my idea for Google's 10 to the 100 Project

Your idea's name: (maximum 50 characters)

University of Self Education

What one sentence best describes your idea? (maximum 150 characters)

Use what you know and learn as you grow.

Describe your idea in more depth. (maximum 300 words)

Provide tangible ability for healthy development of life in all regions of the world. Make use of idle resources like STARS in Ravena, NY has. People want better life and better education; create this system that the majority of the world can recognize with confidence and support, while any individual, group or community can make entire use of. Bring recognition to easily understood ways to care for and share life; like Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Children First by Penelope Leach, and The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Simple yet defining. The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard provides another example, shedding light on how society is played and plagued. Think of YouTube devoted to recorded teachings, where playlists become courses of study - redefined as paths into careers and life, such as parenting. Life lessons prominent and available for all. People registered, with courses taken historized, providing credit to their teachers. The further that person develops in life, the more credit given (automatically with databases) to the teachers and any schooled sessions. People's career paths, if permitted, seen by the world to learn from. Social and political aspects highlighted, with reforms and revolutions - important events in history - available for understanding and learning. Too often, bad history repeats when knowledge of past events is not known; at large scale, within families, or individually. Why do people have to keep making the same mistakes? Learnings from each lifetime may not be encoded into our DNA, but people shouldn't have to experience so many of them again and again. Unfortunate for the world when parents don't know how to be, or are not confident in being, wonderfully parental.

What problem or issue does your idea address? (maximum 150 words)

Too many people don't know how to care for life, nor reasons for bothering. Too many people cannot see how life could be, outside of their surroundings of youth or later years, and if they have ideas of what could be or what they might like to try, the path is not clearly visible. Too many fears, distractions, and confusion in the way, with lack of funds as well. People need confidence, comfort, and direction for what life could be. Human will and understanding, from the starting point of childhood especially, needs to be encouraged and developed. All other problems in life stem from there. A commercial showing benefits of using energy efficient light bulbs may enlighten a few, but the vast majority doesn't care. Small example, but apply it to everything. Give people knowledge so they cannot disregard life.

If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how? (maximum 150 words)

All of this world would benefit in ways greater than anything else could reach. Child development, human spirit, life on earth. Would other improvements in life do enough to truly make life better and steer humanity on a better course of civilization? Greed, selfishness, discomfort in life and so many similar unfortunate qualities I think might continue growing, no matter how great other developments may be. Let's say there becomes a free, non-polluting, reusable source of energy and the world's energy crisis is solved. That would certainly make life a whole lot easier and more affordable for everyone, just as so many other inventions have in our history, yet how much of life as a whole has been getting better, and how much has been getting worse? I see a drastic divide in quality of life on this earth, and that needs to change.

What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground? (maximum 150 words)

A solid base must be created with structured plans of development and ways to use, originating from a source such as www.use.edu that people and organizations can access in every possible way needed. Organizations from around the world could take part in this, but I imagine a great deal of initial planning could be done by select few in order to keep tighter focus on everything. Use of funds, goals, outreach, and as much as possible should be made public. The more people can understand and see how everything works, the better. What is there to hide when every means is good? The academic platform must be properly accredited with all sanctions of government standards, at least up to the college or university level. Similar to homeschooling but more interchangeable. More free laptops, with a free internet dedicated exclusively to educational resources.

Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented. How would you measure it? (maximum 150 words)

Better life for everyone and everything, in every aspect. Small, local schools with better student to teacher ratios; happier, better teachers, extremely more efficient educational systems. There is no excuse not to learn if quality education is free and easily accessible. Any person curious to know more then could, with nothing holding them back. If career paths can be seen and completely comprehended with a few clicks online, the future of what life could be is incredibly easier to believe and aim for. Any person wondering why life around them is the way it is could see differently and decide how to change, if there is an ounce of doubt inside them that things are not as they should be. I think strongly of neglected children and oppressed cultures in that regard. I would measure this with stats by Hans Rosling.

If you'd like to recommend a specific organization, or the ideal type of organization, to execute your plan, please do so here. (maximum 50 words)

Maybe Transition Network or Rotary International could help, especially with local chapters. Berkshire Farm and endless other organizations could utilize what is created; that's part of the beauty. A worldwide organization for education and improvement of life; extremely focused and refined, yet broad in ability.

 

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