Sparkles Squad

10/21/2011

 
I'm not really the sparkly type, as you know, and I'm definitely not the cheerleader type. But one of my nicest friends is a cheerleader. (You know who, if you've read "Don't Expect Magic.") And I know that f.g.s -- real and fictional -- usually are sparkly.

Here are some girls who are all three: cheerleaders, sparkly and Real World f.g.s:
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dosomething.org
The whole thing started with two cheerleaders in Illinois with siblings with disabilities. Every year they would spend one night coaching a clinic for kids with disabilities in cheerleading and in other sports. Then, they decided that one night per year wasn't enough. And that's why they formed the Sparkles Squad.

They later created the Sparkles Effect, which helps other kids create their own Sparkles Squad in their communities. The website has a starter kit with tips on creating a local Sparkles program.
 
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keepreading.org


How can you not love an organization called "Keep Reading!"

I mean, come ON!

The Keep Reading Foundation was created by Sarasi Jayaratne, a student at Cornell University (where Kathy, my "creator" as she calls herself, went to college).

Sarasi is not technically a teen, but she was a teen only a couple of years ago, so she's "teen-adjacent." Plus, she sort of started her foundation when she was a sophomore in high school, when she raised money to help schools in Sri Lanka (where her parents are from) after a tidal wave hit it.

Eventually, she started the foundation and she's visited the country a lot since then, to distribute the books that the foundation's money buys for kids there. Sometimes the books come with reading glasses for people in poorer areas, so they can -- yes, you guessed it-- Keep Reading!

Mean Stinks!

10/5/2011

 
MeanStinks is an app on Facebook that allows people to be "nice" online on their wall. There's fun ways to graffiti and also a way to get guidance on a particular problem you may be having. And fun Shout Outs from Amber Riley (Mercedes on GLEE).
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facebook.com/meanstinks
Makes being nice fun! ... and nice!