Simple Words … what the younger generation is thinking … (about things that matter)

the importance of words The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names. - ancient Chinese proverb

Simple Words: The book Rabbi Steinsaltz challenges the reader to consider anew several core human concepts: nature, good, spirit and matter, faith, good deeds, sex, death, envy, masks, friends, family, love, and God....

Simple Words: The project nature good faith partnernature friends family love God war peace An essay contest to encourage middle and high school students age 10-17in Russia and around the world to reflect upon and express in writing their comprehension of simple words and concepts which have – for each student – personal meaning and motivational power The Contest is also designed to help teachers improve the teaching-learning process by employing the practical moral principles encapsulated in simple and common words, essential to all people worldwide The project is predicated on the belief that there is real significance in encouraging and rewarding (and listening to) young peoples thoughts and beliefs – and – in conducting research into how teaching and learning about simple words can be helpful to young people worldwide and contribute to their future success

First Stage … Launch through Junior Achievement Regional Network in Russia in January, 2002 First stage goal: 25,000 children participants l Prepare and distribute Essay Contest kits to organizers and teachers l Train JA Russia regional directors in Moscow l Teachers conduct contests in classrooms

First Stage (continued)… JA Russia will organize review of essays l 10 award winners in Moscow in May, 2002 l Awards: publication of best essays (in print and on www); prizes; scholarships; travel to award ceremonies l Recognition of sponsors, teachers, organizers

Krasnoyarsky RC Magnitogorsky RC Moskovsky RC Nizhegorodsky RC Norilsky RC Novgorodsk RC Novorossijsky RC Novosibirsky RC Permsky RC Primorsky RC Pskovsky RC Pskovsky RC Ryazansky RC Ryazansky RC Sakhalinsky RC Sakhalinsky RC Samarsky RC Samarsky RC Angarsky RC Bashkirsky RC Belgorodsky RC Chuvashsky RC Ekaterinburgsky RC Ivanovsky RC Kazansky RC Kemerovsky RC Khabarovsky RC Khakassky RC Khibinsky RC Kirovsky RC Komi RC Kostromskoj RC Vladimirsky RC Volgogradsky RC Vologodsky RC Voronezhsky RC Vyksunsky RC Yaroslavsky RC Nizhny Tagil RC Saratovsky RC St. Peterburgsky R Stavropolsky RC Tchukotsky RC Tulsky RC Udmurtsky RC Vladikavkazsky RC 32 Regional Center 17 Education Programs 10,000 Trained Teachers 1,700,000 Students Educated 362,000 Students educated in year Junior Achievement Russia

Second Stage … Publicize and extend network of sponsors, teachers, researchers, schools Expand essay contest to include USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, other countries; encourage cross-cultural exchange Create web-based method for managing multi-lingual submissions and distributed international evaluation of essays Create database for managing demographic information and descriptive metadata about essays

Project Development

Demographic/Essay Content Analysis l Program will feature collection of privatized demographic information l Evaluation of essays will enable assignment of descriptive metadata to objectivize content l System will feature ability to analyze metadata and demographic information to see how todays children see tomorrows world

Demographic Analysis Russian Children Age 14 Choosing Peace as Topic

Demographic Analysis Japanese Children Age 12 Choosing Business as Topic

Summary l Project has begun; first essay winners to be announced in Moscow May, 2002 l US, Canadian, Japanese expansion begins winter, 2002 l New web-site, analysis tools available in winter 2002 l Help children world-wide expand their horizons and thinking by participation