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Global Action Week is an annual week of action that calls attention to the urgent need to invest in the future of the millions of out-of-school children around the world. Global Action Week activities take place in more than 100 countries as part of a coordinated effort by the Global Campaign for Education. Global Action Week 2013 in 2013 is April 20-26, and focuses on the importance of educators if we are to ensure a quality education for all. Over 200 million children under the age of 5 in low- and middle-income countries will not attain their development potential due to poverty, nutritional deficiencies, and inadequate care and learning opportunities.

Do you want to help the environment and keep you, your family and your friends healthy? With EcoKids you can! There are all kinds of ways for kids to take action, and every couple months we'll show you two new ones. They're fun, they're easy, and they help make the planet a little greener. Every bit helps, so take action today!

Ideas to take action about a variety of environmental issues.

The Global Poverty Project utilises the power of education, communications, advocacy, campaigning and the media to advance the movement to end extreme poverty. We know extreme poverty is a complex issue, and that it can't be eradicated overnight, or by one person. That's why we're building a global movement for change: focused on making a difference now, and changing the systems and policies that keep people in poverty. We do this in two ways: * Campaigning for government, business and consumer action that will create important systemic change for the world's extreme poor, and * Building a movement that engages and educates people, and supports them to take simple but effective individual actions for change.

In 2013, Green In Action Awards will be granted to inspiring projects based on GEF's sustainability themes. Winners are those schools, classrooms or youth groups who have demonstrated their commitment, creativity, or passion for sustainability in their application. Great application materials include photos, videos, essays, or artwork describing your environmental project, weigh-in, activity, community service project, or green team program! There are so many ways to participate and make a difference so show us how YOU are a champion for sustainability!

Life After IEP's. "Teaching Kids to Plan & Take Action Toward Their Personal Goals." Accessed April 2, 2013. http://lifeafterieps.com/teaching-kids-to-plan-take-action-toward-their-personal-goals/ Grade Level: K and up Description: This is a great website for looking at the different approaches and methods for goal setting. The website may have originally been created for children that are leaving the school system and how to adapt to the real world but there are many great ideas listed that can be adapted for children of any age or capabilities. Some methods include: graphic organizers, action planning charts, think-plan-do, etc.

A national campaign that invites everyone, big and small, to take action and raise awareness for how to make the world a better place. Supports children's growing understanding that the actions they choose do make a difference to themselves and others.

Listing of facts about hunger and action steps.

We mobilize young people to connect, learn and take collective action on critical global issues.

A profound shift in attitudes is underway all over the world. People are now recognising that 'progress' should be about increasing human happiness and wellbeing, not just growing the economy at all costs. That's why all 193 United Nations member states have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority and March 20 has been declared as the International Day of Happiness - a day to inspire action for a happier world.

RESULTS Educational Fund (REF) believes that every human being deserves a chance to realize her/his potential. This means that all people must have access to basic health care and food, an education, and a place in the economic system so they can earn a living. We know that all people can have access to these basic needs in our world of riches and innovation, but many get left behind providing opportunity to all is not a political priority. To change this we must become powerful advocates for the end of poverty. It sounds big, but if we work together and take the right actions, it is possible. REF can show you how.

Child hunger is a big problem in America. And we have a big goal to help tackle it. We are working together to raise 1 million meals for kids in communities across the United States - in just 6 weeks. Every action you take helps us reach our goal. Plant a community garden, organize a food drive, or host an event that will get more and more people involved in the fight against child hunger.

Teaching the importance of voluntary action for the common good in a democratic society. Lesson plans, lesson plans, and much much more.

The GoodPlanet Foundation's mission is to raise awareness and educate the general public about environmental protection. It encourages us to adopt a way of life that is more respectful of the Earth and its inhabitants. It offers realistic and optimistic solutions, and encourages each individual to take action for the planet using a series of programs in order to "bring ecology to the forefront of awareness".

For the whole of modern civilization, humans have attempted and failed to eradicate poverty. What can we learn from generations of failed efforts? Using a combination of animation, archival material, live action, anecdote, and humor, Poor Us looks at mankind's periodic efforts to alleviate poverty with the hope that we will get a better sense of how to move forward.

Hesperian strives for a world in which people and communities are equipped to achieve health for all. Our mission is to provide information and educational tools that help all people take greater control over their health and work to eliminate the underlying causes of poor health.

Van Allsburg, Chris. Just a Dream. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1990. Age Range: 4 - 8 years Publisher's Description: Walter is a litterbug who does not appreciate the beauty of nature, or understand his role in keeping the planet healthy . . . until a fantastic journey shows him the tragic fate that could befall Earth if humans like him are not more careful. Are Walter's actions really helping his planet along the road to destruction, or is it all just a dream?

de Rothschild, David. Plastiki Across the Pacific on Plastic: An Adventure to Save Our Oceans. New York, NY: Melcher Media, 2011. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Explorer, global green leader, and eco-TV host David de Rothschild recounts the extraordinary journey of the Plastiki, an innovative and mostly untested sixty-foot catamaran that floats on 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. It was a voyage that took de Rothschild and a five-person crew 10,000 miles from the U.S. to Australia, sailing through rarely traveled, dangerous waters, risking their lives to call attention to our fragile oceans. Their exploration included urgent study of ocean pollution, island nations threatened by rising seas, damaged coral reefs, and the acidifying ocean itself and their discoveries are a call to action. Packed with exciting narrative, images, maps, journal entries, plans, and sketches, this is the only firsthand account of what may be the most important adventure of our time.

Rohmer, Harriet. Heroes of the Environment: True Stories of People who are Helping to Protect Our Planet. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 2009. Age Range: 9 and up Publisher's Description: Rather than featuring the usual roundup of environmental heroes, this title spotlights 12 contemporary conservationists who are working to fight pollution in cities, oceans, and wetlands, from Alaska to Mexico City. Many of the featured activists are young people. At age 11, Alex Lin started a campaign in Rhode Island for the safe disposal of electronic waste ("Today's technology should not become tomorrow's toxic trash"). Erica Fernandez, a teenage Mexican immigrant in California, led a successful fight to prevent a pipeline that would transport highly explosive gas through her neighborhood. Julia Bonds, a coal-miner's daughter in Appalachia, is working to replace coal with wind power. The book's format is lackluster, but the black-and-white photos do show the individuals at work in their communities. The powerful mix of personal stories with crucial environmental and social issues will be a call to action for young readers, who will want to move on to the final section: "How You Can Get Involved."

Herzog, Brad. S is for Save the Planet: A How-to-Be-Green Alphabet. Farmington Hills, MI: Sleeping Bear Press, 2009. Age Range: 6 and up Publisher's Description: This alphabet title aims to raise awareness of diverse environmental issues and offer conservation tips. Each letter's topic is introduced in two rhyming stanzas ("B is for bright idea-/ a bulb that lasts much longer"), while sidebars of small, dense text, geared toward older readers, detail-related information (an overview of compact fluorescent and incandescent lights, for example) and provide context for each issue's importance. Included throughout are suggestions and practical steps that kids and adults can take to help make a difference. The colorful, realistic illustrations depict children in everyday settings engaged in green activities, such as clearing litter. The rhymes occasionally feel forced, and an index to help guide readers to specific information would have been welcome. Nonetheless, from A ("Appreciation for our planet") to Z ("zero carbon footprint"), each letter introduces concepts that will inspire thought and action, beyond the familiar Rs of reusing, reducing, and recycling.