It has been an idea of mine since the beginning of Love Infinitely Projectto move our concept into the classroom. Actually, Love Infinitely Project has been in the classroom for years. My classroom. Being an arts teacher, I’m really excited at the results that can come of this collaboration.
So I am making a call to all of my fellow teachers, of all subjects and grade levels. I’ve created a simple lesson plan that can be adapted to any type of class and I’d love to have as many teachers take part. I want to open the discussion up to students to find out what world issues students are most passionate about and maybe open their hearts to causes they may not be aware of. Then allow them to take steps in finding some creative solutions.
The lesson can be a quick one day project or structured to last longer. The project is also open to school clubs! I want to get as many students involved as possible. In addition to the lesson plan, I also have a PowerPoint presentation (I love PowerPoint presentations…) to go along with it that covers some facts about major environmental, human and animal rights issues that face us today. All of them I can adapt to different subjects and grade levels.
Then I want to showcase some of the outcomes on here. Submit the results of the project to us in any form, either through pictures, stories or even video!
If you are interested in bringing Love Infinitely Project into your classroom, send us an email at info@loveinfinitely.org for FULL details, lesson plan and presentation materials. Of course, I highly encourage teachers (and students) to take this basic idea, expand it and make it their own.
“At Compassion Couture, we take a fashion-forward approach towards living an ethical lifestyle. All of our products are 100% animal friendly and are produced by labels that incorporate sustainability into their practices. Our mission is to find a balance between our values and our feminine passion for style.”
Our Girls Who Are Changing the World this week are two sisters who are co-founders of the shop, Compassion Couture. Jill and Tracey are not just sisters but also best friends. When they realized that they weren’t fulfilling their life’s true purpose, they put their love of protecting the environment and compassion toward animals to work. In September they launched the fabulous online boutique! Jill describes their shop as, “a local start-up with the goal to make a difference in how the world views compassionate and ethical fashion.“ They only sell 100% vegan and eco-friendly handbags, shoes and accessories!
When Jill emailed me recently, I knew they would be a perfect fit in our Love Infinitely community. Their dedication to “making the biggest difference possible in the world” falls in line with we’re doing beautifully. Showing our support for businesses that make a positive impact will change our world for the better.
“None of our items are made of any animal products at all and all of our brands incorporate sustainability into their practices – whether they reduce their carbon footprint at factories, are made of recycled materials, organic materials or sustain the local economies of developing countries!“
Keeping their eyes on current trends, they hand-pick every item sold in the shop. High quality shoes, bags, wallets, belts and other accessories that come some of our favorite vegan companies such as Beyond Skin, Matt & Nat and Olsen Haus. They are also out to educate consumers about the impact that items such as leather have on our environment. Their goal is to inform people that there are fashionable and high quality items out there that are also ethical.
“Most consumers are not aware of the detrimental effects of leather used for fashion and my sister and I want to make it clear that this is a huge issue; from the amount of energy and pollution it takes to create leather, as well as the inhumane way that animals are treated during entire leather-making process.”
Those who promote an ethical lifestyle should definitely support Compassion Couture!
Thank you Tracey and Jill for showing us that we can stick to our values and be fashionable at the same time!
Follow Love Infinitely on Twitter: @LoveInfinitelyP
**If you know a super rad girl that you would like to nominate for our ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World’ feature, send them to us at: girls@loveinfinitely.org
When Ciara asked for a documentary to show for a Heart to Heart event, there was only one that I felt would be perfect, Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s breathtaking doc, Home. This movie was simultaneously released on June 5th, 2009 in theaters around the world, DVD/Blu-ray, television and on YouTube opening in 181 countries. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet. The film sticks to the theme of how all organisms and the Earth are linked in a “crucial and delicate balance“. What a beautiful truth; that we are are intricately connected and if one species is harmed, it will affect all the others.
Even while 80% of the world’s resources are being used by only 20% of the population, everyone and everything will have to bear the impact.
Home highlights the story of humans and our planet, from the origin of single-celled algae cells, to the current state of humans and countries across the globe, and showing the drastic climate changes of the present. It portrays the current problems regarding factory farms, deforestation, food and water shortages, the use of non-renewable “fossil water”, the over-quarrying crisis and the shortage of energy, namely electricity.
