Turning 38-years young… and still not acting my age. (Photo: Sir Garrett Camp)

38! I’ll turn a glorious 38 soon.

It’s going to be a great natal year–I can already feel it. Perhaps it will be good luck for you, too. In this post, I’m giving away a round-trip ticket anywhere in the world.

But back to that strange birthday gift…

Much to the chagrin of my momma-san, I’ve become difficult to buy presents for. Some friends even think I’m impossible to find presents for. Not so. I love handwritten letters, homemade brownies, and–most of all–when people do something nice.

You, dear readers, have a record of being nice and making it count. In fact, you’ve changed thousands of lives with small acts of kindness!

For my b-day in 2010, you all raised more than $100,000 for high-need public school classrooms in the US. More recently, you helped build libraries overseas (See the construction progress on Cambodia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka here, as well as the completed schools in Vietnam).

In lieu of gifts this year, my birthday wish is…

To create the FIRST elementary school in the world with exclusively stand-up desks!

Why?

This is a chance to be part of history.

THE PROBLEM:

8-18-year olds spend ~85% of their waking hours sitting (Source: Kaiser Family Foundation), and researchers like Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic now compare the health risks of extended sitting to those of smoking.

THE PROTOTYPE THAT COULD CHANGE THE FUTURE:

This is the pilot experiment that could change how schools worldwide are designed. I’m joining forces with Kelly and Juliet Starrett, the brains behind this project and founders of StandUpKids. The goal is to get every public school student in the US at a standing desk within 10 years. This massive goal is achievable if the right snowballs are put in motion now, and this proof-of-concept school is the most important. Media coverage, national attention, political pressure/alliances, etc. can all stem from this. It’s super high leverage.

Here’s what we’re doing, plus a few things to sweeten the pot:

Join my 38th birthday challenge by clicking here. It’s worth clicking through just to check out the site; Donorschoose.org is one of the most creative non-profits in the world. This is also their most ambitious project ever. To get your engines started, and to put money where our mouths are: I’ve ready donated $10,000 of my own money, and Kelly and Juliet Starrett have done the same. We have lots of skin in the game. If the spirit moves you, please make a $38 tax-deductible donation (for my 38 years), or whatever you can ($1, $35, $1,000, etc.).

4. We hit $100K and outfit a school that could affect the nation…or even the world! This isn’t hyperbole. This is precisely how movements are started.

So, to get this party started in force…

Sweetening the Pot…

I’m giving away a free round-trip ticket anywhere in the world that Star Alliance flies, which is just about everywhere. There is no expiration date on the trip, so no rush on deciding where or when to go.

Here’s how to get it:

Spread the word however you can. Send people to this post or to the Donorschoose.org page.

Leave a comment below telling me what you did (Facebook, Twitter, blog post, e-mail blast, e-mail signature, encouraged employees/friends to do the same, company donation matching, etc.). Measurement of any type gets huge bonus points. This comment must be put up no later than 5pm PST on Friday, June 26th, 2015 .

Lastly, answer one question at the very top of your comment: “What does education mean to you?” Put “#EducationMeans” at the very top, followed by your answer. This is an IQ test in following directions, as we’ll skip entries without #EducationMeans at the top.

I’ll pick the winner (if clear), OR my team will pick the top 3-5 promoters, and you’ll vote on the winner of the round-trip. As always: over 18 only, any taxes are your responsibility, void where prohibited, no minotaurs, etc.

Fun!

But the best reason of all…

Beyond the bribes, you’ll feel awesome about yourself for doing real good.

Trust me. It feels great.

Will you pause for a moment and step up, even if for $1? It would mean the world to me. I’ll share updates as I get them.

Again, here is where you can donate $38, $1, $1,000, or whatever you can. Just click here.

Thank you for reading this post. You are all rock stars, and I continue to write on this blog purely because of you.

Pura vida,

Tim

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