-founded and executive director of the Central Asia Institute, which builds schools for schools for children in regions that have no schools and few resources. Most significantly, the Central Asia Institute builds schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including areas where women have been deprived of education for decades. Says Mortenson, “If you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

The Central Asia Institute has provided educational alternatives to the violence-fueling extremist madrassas that currently pepper that region of the world. By educating girls and young women, the CAI is contributing to improving overall quality of living and health in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most importantly, the CAI’s projects help empower communities to empower themselves and seek additional educational opportunities. I can’t say enough wonderful things about CAI or Greg Mortenson.

Pennies for Peace is a program developed for school-aged children with the goal if helping them “broaden their cultural horizons and learn about their capacities as philanthropists.” Students in the Pennies for Peace program learn about Pakistan and Afghanistan and reach out to their community through the philanthropic task of raising pennies to purchase pencils and other school supplies for impoverished school children. One penny, which buys nothing in the United States, buys a pencil in Afghanistan. This most insignificant of coins can be a pathway to something incredibly significant, a powerful metaphor for even the smallest among us can make a powerful impact and be a part of remarkable change.

If you’re an Atlanta-area homeschooler, please start spreading the news of our Pennies for Peace program. We’re calling our group “Peace Begins at Home — Georgia Homeschoolers Raising Pennies for Peace.” We’ll host both a K-4th group and a 4th-8th group. The K-4th group will read Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea, learn about their community, cultural diversity, about Afghanistan and Pakistan. The 4th-8th group will read Three Cups of Tea, compare our culture with those in Central Asia, and learn how to be effective global citizens. All students will learn ways to raise pennies for donation to Pennies for Peace. They’ll spend the summer raising pennies and we will reconvene in August to pool our pennies and make our donation.

If you’re interested in being a part of Peace Begins at Home, please email me at smrtmama@smrtlernins.com. We’ll have limited space, so it’s first come, first serve. While Pennies for Peace is a secular program, Peace Begins at Home welcomes students from all walks of life (though please be willing and able to respect the religious beliefs of others and those held by the cultures we will be studying).

Our anticipated dates at this point are May 24-28, with a follow-up date some time in August, though this is subject to change. Please feel free to email with any questions!