The majority of the documentary has a human-oriented scope, showing the agricultural revolution, harnessing of oil, formation of industry, creation of mega-cities and the largest rich-poor gap ever. The degrading impacts of our past are touched on and how every human, whether from a developed or third-world country, will be affected in the future.
The images alone are worth the watch! It is absolutely stunning and I’m not sure any other documentaries have captured our amazing home in this way. But there is more. The film delivers alarming statistics about climate change and how quickly it is transforming our beautiful planet into a place that will be uninhabitable. This is our only home after all.
There is hope of course and the last few minutes display the harsh facts in large white text on a black background followed by a video representation of the fact. It then goes into what we are doing now to reverse these effects including renewable energy, the creation of more national parks, international co-operation between various nations on environmental issues and education and reform by governments around the world. It gives us 10 years to turn around our damaging ways, switching to renewable resources from fossil fuels. Only then will we be able to avoid the worst of climate change.
This is how the planet has changed in my lifetime.
Glenn Close does a beautiful job with the English language narration, Salma Hayekvoices the Spanish version and other ecology-minded actors contribute the French and other language editions. You can find them all on YouTube for free. The film was financed by PPR, a French multinational holding company specializing in retail shops and luxury brands.
Yann Arthus-Bertrand said in a TED talk that the movie has no copyright:
“This film have no copyright. On the fifth of June, the environmental day, everyone can download the movie on Internet. The film is given for free to the distributor for TV and theater to show it the five of June. There is no business on this movie. It is available for schools, cities, NGOs and you.”
So in honor of that, the movie is featured here. (I suggest plugging into a larger screen to really take in the gorgeous images.) And in the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting environmental organizations you can volunteer with that are working on making big change for our planet not to mention things you can do at home to make a difference. It’s not too late.Watch and then let’s get to work!
Our popular Friday feature ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World‘ is officially back and I am so proud to present the first GCTW of 2012, Ciara McCann. Ciara is the Love Infinitely Project’s first intern and one of my favorite people on the planet. I have known her since she was an adorable 4th grader and now she is now a lovely high school senior with her eyes set on a NYC college experience. In the almost 9 years I have known Ciara, she has grown into one of the smartest, most beautiful and kindest people I know. Not to mention, crazy talented!
Ciara is a triple threat (actor, singer, dancer) and she and I share a love for elephants, eastern religion, travel, the arts and activism. We both believe that through the arts, great change can be made in our world. She has even started a school club that she hopes to make into a full fledged non-profit organization someday. She heads up this art meets activism club with co-chair, Gabrielle Werve (an equally lovely and smart young lady) and help of the school principle. The Heart to Heart Club Inspiring Artists to Create Social and Environmental Change, or just Heart to Heart, meets on Tuesdays at lunch and works on different project around the school and community. Here are the details:
“Heart to Heart is a club for social and environmental change. They club strives to help students make time and use the club meetings as an opportunity to discuss and develop ideas on how they can use their artistic talents and passions to make a difference in their communities and around the world. Club members have the responsibility of keeping up with current events, and starting their own projects. These projects range from campus beautification projects, recycling campaigns, volunteering at animal shelters, counter protesting against groups that promote hate, etc., We encourage students to use some mode of expression, whether it is through dancing, singing, playing instruments, writing, theater for the oppressed or discussion. We believe that art has the power to affect every human soul; it is something that everyone can relate to and communicate through. It is a universal language.”
~Ciara McCann
The students who attend this school are incredibly busy as the schedule is quite demanding for everyone who attends (and teaches at) this unique performing arts high school. Having a club like this is a perfect way to get these teens to see what is happening out in the world but it also let’s them remain creative in solving global issues. Using their artistic talents to innovate new ways to make positive change in the world is exactly what we need. I feel like we should get used to hearing more about Ciara in years to come. I can’t wait to see what she is going to do!
**If you know a super rad girl that you would like to nominate for our ‘Girls Who Are Changing the World’ feature, send them to us at: girls@loveinfinitely.org
Follow Love Infinitely on Twitter: @LoveInfinitelyP
