Our amazing group of instructors at our all-staff orientation in the High Sierra mountains, California. Photo by Parker Pflaum.

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    [post_date] => 2019-11-21 12:05:44
    [post_date_gmt] => 2019-11-21 19:05:44
    [post_content] => 
Dear Dragons Community,

Is global education a privilege thing? At both Where There Be Dragons and its nonprofit scholarship organization, called the Dragons Fund, we are constantly asking ourselves this question. We work hard to provide students from ALL backgrounds with access to Dragons programs. And we need your help.



Giving Tuesday (12/3/19) is the annual global generosity movement that supports nonprofits.

As you may know, Giving Tuesday (12/3/19) is the annual global generosity movement that supports nonprofits. For 2019, we've set a goal of "Ten in 2020": ten scholarships for students from all backgrounds to participate in a Dragons program next year. We have raised nearly 60% of the funds toward our goal, but still have over four more scholarships that need funding.

These scholarships are only possible if we receive enough donations from the Dragons community. Did you know that you can establish a scholarship in your name, or in the name of a student or loved one? We think this makes for a pretty extraordinary holiday gift.

Did you know that you can establish a scholarship in your name, or in the name of a student or loved one?

Giving Tuesday is in ten days, but you don't have a to wait to visit www.DragonsFund.org and donate. Help us reach our Ten in 2020 goal! We'll be providing more details closer to December 3, including an Instagram takeover (11/25-12/3), a few email reminders, and updates on our progress.



 

The Dragons Fund is proud to offer need-based scholarships so that participants from all backgrounds may experience a transformational global education on a Where There Be Dragons program. None of it would be possible without your support. So, in the spirit of giving, allow us to give thanks to you for making these scholarships possible - and for encouraging global education in an increasingly urgent time.

 

ALL donations directly support scholarships for 2020 students who could not otherwise afford a Dragons program.

ALL donations directly support scholarships for 2020 students who could not otherwise afford a Dragons program. To give you an idea, here's how your Giving Tuesday donation to the Dragons Fund increases access to Dragons programs:

    
 	
  • $25 to $150 provides grassroots support
    • 
 	
  • $150 to $999 provides domestic flights and outdoor gear
    • 
 	
  • $1,000 to $2,000 provides international flights
    • 
 	
  • $6,000 funds a summer program, not including flights or gear
    • 
 	
  • $9,000 funds a summer program, including flights and gear
    • 
 	
  • $16,000 funds an entire semester program, including flights and gear
    • 
 	
  • Learn more about Named Family Scholarships 
    • 


Please reach out to my colleague Briana (by phone at 510-990-0271) or myself (by email at [email protected]) if you have any questions about the Dragons Fund. When donating, visit www.dragonsfund.org/donate. Every dollar brings us closer to a more conscious world.

Many thanks,
Courtney Zenner Campbell & Briana Bellamy



PS. WANT DRAGONS BLOG UPDATES SENT DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX? ONE EMAIL A WEEK. NOTHING MARKETY. UNSUBSCRIBE ANY TIME. SUBSCRIBE TO DRAGONS BLOG AND STAY CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY. ❤️

    [post_title] => #GivingTuesday and How You Can Help Make Global Education not "just a privilege thing"
    [post_excerpt] => Is global education a privilege thing? At both Dragons and its nonprofit scholarship organization, called the Dragons Fund, we are constantly asking ourselves this question. We work hard to provide students from ALL backgrounds with access to Dragons programs. And we need your help...
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    [post_date] => 2019-11-14 13:54:06
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    [post_content] => 
This weekend we hosted seven Student Ambassadors at the Dragons office-house....


IMG_1961




They worked (and played) around the clock to inform our projects & programming for 2020.


We feel entirely refreshed with their vibe & vision!


There's an Instagram Highlight that captures some of the action.



And if you're curious, you can learn more about about Dragons Alumni Ambassador program.



Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Alumni Ambassadors — Refreshing Dragons HQ with Vibe & Vision
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    [post_content] => The following is an excerpt of a recent letter that Executive Director Reed Harwood sent to Dragons instructors, past and present. It offers some history on the new Bishop Paiute Scholarship, which is the result of a relationship between Dragons staff and the indigenous tribe that lives near the site of Dragons annual staff orientation in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. 



Dear Instructor Community:


“I believe in gatherings” said Paul Chaves, a member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe. “And when you gather good people… that’s powerful. This is powerful.” We shared a canopy of stars, the dusty forest floor, and the piñon breeze.  We gathered in the current and ancestral home of the Paiute: the Payahuunadu, aka the Owens River Valley, aka the annual site of Dragons Staff Orientation in the Eastern Sierra. 


