For the first blog I wanted to write an entry to explain how the project Kiva developed from and idea into a year long citizenship activity.  One night as I was lying on the couch flipping the channels I came across a program on PBS about Kiva.org.  I was inspired by this episode and the wheels in my head started to turn as I thought about how I could use Kiva in my classroom.  I have always wanted to implement a service project into my classroom, but had never found the right project for my personality.  After seeing the video on PBS I knew this was the civic learning project I wanted to implement in my classroom.  Knowing the potential this project could have in a classroom made me extremely excited for the next school year. 

    After discussions with my principal and other colleagues it was time to implement project Kiva for the 2007-2008 school year.  Early in the quarter students were introduced to the project and embraced it with enthusiasm.  My original plan was to raise money once at the beginning of the year to invest.  My hope was then to follow one or two lenders over the course of the year.  After class discussions about civic responsibility and leaving a legacy students decided they wanted to raise money on an ongoing basis through out the year!  How awesome!

    We are currently in the process of picking our first entrepreneurs.  I can’t wait to see where we will go this year with project Kiva.  Check back frequently to stay updated.