Now it’s late-November, and the Kindle donations continue to come in, albeit more slowly. Just last week, I was close to abandoning the 100-Kindle dream, content with the current state of the Kindle Classroom Project, where lots of Kindles are in lots of students’ hands, and lots of students are reading lots of books as a result.
But Mary’s donation today of the 87th Kindle (thanks, Mary!), along with promises that Kindles #88 and #89 will arrive next week, has emboldened me anew. Are we really just 11 Kindles away from the magic number? If so, this is possible, right? Maybe?
With your help, I think it’s possible to reach the 100-Kindle goal.
Here are some ways that you can help:
1. Be on the look-out for Kindle owners who want to upgrade.
Does one of your friends read on a Kindle 2? Wouldn’t that friend want to upgrade to the Paperwhite? Encourage your friend to do so and then donate her old one to the Project.
2. Tell your family, if they celebrate Christmas, to make a contribution to a good cause.
Then, tell your family that this year’s good cause is reading, and direct them to my students’ Amazon Wishlist, where it’s super fast and easy to purchase a new Kindle. Sure, $69 is a lot of money, but if a few family members go in on it, it’s not so costly.
3. Scour Craiglist ads for Kindles and persuade would-be sellers to donate.
This one takes more patience and skill. But it’s a bit addictive once you get the hang of it! I’ve been successful in convincing a few folks on Craigslist (probably 4-5 so far) to forego the $40 they could gain by selling their Kindle and to donate it instead. Suggestion: If you’re successful, don’t go picking up the Kindle on your own. Have the person ship it, or tell me, and I’ll pick it up. 🙂
4. Get the word out about the Kindle Classroom Project.
The more people know about it, the better. Facebook is good. So is Twitter. Best, though, is if you have a personal blog and write a post about the Project. My friend and generous sustaining donor Iris (San Diego, CA) wrote this post in April, and 8-10 Kindles have come from folks who originally read her post before finding my Donate Kindle page. It’s pretty amazing. So yes, if you would be willing to write a quick post (with “donate kindle” in the headline, for best results!), I would be extremely appreciative.
Also, if you have other ideas, please let me know. With your help, I really do think that it’s possible to reach 100 Kindles by the New Year. Let’s do it!