Dragons and the Bishop Paiute forged a connection in June of 2018, when a small group of Dragons instructors visited the Paiute tribe on their land in Bishop. The Dragons delegation had collected seeds from Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Madagascar, Thailand, India, Laos, and Mexico for the Paiute’s Food Sovereignty Program. Later that week, a small group of Paiute representatives visited Dragons Orientation at the mouth of Rock Creek. We broke bread, they wondered and laughed at our “Talent Show,” and in Paul’s words a “friendship and allyship” was born. This year, we again participated in their Food Sovereignty program. They shared a meal with us at the our orientation campground, performed traditional songs and spoken word poetry at our talent show, and returned the next day to sell artisan goods at our global market.


Paul told me the ancient myths of the condor and the eagle, and the connections between his people and the people where the Andean condor flies. His people have always been global travelers. “The Paiute are a sovereign nation,” he said, “and our voice is needed at the global table. We’re getting there, but our youth need more global perspective and connection.” I felt the call of reciprocity pulse through my body. The ancestral home of the Paiute has held us for decades, and the Dragons community can now support the Paiute in gaining access to global engagement.


This fall, the Dragons Fund created a scholarship: the Bishop Paiute Scholarship. This annually-awarded, full-ride scholarship will support Bishop Paiute youth on Dragons programs.


As a Dragons staff member, you have received inspiration and solace from the Payahuunadu, the land of the Paiute. You believe in the power of global education. You know how vital it is to have indigenous representation at the table, as we navigate the survival of our collective history. 


Over the next four months, Courtney Zenner Campbell* and Briana Bellamy* will guide the Dragons Fund’s “Ten Scholarships in 2020” campaign, which includes our goal to provide one full-ride summer scholarship to a Bishop Paiute student. Their campaign is just beginning, and they will need your help.  If the spirit moves you to support this scholarship, when donating, simply write “Bishop Paiute Scholarship” in the “Add Special Instructions” section. 


You will hear from Briana and Courtney soon about this important initiative. Thank you, in advance, for considering this effort.


Reed

*Former Dragons instructors and administrators, Briana Bellamy and Courtney Zenner Campbell currently manage the Dragons Fund and its fall “Ten in 2020” campaign. Their goal is to raise money for ten full scholarships for students who could not otherwise afford to participate in a Dragons program. 

You can learn more about the Ten in 2020 campaign at www.DragonsFund.org, or by reaching out to Courtney ([email protected]) or Briana ([email protected], 510-990-0271).

Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Dragons ED, Reed Harwood, on Gatherings & The *New* Bishop Paiute Scholarship
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    [post_date] => 2019-10-08 16:18:01
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    [post_content] => 

Dragons is excited to announce a new collaboration with Lumos Foundation, a non-profit founded by J.K. Rowling that aims to end the use of orphanages and institutions for vulnerable children around the world by 2050. 

Dragons will work with Lumos on their three-year campaign aiming to educate young volunteers abroad on the harmful impacts of voluntourism, especially orphanage volunteering. Ultimately, we want to be a part of the conversation to develop best practices and to spark a wider discussion on what responsible volunteering and travel looks like.

As part of this work, Dragons will be publishing our own Child Protection Position Paper which will complement our stance on Learning Service and Responsible Travel. In the meantime, if you are (or know) a past or current student who is passionate about this topic and would like to share their story, please contact Jessica Armstrong ([email protected]).

Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Dragons Collaboration with Lumos Foundation
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    [post_date] => 2019-09-05 11:40:18
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    [post_content] => 
There's a lovely feature of our fearless (and fun) leader, Reed Harwood, at GetBoulder.com this week.


Here's an excerpt:


“Our most profound learning doesn’t happen in the classroom. It comes from meandering up a creek bed, peeking under stones, digging through the muck,” Harwood says. “It comes from getting into environments that surprise, challenge and divert us from our everyday context.”



Head over to GetBoulder.com to read the full story!



Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Reed Harwood, Dragons Executive Director, Featured at GetBoulder.com
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    [post_content] => We are loving this interview with Dragons students Danielle (South America Semester Alum '19) and Chinelle (Nepal College Study Abroad Alum '19) that played on Jamaican National TV this week. The discussion exploring their Gap Year experiences is well worth your six minutes to watch!

Ps. Danielle was a recipient of Dragons scholarships. Dragons Fund scholarships are generated entirely from the donations of generous Dragons alumni, instructors, and staff. You can learn more about how the fund ensures access for all students, regardless of their financial circumstances at: dragonsfund.org.



Ps. Want Dragons blog updates sent directly to your inbox? One email a week. Nothing markety. Unsubscribe any time. Subscribe to Dragons Blog and stay connected to the community. ❤️

    [post_title] => Interview with Dragons Alumni on TVJ Smile Jamaica
    [post_excerpt] => We are loving this interview with Dragons students Danielle (South America Semester Alum) and Chinelle (Nepal College Study Abroad Alum) that played on Jamaican National TV this week. It's well worth your six minutes to watch! 
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