Design for Change spreads the contagion

News from around the globe:

Ireland site is now 'live' -with great lesson plans on how to implement DFC in the schools.  Niall from Acts of Random Kindness are our partners in Ireland.

Mexico - Victor our partner in Mexico has confirmed that 10,000 schools will be participating in DFC. They have confirmed CEDIM (http://www.cedim.edu.mx/) as the Design institution which will support the project.

Brazil: The DFC Brazil site is up! Check out their first story - http://www.designforchangecontest.com/index.aspx?Country=25 

Bhutan sends in their first story - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyYN9zoJ4Aw on how the children from the Early Learning Centre solved the problem of 'plastic packed food'.  The children also presented the contest at the Principal's meeting.

Australia: - Chantelle and Dave have found a partner that will print the toolkits for free and Dave is approaching the CEO of World Vision, the largest NGO.

Finland - Pavan presented DFC at UNICEF finland and they have signed on as official partners! They are organizing an event for all school teachers around Finland on 12th & 13th September and they will create a kickoff talk for DFC Finland. The prize distribution has been fixed at the TEDx Youth festival on Nov. 20.  Way to go Finland - please read about their 2 stories on their site.

Japan - Chuck and Lowell are making waves - working through HOPE International to spread the word.  Cengage publishing has become a sponsor. They will hold a charity gala event at JALT (Japan Association of Language Teachers) Conference in Japan in November and the theme of the evening --- DESIGN FOR CHANGE! Chuck presented DFC at TEDx Tokyo and at the IB CASS director at Nagoya International School.  Chuck will be presenting a talk at the ECAP conference, a conference sponsored by the Daily Yomiuri, in Tokyo on Sunday May 30th and at the TEDx Tokyo Youth on June 19th.

Thailand - Bruce our partner is on a roll - talks are on with Pepsico, Fedex and the Marinda Corporation.  Also on the anvil is the link into the Boy Scout programme to make DFC a national prog in Thailand - wishing him luck.

Sri Lanka - Mihirini and our ICAN Sri Lanka group have set the ball rolling with DFC with the Form 4 students of AIS school, with 3 more on the way!  Kudos and looking forward to their site going live soon.

Philippines - Juanita has been working with her 2nd graders on the 'community garden' - their first DFC story - more on the site.  more coming from Philippines soon.

New Zealand - Chris is about to climb Mt Fuji from 10th to 14th june as a way to promote DFC. We wish him the best. DFC New Zealand will launch DFC on 20th July (Sir Edmund Hillary's birthday) and the prize distribution is planned for 15th Oct.