Posted: 28 Oct 2013 03:08 AM PDT
Wishbone allowed Eighty kids got to attend academic summer camps and after-school programs this year. Now, the education crowdfunding platform has begun to allow children in need in the NYC and the Bay Area to apply for assistance. The non-profit startup has spent the last year increasing its fundraising and impact fulfilment components. Now Wishbone is ready to redefine and scale the scholarship arena.
Wishbone allows donors to browse profiles of kids and the programs they want to focus on. People can choose to fund a specific child, or let Wishbone allocate the funds. Further down the line, donors receive information about the progress of the kids they have sponsored. Wishbone’s goal is to narrow the opportunity gap between low and high income families. Statistics show that richer families spend 10x more on out of school programs as less fortunate families. Wishbone harnesses the power of the crowd to even out the playing field. Wishbone is about the stories of disadvantaged children who receive funding for an academic program, begin to realize their passion, and stay engaged with their education. This is the foundation of long term success. Every one of the 80 kids Wishbone put up for funding this year received the money they needed.
An example is Gabriella. She is from a low income family but she is a high-performing high school student from Astoria, New York. She had volunteered at a local hospital and thus discovered she wanted to train to become a doctor. Wishbone set up a profile for her and 13 donors paid to send her to Georgetown’s Summer Medical Institute program. She then excelled and found a professor to mentor her who subsequently recommended her to the admissions office. From there she received a scholarship. Now she’s attending Georgetown University for college as a pre med and is, as expected, excelling in her field of study.
To educate our progeny beyond the standard classroom environment is crucial to helping children discover their passion and thereby fight academic exhaustion. Engaged students turn into productive, happy, healthy members of society. They spur innovation, or at least receive higher paying employment, which then helps to contribute taxes and buying power to the economy. We need to show children that education is the road to fulfilment.
Beth Schmidt is the founder and the only full-time employee of Wishbone said “We’ve found that Wishbone students are understanding and pursuing their passions. Interest in school and extracurriculars is going way up.” Apparently the kids love it too. A study has shown their Grade Point Average goes up, and they say they are better able to manage time, express themselves and are more interested in school. One such student said:
“The support from the Wishbone community has shown me that there are other people that believe in me and my interests…This program has showed me who I can become and offered me useful resources. I am so grateful and thankful for the Wishbone community.”
The startup is now working on business development and is seeking discounted tuitions and free spots from program providers and corporations in exchange for spreading awareness of the program. Wishbone will also provide new tools to help children and teachers discover local programs that tailor to the student’s interests. People who are searching for deserving organizations to give their money to can also purchase gift cards for friends that allow them to select a child to support. This step is crucial as Wishbone is in competition with other non profit organizations such as Watsi.
[Image via: designdelight]
The post Wishbone: Education Crowdfunded appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 28 Oct 2013 03:00 AM PDT
Apple’s iPad latest event may still have the critics in their nitpicking mode, but there is a LOT to be happy about – not the least of which is the fact that the newest OS, Mavericks, is available as a free upgrade. For Mac users who may not have been too excited about upgrading to the latest Mac OS, this free upgrade makes the switch a no brainer.
It is common knowledge that the personal computing industry has always made money out of OS software. This definitely includes upgrading to the latest OS. Whether its Mac or Windows you’re talking about, money is always involved. No doubt, Apple has rocked the boat with this move to FREE.
As Apple’s SVP Craig Federighi said, though, “Free is good.”
It certainly is good for us users and for Apple, but not everyone is going to benefit from the turn of events – specifically Windows.
To start off, it’s hard to fight against free, and if that free thing is actually good (which in this case it is), then the competition has its work cut out. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is thinking of purchasing a new computer, whether as an individual or as a representative of a business entity.
If you do a cost analysis comparing the costs of getting a Mac and a PC, looking at the long-term would put the former on top. Of course, the initial cost will still be higher, but with the current OS pricing models – free versus having to pay for upgrades – then Windows gets the short end of the stick.
Then comes the issue of fragmentation. It is expensive to upgrade Windows, so users are spread out over the different versions. This means developers have to deal with the numerous OS versions.
Last, we cannot ignore the fact that iLife and iWork are now free. Okay, I am the first one to admit that Microsoft Excel is still much better than Numbers, but Apple making its productivity suite free is huge – especially compared with the almost hundred dollar price tag (per year!) on Office 365.
Would you be enticed to switch to Mac because of these developments?
[Image via Apple]
The post How Apple’s Mavericks Hurts Windows appeared first on TechBeat.
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Posted: 28 Oct 2013 02:00 AM PDT
Facebook has just rolled out the ability to edit comments and posts from within its iOS app, available for iPhone only. (Sorry iPad and iPod touch users). The feature has already rolled out to Android devices and the Web.
The update allows you to view the edit history, maybe to alter what has changed since you first posted the message. Or to ensure that no one else has hijacked your phone and your account, though the new “Edited” tag on any post will serve as a reminder. Facebook has taken another step toward privacy, with a lock icon next to your name in the navigation menu. If you click it, you find privacy shortcuts to frequently asked questions and other settings.
Facebook iOS App Gets Post & Comment Editing
All iOS device users can also take advantage of the freshly added photo comments function, which initially rolled out online in back in July. It provides users with the option to reply to a status update with an image. Facebook also now allows members to express themselves with icons when posting to someone’s timeline e.g. “Penny is feeling sick” or “Penny is listening to The Blues Brothers,” in the same manner you can, to accompany your own status updates. It has been reported that Facebook has thrown Trending Topics into the mix, though my iOS 7 update doesn’t seem to include what may be only a networking test. Those users who have received the feature, according to the tech blog, will find a list of 10 popular terms, each of which, when tapped, reveal a feed of posts that mention them. Facebook began to share “what’s hot” on the World Wide Web in late August. The updated Facebook app is currently available for free download in the Apple iTunes Store.
[Image via: mirineta]
The post Facebook iOS App Gets Post & Comment Editing appeared first on TechBeat.
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Tuesday 29 October 2013
Wishbone: Education Crowdfunded
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