6.9 billion people.

2.7 billion live on less than two dollars a day.

69 million have a college education

1.6 billion have no access to clean water

     These numbers are not understandable to us. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to comprehend numbers this high. With that difficulty comes a distance, a lack of empathy, and the subsequent of dismissal of most of us. What could we possibly do to help a global issue that large? How could we possibly make a dent in those numbers? If someone were to boil all of this information down to a more manageable number, to create an understandable framework for these issues, maybe then we could build some understanding. The 100 People Foundation did exactly that, creating a statistically representative group of 100 people that is the globe writ small; the 100 People Project.

100 people.

39 live on less than two dollars a day

1 has a college education

24 have no access to clean water

     Suddenly we are able now to make sense of the numbers and understand the size and scope of the issues that face our world. The 100 People project is also an attempt to build cultural and social awareness on a global scale; to understand the global community and the things that impact it. This is where the project takes on special meaning for educators. The 100 People Project is an ongoing effort by the foundation to create a representative collection of 100 real people from around the globe nominated by students in local schools and organizations. In this way kids get out into their communities and learn more about those individuals that exhibit the best qualities. They also, then, upload their nominations tot eh 100 People Project and are able to represent their region in a positive, humanitarian global network.

     The website, 100 People Project, contains lesson plans and materials to assist teachers in educating their students about the project, global communities, and the big issues that face them. My own students have just recently begun the process of nominating a community representative, and are researching and reporting on various large-scale global issues. The multimedia materials to help students to understand the scope and interconnectedness of these various issues are great. Not only that, but there are several “pet initiatives” by the 100 People Foundation including water-treatment and solar energy that are also available for educators.

     So far my students are incredibly excited about doing this project, and my school administrators have also jumped on board.  Each student is going to nominate a local community representative by interviewing that person, writing a profile about the person, and submitting their picture. We’re going to post all 50 of these profiles with photos in the school and to the school website, which administrators like because it encourages community interaction in the school. We’re then going to vote on the representative that we want to upload to the 100 People Project. At the same time their developing “concept map” of a global issue of their choosing (energy, water, food, health, transportation, etc.) and they’re going to present that findings in class. When everyone is finished the concept maps should connect together fairly well, given the interconnectedness of these very broad global issues.

     Even if you aren’t interested in the educational materials and projects available on the 100 People Project website, just visiting and scrolling through the various videos and media is eye-opening. Once the complexities of our planet are winnowed down to an essential 100 people, and the problems that face those people, our world seems more understandable, even fixable. To children, who often don’t have the broad perspective yet, this can be an incredibly useful tool in making the world, its people, and its challenges more accessible. It’s the first step in a long process of creating socially-conscious, and active people in the future.

Photo from 100people.org