The World is Bigger Than Your Block

Calling all college students!

Come up with a creative, original idea for a video game that addresses the nation’s fiscal crisis and you or your team could receive $10,000 if your concept is chosen as the winner. You will also be credited in the final game and may have the opportunity to work with mtvU to make your idea a reality.

Applications due: January 7, 2009
Winner chosen: January 23, 2009

Click here to enter http://indebted.mtvu.com/the-challenge/ 

Tags: college, debt, games, mtv. mtvu, video games

Start right now. Share your vision for what America can be, where President-Elect Obama should lead this country. Where should we start together?

http://www.change.gov/page/s/yourvision 

 This site is a direct link to the President-elect. Tell him what you think we should be focused on.

Tags: america, change, government, obama, vision

If you have been thinking about trying capoeira or just want to see what all
the buzz is about come to the Zumbi Day event that is being hosted by
Capoeira Batuque. The focus of the event is to honor Zumbi dos Palmares, the
last leader of Quilombo dos Palmares, a slave refugee settlement.

The event will feature a series of dance, music, and capoeira workshops. The
interactive and educational presentations, the show (12-2pm on Sunday), and
the capoeira rodas are free! Children can participate in all workshops for
free. If you'd like to participate in all of the workshops the charge is $35
for both days.

Schedule:

Friday 11/21
6-8 pm Music Class at Brasil Brasil Cultural Center
8-10pm Roda at Brasil Brasil Cultural Center

Saturday 11/22
10am - 12pm Kids & Adult Capoeira Classes at The Museum of Latin American
Art (Long Beach)
12pm - 12pm Interactive & Educational Presentations at MOLA
130pm-2pm Show
230pm-330pm Percussion Class
430pm-6pm Advanced Capoeira Workshop
7pm -10pm Roda at Brasil Brasil Cultural Center

Museum of Latin American Art
628 Alamitos Ave
Long Beach, CA 90802
(562) 437-1689

Brasil Brasil Cultural Center
4325 Sepluveda Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
Phone: 310.397.3667
Fax: 310.397.3321...

Tags: brazil, capoeira, cultural center, zumbi

A team of teachers, bankers and even a bankruptcy judge has put together a new curriculum called “Personal Financial Literacy, the Game of Life” to educate students about money management.

Beginning this year, the 10-day mini-course will be folded into senior economics classes that are required to graduate. The San Diego Unified School District will be the first large, urban district in California to require such a course.

The far-reaching curriculum covers everything from checkbook balancing and income taxes to investments and credit. It also includes lessons on identity theft and how the Patriot Act affects bank accounts.

“Credit scores will be more important to students' futures than their GPA ever will be,” said Kristy Gregg, a vice president with San Diego National Bank, who helped develop the program. 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20081016/news_1n16money.html

Tags: banking, hoover high, money, money management, personal finance, san diego

This is a really interesting book written by a wonderful woman! Please take a moment to read below and reserve a copy.

Cotton Pickin Paycheck-A 21st Century Journal of Escape from Slavery, is a story about an
ordinary and everyday African American woman with a dream come true for her family as
they calmly watch the 2008 election results appear across their television screen.

http://cottonpickinpaycheck.com/ 

Lesson 1-Cotton Pickin' Paycheck

"Family stories reveal to me that my mom's first husband fought in WWII and came back "a changed for the worst" man.  Born in 1926, she graduated from high school class valedictorian and was in college getting her bachelors degree from HBCU Virginia Union University when the war ended.  He came home, quickly proposed, rushed to marry, made her drop out of school because he quickly got her pregnant, beat and abused her and the baby on its way.  Eventually he moved in a mistress a fact that drove my mom to divorce him and leave the south.  She packed her bags to start a new life and nursing career in NY.  Leaving her two small kids to be raised by my grandma and aunts in rural Virginia while she...

Tags: black, cotton pickin paycheck, family, money, women, work

Tuesday, November 4th

Certified credit counselors from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) are fielding questions online today on debt problems, credit cards, saving, housing issues, budgeting, credit scores and other financial issues. The Ask a Credit Counselor message board is a free service of MSN Money and the nonprofit NFCC. Counselors are online from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/community/message/board.asp?board=AskACreditCounselor 

Tags: counseling, finances, money

 Working as a team is always better than working alone. This is eximplified by the article The Njangi in this month's African Vibes magazine. Below is an excerpt from the article.

 "In Cameroon as in other parts of Africa, the Njangi helps individuals save money. When done as a group it gives access to large amounts of cash loans with little or no hassle. With major institutions having stringent guidelines for borrowers, especially those who may have recently migrated into the United States, njangi, sousou, pari and tontine have stepped in to provide some much needed financial relief.

Whether it is a group of friends, an alumni association or just a handful of family members, some Africans have historically pooled their resources together to help each other achieve financial dreams. The detailed requirements may differ across countries, ethnic or cultural groups but overall, the process is built on a high level of trust. Njangis also provide an avenue to meet friends or family members, socially. "

To read the rest of the article, visit http://africanvibes.com/wordpressnew/?cat=133  

Tags: africa, african, africans, cameroon, family, money, savings, team, teamwork, vibes

Community Health Fair

this Saturday, October 18th Rogers Park, 400 W. Beach Street, Inglewood
starting at 9:00-2:00PM. Lots of vendors providing health screenings ie.
bone density, blood pressure, hypertention, HIV Aids testing, vision, flu
shots and lots more. Freebie give a ways and lots of education materials.
Please pass on the information to friends and family - all screenings are
FREE

Tags: blood pressure, community, fair, health, hiv, inglewood

Visa and the National Football League have teamed up to help students across the country learn financial concepts - with Financial Football. Students tackle financial questions like professionals in this fast-paced, quiz-style game divides classrooms into two teams that compete by answering finance-themed questions to earn yardage and score touchdowns.

http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/at_school/trainingcamp/ 

Tags: finances, football, money, score, tackle, touchdowns, visa

We have been asked to spread the word about the second annual L.A Music Festival that is sponsored by Jovenes, Inc., a non-profit agency located in Los Angeles . They serve homeless, at-risk, and immigrant disadvantaged youth by offering them shelter, education, jobs, computer skills, counseling, and most of all, personal support and guidance. Jovenes, Inc. is inviting young musicians to participate in a competition taking place on Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at the Olvera Street Plaza .

Anyone between the ages of 14-24 is invited to participate by filling out an application and sending it with a promotional CD of their best performance by October 3rd. The winner will receive a music school scholarship and an award from a surprise headliner guest. There is a $25 application fee but those youth referred by Create Now! will have their application fee waived, so be sure to let them know that we referred you.

If you need help to record a CD for submission, contact Create NOW. All music styles are welcome! Professional musicians will judge the competition and they will select and ask finalists to give a public performance at the Olvera Street Kiosko in...

Tags: create now, la music festival, los angeles, olvera st., youth