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$100 Solution

Founders	Dr. Bernie Strenecky Medina delCastillo Chris Cunningham Rotary Foundation of Prospect/Goshen
Founded	2005
Participating Organizations	University of Louisville, Semester at Sea and Global Nomads Group
Executive Committee	Dr. Bernie Strenecky Dr. David Smith Dr. Robert Cecil Cilia Maria Ruiz-Paz Zubin Davar Chris Cunningham Terry Chambers Alan Laughlin Herb Shulhafer Bill Sherman Brian Tate
Area served	World-Wide
Method	Service
Motto	Turning $100 Into A World Of Change
Website	www.the100dollarsolution.org

The $100 Solution, sponsored by the Prospect/Goshen Rotary Club, is a world based service project which uses a $100 bill and the question, "With this $100 bill what can I do to enhance the quality of life in your community?" By asking this question, it allows the community to identify their problem and not the person doing the service. The $100 Solution is used in the International Service Learning Program at the University of Louisville and Semester at Sea.

The $100 Solution Story

The Rotary Club of Prospect/Goshen in Kentucky sponsored two exemplary Rotart Ambassadorial Scholars in 2005. Student Medina delCastillo relocated to Oaxuca, Mexico and Christ Cunningham studied in Belfast, Norther Ireland. The students' two primary responsibilities as Rotary Scholars was to broaden their education by studying abroad and to serve as ambassadors of goodwill for Rotary International.

The Rotary Club of Prospect/Goshen challenged the students by asking them to address the social needs in Oaxuca and Belfast. The students identified a social problem, studied its causes, and determine employable strategies with community leaders to help address the issue. The students were each give a one-hundred dollar bill and utilized the money in addressing the identified problem. To determine how the money would be utilized, the students asked "With this $100 bill what can I do to enhance the quality of life of individuals in the community?" The students proved that differences can be made and that global social problems can be solved with as little as one hundred dollars.

Basic Concept of the $100 Solution

"An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after at storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. 'Why do you bother?' the old man scoffed. 'You're not saving enough to make a difference.' The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. 'Made a difference to that one,' he said."

One can make a difference, even if it is on a small scale, with a small amount of money.

The $100 Solution in Service Learning

"The $100 Solution project, in the unique learning environment of Semester at Sea, affords students the opportunity to serve others and to examine the responsibility of service itself." - Dr. Bernard Strenecky

Dr. Bernard Strenecky is a Service Learning professor at Western Kentucky University and is Semester at Sea's International Service Learning Coordinator.

The purpose of the $100 Solution in the service-learning setting is to teach students about partnerships, reciprocity (cultural anthropology), capacity building, sustainability, cross-cultural understanding, as well as problem solving skills. Students learn about partnerships by building and maintaining them through $100 Solution projects. Reciprocity is learned while engaging in the process of the $100 Solution. Before the students emerge themselves in another culture, where they will participate in the $100 solution, it is important for them to have cross-cultural understanding to uphold the standards of the project and to avoid insulting those lives they are trying to improve. Problem solving involves all other parts of the service-learning model. Students will try to solve the problem, "With this $100 bill what can I do to enhance the quality of life in your community?" with the community, among other issues.

$100 Solutions Projects

Medina delCastillo's "$100 Solution" in Oaxaca, Mexico

In the fall of 2006, Medina delCastillo found an issue with the education system in Oaxaca, Mexico. While volunteering at a non-profit organization focused on giving autistic children an education, Medina decided where to spend his $200 Rotary talon. He contributed the first half to Foundation TATO. This half of the money, along with a donation from Louisville Rotaract Club, was used to purchase an English language computer program specifically designed to teach Spanish speaking autistic children. The children have retained and learned more English than ever before as a result of the computer program. The other half of the money was donated to the Oaxaca Children's Grassroots Organization for school supplies and funds for their soup kitchen upon request by the director.

"The 200 Dollar Solution in Northern Ireland: the Belfast Rotaract Club"

Christopher P. Cunningham helped found the Belfast Rotaract Club, a cross-community organization of young adults dedicated to the two Rotarian principles of fellowship and service, with his $200 solution during the 2006-07 academic year.

"Goats for a Dalit Village"

During the Fall 2007 Semester at Sea voyage, students participated in a $100 solution in which they purchased 5 goats for a Dalit Village outside of Chennai, India. The goats, a suggestion by the local community center leader, would be used to help solve the village's problem: "70 percent of the village did not have the resources for one meal a day". Goats produce milk, as well as meat - which provides nutrition and profit.

