On the Shores of Gitchiegoomie

Grand Marais is a picturesque village of 300 people on the very top of Michigan's Upper Penninsula about 500 miles north of my Detroit area home. It was here, in the 6th decade of my life, that I completed my first (and only) Triathlon.

I am an avid bike rider, a fair runner, and a lousy swimmer. My plunge into the icy waters of Lake Superior (Labor Day temperature 54 degrees) sans wetsuit, water depth 60 feet, knowing the reputation of Superior from Edmond Fitzerald lor for not "giving up her dead", convinced me that I was soon to be fish food. I wasn't. But I was the very last person out of the lake.

I remember my sister standing in the back of the pick-up filming the entire thing, me running up the beach to my bike calling out "I am not dead"!!! Then 18 miles of hills on a bike.

I had just started my run when a man flew by me finishing his.

"Don't give up," he called out. "You're doing good!" He was 75 years old.

I won a Silver Medal. Sounds impressive. The truth? There were only two people in my age group.

Why am I telling you this and what does it have to do with educational websites?

It has to do with motivation- the biggest problem I have with my students.

I have found a great website that is changing the lives of my students and our school. It is http://www.oambassadors.org/. This is a new site. It is a joint project of Oprah's Angel Network and Free the Children. I completed a lengthly application process and last fall we were accepted. So far we are the only DPS school to be an OAmbassador school. The program sent me lesson plans and materials for 35 students plus more activities on their website. Right now we are raising money for a school in East Africa.

My middle school students are not very global. They think a foreign country is the "west side". But now they are learning geography, social studies, and are reading incredible stories on their website. This week the Roots of Action tour came to our school and showed films and talked about child labor, poverty, education and health issues around the globe. One young man from Sierra Leone told our students about his village being attacked by rebels and his mother and sisters being raped. It was very moving. Our students were very affected.

We are planning several fund raisers - our African-American History Program, a basketball game between staff and students, a fun run, and a talent show in the Spring. It amazes me that our students are reaching into their pockets to help children in another continent.

When children can find a website that is colorful, fun, challenging, and easy to manuever they will use it. I think this is one that can change their lives forever.

I think about that 75 year old man. He ran faster, rode faster, and easily left me on the shores of Gitchiegoomie. His message was clear. Don't give up.

In all this talk about generations it is easy to forget one thing. We are sending our children into the future - a place where we cannot go. We must give them the foundation they need to get there and hopefully to make the world a better place.