Started in 1988, iEARN is the world's largest nonprofit global network that enables teachers and young people to use the Internet and other new technologies to collaborate on projects that both enhance learning and make a difference in the world.

iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is a nonprofit organization made up of over 20,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 115 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 1,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide.

The Good Deeds Project

Doing good deeds is a pretty noble act that good people usually seek to achieve. This is something that we can recognize especially among young children, with their innocent nature and their high sensitivity. They usually do such good deeds without expectations of any outcomes or rewards except seeing a peaceful trusted smile on the face of others, and what a great reward it is.

By living in this selfish materialistic world, we find it very important to support and encourage good deeds, good human values, encourage our children to follow similar deeds, and show them how important and valuable these deeds are, even the simplest of it.

They should realize that these acts are what could build a healthy cooperative, peaceful, and merciful society which will embody and empower certain great values such as the values of beauty, noble hood, courage, sacrifice, and brotherhood in a positive and practical manner among humans.

In this project, students can do a lot of free cooperative learning activities and then present it on different synchronous and asynchronous online facilities in the forms of short stories, essays, free writing, summaries, drawing, flash cards, thoughts, and questions. They will try to elaborate on the ways and the motives behind it in addition to the expected results and advantages on both the individuals and the whole community. The project also aims to encourage the “personal reflection” among students where they can reflect on their own deeds towards other people, things, and creatures in their environment and be active members who are able to serve their community and country in a positive and dynamic way.

There are many many other projects such as:

Books Mark the World — A bookmark exchange between children all over the world.

The Art Miles — Students create murals to establish the Guinness Book of World Records for the Longest Children’s Mural in the World (3 miles).

Eye To Eye Project — A project that sponsors the creation of postcard sized images to an online gallery which is dedicated to the ideals of friendship and understanding through visual communication.

First Peoples Project — Links indigenous students around the world in an exchange of art, writing and culture Global Art: Images of Caring — Students create and exchange artwork and writing on “a sense of caring.”

International Sign Language — A project to speak about sign language in different countries and collect the words and make a website for international sign language in different languages.

Let’s Live Without Problems — Sharing problems together and giving advice to each other.

Talking Kites All Over the World — A tradition of flying kites with personal and group images of our dreams for a better world, a world of co-existence, tolerance, acceptance of the “other,” and peace.

Additional information is available at www.iearn.org.

Reprinted with permission.