3. What is Pencils of Promise?
▪ For-purpose organization
▪ Founded in 2008 by Adam Braun
▪ Blurs the line between a for-profit and nonprofit business
▪ Believes that every child should have access to a quality education
▪ Objective: create schools, programs, and global communities
▪ Over 331 schools built since 2009, impacting over 300,000 children’s lives
▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFvOuELSOlY
4. The Issue: Education
▪ Education equality in third world countries:
-Laos
-Ghana
-Nicaragua
-Guatemala
▪ “250 million children of primary school age lack basic reading, writing, and
math skills. A lack of education leads to poverty, health & sanitation issues, and
gender inequality” (www.pencilsofpromise.org) (www.globalpartnership.org)
5. The Issue: Education (continued)
▪ Quality education leads to:
-financial stability
-reduction of “under 5” mortality rate
-submerges gender gap
▪ Education key element in society.
▪ Overall, provides a better quality of life.
6. Framing the Issue
▪ Focuses on education by narrowing in on using:
- facts
-statistics
-values
▪ Social Media:
-Twitter
-Facebook
-Instagram
-Snapchat
-YouTube
-Vimeo
▪ Website:
-videos, photos, information
7. Framing the Issue (continued)
▪ Evidences of facts:
-Laos
-Ghana
-Nicaragua
-Guatemala
▪ Propositions of value:
-gender equality
▪ www.globalpartnership.org
8. Channels of Communication
▪ Social Media Activity:
-Twitter: 247,000 followers
-Facebook: 210, 548 likes
-Instagram: 154,000 followers
▪ Demographics
▪ Celebrity advocates
-Justin Bieber
-Scooter Braun
9. Influence of Channels
▪ According to Rasha Proctor, “Organizations have mostly been structured based
on their customers’ needs, the legal and political constraints of their country,
and the economic and technological changes impacting their environment.
When social media was first introduced, organizations often thought of it as
means to connect with the customers and market their product. They did not
however expect the tremendous impact that it would have on their own internal
structure” (Proctor, n.d.).
▪ “word of a mouse”
▪ Uses social media to intrigue audience
11. Applying Ethics (continued)
▪ Organization that is able to generate a profit and also create a social, ethical,
impact (Jabbar, 2015).
▪ “Results-driven, outcome-driven, and mission-driven organization” (Clifford,
2013).
12. References
▪ Clifford, C. (2013). Pencils of Promise is Giving Nonprofits a Hard-Nosed
Facelift. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230126
▪ Jabbar, S. (2015). Breaking the Code: How Pencils of Promise Uses Tech for Social
Good. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/saeed-jabbar/breaking-
the-code-how-pencils-of-promise-uses-tech-for-social-good_b_7202438.html
▪ www.globalpartnership.org
▪ http://www.give.org/charity-reviews/national/education-and-
literacy/pencils-of-promise-in-new-york-ny-36581
▪ https://pencilsofpromise.org/
▪ Rybacki, K. C., & Rybacki, D. J. (2011). Advocacy and opposition: An introduction to
argumentation (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Notes de l'éditeur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFvOuELSOlY
Pencils of Promise was founded in 2008 by Adam Braun. It all began with a $25.00 deposit and a desire to give children, regardless of the social economic situation they were born into, an opportunity to have a quality education. Mr. Braun backpacked through 50 countries giving children pens and pencils across six continents. After several conversations with families, Adam realized that there was a great need for an international nonprofit that was led “on-the-ground” by local staff provided by each country to help guarantee success of the schools and the children. They strive to be a for-purpose organization and blur the lines between a for-profit and nonprofit business. (www.PencilsofPromise.org)
Pencils of Promise focuses on the issue of education in third world countries. Specifically, PoP focuses on building schools in Laos, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Pop focuses on schools because, according to their website, “250 million children of primary school age lack basic reading, writing, and math skills. A lack of education leads to poverty, health & sanitation issues, and gender inequality” (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). A substantial education can submerse the cycle of poverty. Worldwide, only one year of school already increases earnings by 10%. Children who have the opportunity to receive an education are more likely to send their future children to school, ending the cycle of poverty through future generations (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). Another important aspect that comes from a quality education is health. According to their website, “If all women completed a primary education, the under 5-mortality rate would fall by 15% in low and lower middle income countries, saving almost a million children’s lives every year (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). Having the opportunity to go to school also opens the door for students to learn about how to stay healthy, which they can put into practice in their everyday lives. The gender gap that is very distinct in education can be greatly reduced with a quality education as well. Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry early/be forced to marry. Education gives women the confidence they need to make life decisions and encourage them to believe that anything is possible. Overall, a quality education creates a better life. When every child has the opportunity to an education founded on human dignity and gender equality, it immediately opens the door for future generations. Education is a key element in society (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). These statistics and percentages can also be found in a PDF document from the Global Partnership for Education, a referral source provided from the Pencils of Promise website (www.globalpartnership.org, 2016).