"Textbooks for the Elderly in Hong Kong"

Semester at Sea participants during the 2007 Fall Voyage visited an Adult English class at a community center in Hong Kong. While there, the students taught a class to the 20-25 residents and purchased new English textbooks with their $100.

"Hot Water for a Viet Nam Orphanage"

In the fall semester of 2007, Semester at Sea students participated in a $100 Solution at a disabled and diseased children orphanage in Viet Nam. The answer they were given by the head of the orphanage was, "hot showers" at $200 a year. "The students contributed their $100 toward the cost of one year of hot water, while promising to do field work at their next stop to send the remaining $100."

"Diapers and Chocolate for Indian Orphans"

"Upon visiting an orphanage in India, a group of Semester at Sea students quickly identified the need for diapers for the children. The walls of the orphanage were lined with babies in cribs, some with urine-soaked diapers due to the lack of supply. The Sisters at the orphanage washed as quickly as they could, but could not keep up with the rate of need. After getting to know some of the children, the SAS students realized the children not only needed diapers, they needed enjoyment. The students used the $100 to purchase disposable diapers at the local store for the orphanage and bought chocolate as well."

"Ghana Magic"

Semester at Sea visited Ghana for the first time during their 100th voyage in the Fall of 2009. A group of students from the Service-Learning and Leadership classes met with the Rotarian Club of Accra East to establish a partnership. Throughout this meeting they discussed possible $100 Solutions. This led to a $100 Solution in a local school. Due to the heat in Ghana, many students missed school. The Rotarians asked for and received ceiling fans, six total within days.

$100 Solutions in India.

India's Rotary Hospital

2009 Fall Voyage of Semester at Sea visited a Rotary sponsored hospital in India. The hospital specializes in free children's cerebral palsy treatment and rehabilitation. Two $100 Solutions came out of the visit. In order for the therapists to treat more children at a time they needed more table and chair sets. Also, to speed up the recovery and treatment process for the children they needed crutches to take home. Both of these needs were met with the two $100 Solutions.

Community Center in India

Fall 2009 Semester at Sea students went to a community center where sewing and cosmetology skills are taught to women. A water purification system and sleeping mats were the $100 Solution for this project. This addressed the clean drinking water need, and gave the children of the women a more comfortable place to sleep, so they no longer had to sleep on the concrete floor.

Vietnamese YMCA

Before the Agent Orange Orphanage visit in Vietnam, students on Semester at Sea's Fall 2009 voyage stopped at a YMCA. This YMCA is a shelter to young girls who go through a seamstress training program to keep them from negative alternatives. Due to miscommunications and complications, half the group of students were unable to go to the Agent Orange Orphanage and stayed at the YMCA to do an impromptu $100 Solution. There was no immediate or noticeable need for these women. Four hours later, the students decided to leave the $100 with the director of the YMCA.

Agent Orange Orphanage in Vietnam

A group of Semester at Sea Fall 2009 participants went to an orphanage where the children had been affected by Agent Orange. After being asked "With this $100 bill what can I do to enhance the quality of life in your community?", the staff answered that they need bunk bed sets. At the time, the students could only give the initial $100 with a promise to raise and send the other $200 to cover the cost of one bunk bed set. Once back on the M.V. Explorer, one of the participants from this project was able to raise the other $200 within days.

Students at the Elderly Center.

Hong Kong's Neighborhood Elderly Center

In Fall 2009, Semester at Sea revisited the center that hosts the Adult English class from their $100 Solution in 2007. Another class was taught by the Semester at Sea students to the new group of elderly students. They also played an English language bingo with the elderly students. The elderly students really liked being able to have discussions with the students who speak fluent English. Among the expressed needs were English music and English/Cantonese dictionaries. The dictionaries were chosen as the solution. On top of the $100 Solution, a Students of Service group on Semester at Sea was able to ship back English CDs to the Elderly Center.

Donations

The $100 Solution is sponsored by the Rotary Foundation of Prospect/Goshen which is a 501c3 organization. All donations are therefore tax deductible to the donor. All funds donated to the Foundation for the $100 Solution will be placed in the "Audrey Conner Fund" and will be used only for the purpose of supporting the fund.