The Other Green (Philanthropy and Entrepreneurship)

    Students at the University of Oregon presented plans to sell inexpensive stoves in India and other developing countries at the annual Engineers in Technical Opportunities of Service (ETHOS) Conference.  Students from the International Business and Economics Club (IBEC) presented investors with plans to sell the stoves to developing nations, bringing them new technology and improving the quality of indoor air by reducing the carbon monoxide and particle matter emissions that occur with lesser-quality stoves. The students hope to attract the interest of major investor-ph

  Students from around the world gathered at Northwestern University last weekend for the second International Youth Volunteerism Summit. Attendees discussed ways to develop their ideas for workable nonprofit programs. For-profit student ventures also considered how to make a positive impact on the world at the University of Washington Business School’s third annual Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC). Teams compete with environmentally conscious business ideas to help combat global poverty; they’re judged on (1) impact on the quality of life in the developing world, (2)

  Two Pepperdine students recently traveled to Argentina where they spent time living in impoverished communities. Realizing how hard it was for lower-income families to secure loans and maintain businesses, the students decided to begin selling Mate, the national drink of Argentina, in the U.S. to raise money to create micro-loans for underprivileged Argentineans. Read more from Pepperdine

  Student members of Arizona State University's chapter of FACE AIDS are raising money to fight the AIDS epidemic in Africa by selling beaded pins handmade by Africans afflicted with the disease.  Last year, the national organization raised more than $500,000. 2/7/07  Read More from Arizona State

  One hundred student groups across the country have been awarded $10,000 prizes to implement their plans for promoting peace. Three freshmen at Trinity College won a Davis Projects for Peace Award for their "Community Approach to Solar Lighting" project; Vinit Agrawal, Matthew Phinney, and Michael Pierce won for their plan to install solar tukis (meaning lamps in Nepali) in rural parts of Nepal. 3/27/07 

  Students in Northampton, MA have a new fair-trade clothing store thanks to Constanza Ontaneda, a Cornell sophomore studying fiber science and apparel design. Ontaneda, a vegan animal rights activist/ philanthropist/ volunteer, has lived most of her life in Peru and is well acquainted with the living and working conditions of many Peruvian women—as well as with their artistic talents. She and her family started the clothing store C.S.O.R.K. as an ecologically friendly fair-trade project. Ontaneda works with the women who produce her clothing designs to showcase their talents and Peruv

Students at Iowa State University have organized their second annual Political Action Week – a week devoted to speeches, debates and opportunities to take action on campus.  It being caucus season in Iowa, at least two presidential candidates are scheduled to appear.

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  Multi-billionaire couple Bill and Melinda Gates unveiled yet another huge push for education improvement with the help of their substantial resources. They plan to put their money into four distinct areas, with this latest charitable endeavor focusing on helping students to graduate high school and easily access and complete community college.  The four phases of this big spend include promoting shifts in federal financial aid policies, offering student incentives, building partnerships with local employers and improving remedial non traditional education. The Gates’ stated thei