Seven years ago, my Semester at Sea Spring 2005 classmate Adam Braun set sail around the world. That trip changed his life and was also the impetus for change in the lives of hundreds of others. According to Adam, on one of our stops, he reached into his bag, gave a child a pencil and saw a wave of possibility wash over him. After years of travel it became clear, these small wooden pieces of potential were able to provide power and enrich the lives of those who received them.

Adam founded Pencils of Promise in October of 2008 with just $25 dollars and the hope of building one school. Four years later, the PoP team has built 44 throughout Laos, Nicaragua and Guatemala. Nineteen more are currently on the way and ten more are scheduled to begin in the next year. The Pencils of Promise approach is simple but effective. It starts with the identification of build sites, local support, an investment into local talent and the implementation of education. To monitor progress local teams are on the ground closely paying attention to each school and monitoring and adapting to the needs of the children in them.

photo by pencilsofpromise.org

While Adam and his team have the formula to building successful homes of education in areas of need, they can not complete their vision without your help. Twenty-five dollars was just the beginning of a dream but changing the world, one school at a time, takes much more than that. To directly impact the life of a child in need, donate to the cause by clicking here. One-hundred percent of all funds donated and raised go directly towards funding build projects. Zero percent go towards covering Pencils of Promise overhead.

photo by pencilsofpromise.org

More information on Pencils of Promise can be found on the organization’s official site, www.pencilsofpromise.org.