Pencils of Promise focuses on the issue of education in third world countries. Specifically, PoP focuses on building schools in Laos, Ghana, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. Pop focuses on schools because, according to their website, “250 million children of primary school age lack basic reading, writing, and math skills. A lack of education leads to poverty, health & sanitation issues, and gender inequality” (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). A substantial education can submerse the cycle of poverty. Worldwide, only one year of school already increases earnings by 10%. Children who have the opportunity to receive an education are more likely to send their future children to school, ending the cycle of poverty through future generations (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). Another important aspect that comes from a quality education is health. According to their website, “If all women completed a primary education, the under 5-mortality rate would fall by 15% in low and lower middle income countries, saving almost a million children’s lives every year (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). Having the opportunity to go to school also opens the door for students to learn about how to stay healthy, which they can put into practice in their everyday lives. The gender gap that is very distinct in education can be greatly reduced with a quality education as well. Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry early/be forced to marry. Education gives women the confidence they need to make life decisions and encourage them to believe that anything is possible. Overall, a quality education creates a better life. When every child has the opportunity to an education founded on human dignity and gender equality, it immediately opens the door for future generations. Education is a key element in society (pencilsofpromise.org, 2016). These statistics and percentages can also be found in a PDF document from the Global Partnership for Education, a referral source provided from the Pencils of Promise website (www.globalpartnership.org, 2016).
Pencils of Promise focuses on education by using facts, their values (gender equality), and statistics. In order to frame the issue of education, they use various platforms to reach out to the general public. These platforms include their website, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo accounts. Through these platforms, Pencils of Promise frame their main argument that education improves the lives of children by using the evidences of facts and advocating propositions of value, as discussed in the text book. According to Karyn and Donald Rybacki, factual evidence is defined as, “information obtained from direct or indirect observation. Factual evidence describes or reports what exists-events, objects, places, persons, or phenomena” (Rybacki, K.C., & Rybacki, D.J., 2011, pg. 111). PoP focuses on four countries: Ghana, Laos, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. These countries would account for factual evidence. In addition, to claim that their researched statistics are accurate, there is a referral source that includes a downloadable PDF for those interested in knowing more detail and viewers can see their financial records on their website as well, which aids to PoP’s professionalism and credibility. Being an organization that highly values gender equality, the audience can also see their advocation for gender equality not only through their website, yet also through their social media accounts. For example, on their Instagram bio, it says, “We are a for-purpose organization that believes every child should have access to a quality education.” This continues the repetition of the idea that their audience clearly understands the passion, vision, worldview, and purpose of the organization.
Pencils of Promise focuses on education by using facts, their values (gender equality), and statistics. In order to frame the issue of education, they use various platforms to reach out to the general public. These platforms include their website, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Vimeo accounts. Through these platforms, Pencils of Promise frame their main argument that education improves the lives of children by using the evidences of facts and advocating propositions of value, as discussed in the text book. According to Karyn and Donald Rybacki, factual evidence is defined as, “information obtained from direct or indirect observation. Factual evidence describes or reports what exists-events, objects, places, persons, or phenomena” (Rybacki, K.C., & Rybacki, D.J., 2011, pg. 111). PoP focuses on four countries: Ghana, Laos, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. These countries would account for factual evidence. In addition, to claim that their researched statistics are accurate, there is a referral source that includes a downloadable PDF for those interested in knowing more detail and viewers can see their financial records on their website as well, which aids to PoP’s professionalism and credibility. Being an organization that highly values gender equality, the audience can also see their advocation for gender equality not only through their website, yet also through their social media accounts. For example, on their Instagram bio, it says, “We are a for-purpose organization that believes every child should have access to a quality education.” This continues the repetition of the idea that their audience clearly understands the passion, vision, worldview, and purpose of the organization.
