Design4Kids is a volunteer-based community of creative professionals who share their area of design expertise with teens in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. Volunteers come from a variety of professional design backgrounds, including graphic design, photography, marketing, fine art, web development, writing, animation and illustration.

Volunteers for Design4Kids provides week-long workshops where teens learn how to establish a successful design business. The organization works with a non-profit called Fotokids, which is working to end the cycle of poverty for some of Central America's poorest children. Fotokids is an after school program that teaches art techniques to participating students.   Read more...

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For the past ten years, Luis Soriano, a teacher in the small town of La Gloria, Colombia, has been following the same ritual. Every week-end, he gathers his donkey in front of his house, straps on the “Biblioburro” pouches to its back, and loads them with a selection of books from the eclectic collection he has acquired over the years.

Off on his mobile library, he travels into the hills and through the fields to the villages beyond where children await his visits impatiently. He firmly believes that bringing books to people who don’t have access to them can improve the country and open up possibilities for the future generation of Colombia.

Check out a short film about Luis' work by clicking here.

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You know the old joke... how many (fill in the blank) does it take to change a light bulb? Well, the real question is: How many people does it take to clean up a broken CFL.

Be extra diligent with the Compact Florescent Lamp light bulbs. Yes, they use 75% less energy than the incandescent light bulb and come in all sizes and shapes now. But be cautioned, there is an unseen cost. The CFLs require special care in handling when inserting into the socket and then extreme careful removal when broken.   Read more...

As the nonprofit sector adjusts to a rough economy, more groups are turning to Grassroots.org for solutions. Membership has nearly tripled in the last eleven months for the organization, which gives 501(c)3 groups free technology tools, including web building, web design, graphic design, language translation, and SEO consultation, among other resources.

In Sept. 2008, only 680 organizations used Grassroots.org services. In less than one year, membership has spiked to nearly 2,000 nonprofits, and Grassroots.org has given 501(c)3 groups $1,117,671 worth of technology tools.   Read more...

In general, being an architect has little bearing on one's quality as a musician, but in Moscow, that's a different story. All students of architecture there are required to study music as well, so architects are professionally trained musicians as well. Peter Nalitch and some of his fellow students at the Moscow school of architecture started a cover band some years ago.

At first they merely emulated personal musical heroes like Deep Purple, but as time passed they expanded their musical horizon with reggae, rap, country, belcanto and even Bach. Demos sent out to record companies and radio stations yielded no response whatsoever, but all of that changed when the band put some self-produced music videos on YouTube. The song "Gitar" with its Boratesque lyrics and absurdism especially became a cult hit and transformed the band into an overnight sensation.   Read more...

Farmers’ markets have gone presidential in the United States. On September 17th, 2009, a FreshFarm Market will open by the White House in Washington, D.C.-- just weeks after President Barack Obama wished for a market during his national forum on health care.

This is a remarkable achievement in the recent history of the return of the farmers markets. In 1994, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized 1,755 fresh produce markets across the United States. Now, there are more than 4,685. The growth has been slow and steady, and is now a recognized benefit for farmers, consumers and ultimately the health of the community.   Read more...

Way Basics is yet another conscious business that is proving with commitment and ingenuity our furniture industry can be transformed from an unconscious consumer to a partner in global health.

After ten years of dedication, Way Basics perfected their innovative zBoards that replace the standard, wood-based particle boards with boards made of 99% post-consumer paper. These boards are 60% lighter than their wooden counterparts and are 100% recyclable. They require no tools and are easily assembled into custom bookcases, desks, beds and chairs with industrial strength two sided tape.   Read more...