Simple Words

… what the younger generation is thinking … (about things that matter)

the importance of words

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names.

- ancient Chinese proverb

Simple Words: The book

Rabbi Steinsaltz challenges the reader to consider anew several core human concepts: nature, good, spirit and matter, faith, good deeds, sex, death, envy, masks, friends, family, love, and God....

Simple Words: The project

naturegood

faith

partnernature

friends

family

love

God

war

peace

An essay contest to encourage middle and high school students age 10-17in Russia and around the world to reflect upon and express in writing their comprehension of simple words and concepts which have – for each student – personal meaning and motivational power

The Contest is also designed to help teachers improve the teaching-learning process by employing the practical moral principles encapsulated in simple and common words, essential to all people worldwide

The project is predicated on the belief that there is real significance in encouraging and rewarding (and listening to) young people’s thoughts and beliefs – and – in conducting research into how teaching and learning about simple words can be helpful to young people worldwide and contribute to their future success

First Stage …• Launch through Junior

Achievement Regional Network in Russia in January, 2002

• First stage goal: 25,000 children participants

Prepare and distribute Essay Contest kits to organizers and teachers

Train JA Russia regional directors in Moscow

Teachers conduct contests in classrooms

First Stage (continued)…

• JA Russia will organize review of essays

10 award winners in Moscow in May, 2002

Awards: publication of best essays (in print and on www); prizes; scholarships; travel to award ceremonies

Recognition of sponsors, teachers, organizers

Krasnoyarsky RCKrasnoyarsky RCMagnitogorsky RCMagnitogorsky RCMoskovsky RC Moskovsky RC

Nizhegorodsky RCNizhegorodsky RCNorilsky RCNorilsky RCNovgorodsk RCNovgorodsk RCNovorossijsky RCNovorossijsky RCNovosibirsky RCNovosibirsky RCPermsky RCPermsky RCPrimorsky RCPrimorsky RC Pskovsky RCPskovsky RC Ryazansky RCRyazansky RC Sakhalinsky RCSakhalinsky RC Samarsky RCSamarsky RC

Angarsky RCAngarsky RCBashkirsky RCBashkirsky RCBelgorodsky RCBelgorodsky RCChuvashsky RCChuvashsky RCEkaterinburgsky RCEkaterinburgsky RCIvanovsky RCIvanovsky RCKazansky RCKazansky RCKemerovsky RCKemerovsky RCKhabarovsky RCKhabarovsky RCKhakassky RCKhakassky RCKhibinsky RCKhibinsky RCKirovsky RCKirovsky RCKomi RCKomi RCKostromskoj RCKostromskoj RC

Vladimirsky RCVladimirsky RCVolgogradsky RCVolgogradsky RCVologodsky RCVologodsky RCVoronezhsky RCVoronezhsky RCVyksunsky RCVyksunsky RCYaroslavsky RC Yaroslavsky RC Nizhny Tagil RCNizhny Tagil RC

Saratovsky RCSaratovsky RCSt. Peterburgsky RSt. Peterburgsky RStavropolsky RCStavropolsky RCTchukotsky RCTchukotsky RCTulsky RCTulsky RCUdmurtsky RCUdmurtsky RCVladikavkazsky RCVladikavkazsky RC

32 Regional Center

17 Education Programs

10,000 Trained Teachers

1,700,000 Students Educated

362,000 Students educated in 2000-2001 year

Junior Achievement Russia

Second Stage …• Publicize and extend network of

sponsors, teachers, researchers, schools

• Expand essay contest to include USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, other countries; encourage cross-cultural exchange

• Create web-based method for managing multi-lingual submissions and distributed international evaluation of essays

• Create database for managing demographic information and descriptive metadata about essays

Project Development

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

10,000,000

100,000,000

1,000,000,000

2001-11 2002-05 2003-07 2004-07 2005-07 2010-07

Initial contest. 25,000 Russian children

100,000 Russian children; 30,000 US, 30,000 Canadian, 30,000 Japanese

1,000,000 children - Russian, English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese

10,000,000 children; 100 languages; Special exhibit unveiled at World Exposition in Japan

1,000,000,000 children; all world languages; Special exhibit unveiled at World Exposition in Moscow

Children

Demographic/Essay Content Analysis

Program will feature collection of privatized demographic information

Evaluation of essays will enable assignment of descriptive metadata to “objectivize” content

System will feature ability to analyze metadata and demographic information to see how today’s children see tomorrow’s world

Demographic AnalysisRussian Children Age 14 Choosing “Peace” as TopicRussian Children Age 14 Choosing “Peace” as Topic

Demographic Analysis

Japanese Children Age 12 Japanese Children Age 12 Choosing “Business” as TopicChoosing “Business” as Topic

Summary

Project has begun; first essay winners to be announced in Moscow May, 2002

US, Canadian, Japanese expansion begins winter, 2002

New web-site, analysis tools available in winter 2002

Help children world-wide expand their horizons and thinking by participation