Simple Words
… what the younger generation is thinking …
(about things that matter)
the importance of words
The beginning of wisdom is to call
things by their right names.
- ancient Chinese proverb
Simple Words: The book
Rabbi Steinsaltz
challenges the reader to
consider anew several
core human concepts:
nature, good, spirit and
matter, faith, good
deeds, sex, death, envy,
masks, friends, family,
love, and God....
Simple Words: The project
love good
nature
faith
peace
war
friends
family
partnernatureGod
An essay
contest
encourage
project
isispredicated
on the
The
Contest
alsotodesigned
to
middle
andthere
high
students
belief
that
isschool
real the
help teachers
improve
age
10-17in Russia
and around
significance
in encouraging
teaching-learning
process
byand
the
world to
reflect
uponmoral
and
rewarding
(and
listening
to)
employing
the
practical
express
in encapsulated
writing
their inand
young
people’s
thoughts
principles
comprehension
ofconducting
simple
words
beliefs
–and
andcommon
– in
simple
words,
and
concepts
which
have – and
for
research
into
teaching
essential
to allhow
people
each
student
– personal
learning
about
simple words
worldwide
meaning
and motivational
can
be helpful
to young people
power
worldwide and contribute to
their future success
First Stage …
• Launch through Junior
Achievement Regional
Network in Russia in January,
2002
• First stage goal: 25,000
children participants
 Prepare and distribute Essay
Contest kits to organizers and
teachers
 Train JA Russia regional
directors in Moscow
 Teachers conduct contests in
classrooms
First Stage (continued)…
• JA Russia will organize
review of essays
 10 award winners in Moscow
in May, 2002
 Awards: publication of best
essays (in print and on www);
prizes; scholarships; travel to
award ceremonies
 Recognition of sponsors,
teachers, organizers
Junior Achievement Russia32 Regional Center
17 Education
Programs
10,000 Trained
Teachers
1,700,000 Students
Educated
Angarsky RC
Bashkirsky RC
Belgorodsky RC
Chuvashsky RC
Ekaterinburgsky RC
Ivanovsky RC
Kazansky RC
Kemerovsky RC
Khabarovsky RC
Khakassky RC
Khibinsky RC
Kirovsky RC
Komi RC
Kostromskoj RC
Krasnoyarsky RC
Magnitogorsky RC
Moskovsky RC
Nizhegorodsky RC
Norilsky RC
Novgorodsk RC
Novorossijsky RC
Novosibirsky RC
Permsky RC
Primorsky RC
Pskovsky RC
Ryazansky RC
Sakhalinsky RC
Samarsky RC
362,000 Students
educated in 20002001 year
Vladimirsky RC
Volgogradsky RC
Vologodsky RC
Voronezhsky RC
Vyksunsky RC
Yaroslavsky RC
Nizhny Tagil RC
Saratovsky RC
St. Peterburgsky R
Stavropolsky RC
Tchukotsky RC
Tulsky RC
Udmurtsky RC
Vladikavkazsky RC
Second Stage …
• Publicize and extend network of
sponsors, teachers, researchers,
schools
• Expand essay contest to include
USA, Canada, United Kingdom,
Japan, other countries; encourage
cross-cultural exchange
• Create web-based method for
managing multi-lingual submissions
and distributed international
evaluation of essays
• Create database for managing
demographic information and
descriptive metadata about essays
Project Development
1,000,000,000
1,0 00,0 00,0 00
ch ildre n; a ll worl d
lan guag es; Special
exhib it u nveile d at
Worl d Expos itio n in
Moscow
100,000,000
1,0 00,0 00
ch ildre n Russi an, Engli sh,
Span ish, Fren ch,
Ja pane se,
Chine se
10,000,000
100 ,000 Russi an
ch ildre n; 3 0,00 0
US, 30 ,000
Canad ian, 30,000
Ja pane se
1,000,000
100,000
10,000
2001-11
10,000,000
ch ildre n; 1 00
lan guag es; Special
exhib it u nveile d at
Worl d Expos itio n in
Ja pan
Children
Ini tial co ntes t.
25,000 Ru ssia n
ch ildre n
2002-05
2003-07
2004-07
2005-07
2010-07
Demographic/Essay Content
Analysis



Program will feature collection of privatized
demographic information
Evaluation of essays will enable assignment of
descriptive metadata to “objectivize” content
System will feature ability to analyze metadata
and demographic information to see how today’s
children see tomorrow’s world
Demographic Analysis
Russian Children Age 14 Choosing “Peace” as Topic
Demographic Analysis
Japanese Children Age 12
Choosing “Business” as Topic
Summary




Project has begun; first essay winners to be
announced in Moscow May, 2002
US, Canadian, Japanese expansion begins
winter, 2002
New web-site, analysis tools available in
winter 2002
Help children world-wide expand their
horizons and thinking by participation