As stated previously, Pencils of Promise uses various social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, and Vimeo) and their website to communicate their messages. After doing some research, the demographics of their audience seem to mostly be young teens, and young adults, around the ages of 16 to early/mid 30s. Another reason why they have a younger demographic is because of the celebrity endorsements Pencils of Promise has. One of them, is Justin Bieber. His manager, Scooter Braun, is Adam Braun’s older brother. Justin Bieber has a massive following and he is a good advocating tool for PoP in order for the organization to gain more supporters and more recognition for their work. Other celebrity endorsements are John Legend, Usher, Angelina Jolie, and many more. These celebrities also use their social media accounts to promote the organization as well. For their social media outlets such as Snapchat and Vimeo, there is no clear way to see the amount of followers/viewers PoP has, unlike their Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. Their Twitter account is thoroughly active, with a new tweet either every day or every couple of days and also interacting with their 247,000 followers by following back, responding to tweets, and favorite/retweet mentions about their organization. On Facebook, they have exactly 210,548 likes and post updates about the organization (how many schools they have built, their goals, etc.), photos, and videos more so than focusing on it being constantly updated and interacting with those that like their page. Their Instagram account has 154,000 followers, with a new picture being posted every day to every other couple of days. Their Snapchat account is constantly updated with a new snap every day to every other day from various employees, giving followers the opportunity to get a more intimate look at the organization. As for YouTube and Vimeo, PoP’s goal is posting videos that promote the organization by highlighting various children, and the influence a new built school has given them.
According to Rasha Proctor, “Organizations have mostly been structured based on their customers’ needs, the legal and political constraints of their country, and the economic and technological changes impacting their environment. When social media was first introduced, organizations often thought of it as means to connect with the customers and market their product. They did not however expect the tremendous impact that it would have on their own internal structure” (Proctor, n.d.). Today, instead of “word of mouth” being the main outlet for the promotion of a business or organization, it is now recognized as “word of a mouse.” Pencils of Promise, just like many others, have used this idea to their advantage. Now, because PoP is still up and coming, they do not have as many active followers like other organizations that have been better known for a longer period of time, however, this slight difference does not stop them. With their social media accounts that are considered to be more intimate, such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, the audience can be actively involved, engaged, informed, and feel more connected, intriguing to them to be an integral part of the PoP’s mission and vision.
Pencils of Promise truly values their audience because of how much they love what they do and wanting to share their passion with the world, which can be seen in how they stand firm with their worldview commitments, meeting the expectations of being an accredited charity in the areas of governance, measuring effectiveness, finances, and fund raising and info (GIVE.ORG, 2015). Pencils of Promise is more than just focused on their organization being popular or well-known, instead the organization cares more about how many children’s lives they can truly change and make a difference. They are an organization that is able to generate a profit and also create a social, ethical, impact (Jabbar, 2015). They truly are a “results-driven, outcome-driven, and mission-driven organization” (Clifford, 2013) being a representation of human dignity and honesty.
Pencils of Promise truly values their audience because of how much they love what they do and wanting to share their passion with the world, which can be seen in how they stand firm with their worldview commitments, meeting the expectations of being an accredited charity in the areas of governance, measuring effectiveness, finances, and fund raising and info (GIVE.ORG, 2015). Pencils of Promise is more than just focused on their organization being popular or well-known, instead the organization cares more about how many children’s lives they can truly change and make a difference. They are an organization that is able to generate a profit and also create a social, ethical, impact (Jabbar, 2015). They truly are a “results-driven, outcome-driven, and mission-driven organization” (Clifford, 2013) being a representation of human dignity and honesty.
