For 30-40 years I've been helping individuals grow and learn and improve the quality of their lives. Mostly in some form of teaching, mostly young children. I've also spent years with disabled or elderly as my second job. I've been present at both births and deaths and usually made a positive difference of some sort to individuals.

 

Now I'm transitioning to a different scale, of teaching others the tips and strategies that make me good at what I do. Workshops, writing, publishing. Room to Grow Educational Publishers, with CloudPillow Books for children. Website content and first product viewable in Sept. A picture book in three languages, with two handouts. Nonviolent Chase games, and Games to Play when you are tired and your children Aren't! Will be accepting donations to give these to organizations working with families at risk of child abuse and parents working to get their kids back. Some help on the lighter side; the nonviolent chase games teach safe touch, respect and kindness as well as much fun and creativity! Well tested too...when I saw a classroom where the kids I taught the game to had taught the new kids the next year, then  I knew they were winners. Grad student watching, young man, had no idea it was a new game or one I taught; put it in the same breath as "Red Light, Green Light".

 

I started a number of services and organizations when I was younger that are still in existence and useful. I've got other ideas nagging at me from files I've started, so back to that as well.

 

WE NEED GOOD FICTION, TV, AND FILM SET IN A NEAR FUTURE THAT'S SUSTAINABLE. Not much out there. Writing speculative fiction of any kind is a process of envisioning, but needs to be driven by character and backed up by research of various kinds. Set up a wiserearth group for this, WRITERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. My original plan, still in progress, was a more local event that encourages community envisioning as well as connecting writers and offering background info for these settings. Have a core group, smaller, starting in Sept, and the community event starts Jan, hopefully at downtown library.

I'm  working on a fundraising letter for myself, to work halftime for 6 months ($6000) or fulltime for a year ($24,000) on this and other projects. Many are small, meet local needs, and are low cost. I'm always curious, always creative and seeing possibilities. I could putz along slowly but getting older and global warming creates an urgency. I am positive there are sponsors out there who would feel richly rewarded by the results of supporting a sort of sabbatical for me.

 

Eventually my biz ideas will support my nonprofit projects, but the short term transition is frustrating, discouraging and slow. Well, any pointers appreciated (have grant writing/nonprofit board experience).

 

I've worked low pay but satisfying for a long time, no personal financial resources for change . Three great kids! (my programmer son, 23, is setting up website) and so on...easier to leave the classroom now that my daughters have given me four young grandchildren to play with instead (ages 2 and under). Live a block from old school now owned by Headstart, worked there in special ed classroom leased by U of O...lots of opportunity to do pilot projects, teach workshops, etc as I have a lot of positive connections among educators in this town and elsewhere. So have resources!