Like two lines on a path destined to cross, National Autism Month (April) arrives just as the story of Michelle Cedillo reaches national attention.

Michelle's parents as well several thousand other parents are confronting the medical establishment in court in an argument that childhood vaccines are catalyzing, if not causing, the development of autism in children. Doctors say the development is coincidence, that is, since most children receive their vaccines during the ages autism is known to develop; parents on the other hand don't believe its merely coincidence, but that it may be the cause.

Read more about Michelle Cedillo here.

Also, as part of their Adopt the Red Flags of Autism campaign, The Early Intervention Network (www.actearly.org) has put together a PSA that is now being featured at DoGooder TV. See it here:

Brought to us by Google and Specialized Bicycle Components, the Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine Contest was a contest designed to inspire innovation and environmental change by highlighting the benefits of cycling.

The Challenge: Invent and put together machines that transform zero-emission human energy into new and useful purposes.

The Result: Success- hundred folds. Entries from all around presented their own ideas, the winner however, took a Playpumps-esque idea and made it mobile. The Aquaduct:  Mobile Filtration Vehicle, a bicycle that not only provides an environmentally friendly transportation, but also provides a means to create and move clean filtered water long-distances. It was designed to target problems in areas where clean water is not readily available, and as a result, leads to millions of deaths every year.

I present to you the winner the Innovate or Die contest, The Aquaduct:  Mobile Filtration Vehicle...

Be sure to also check out the other entries on their YouTube page here.

Sources:

• Google Blog
• Innovate or Die Contest Page

Albiet controversial, the motive and intentions are admirable; One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is an innovative approach to empowering children in developing countries by providing them free laptops. The challenges of getting the XO laptop at the target price of $100 was a feat in itself, now the challenge of convincing people that this cause is worthwhile will be the tallest hurdle to jump.

From the OLPC website | Mission
The mission of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) is to empower the children of developing countries to learn by providing one connected laptop to every school-age child. In order to accomplish our goal, we need people who believe in what we’re doing and want to help make education for the world’s children a priority, not a privilege.

Since November 12th, OLPC has been offering a limited-time Give One Get One program in the United States and Canada. During Give One Get One, you can donate the revolutionary XO laptop to a child in a developing nation, and also receive one for the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. Thanks to a growing interest in the program, we are extending Give One Get One until the end of the year. Through this extension, and the increasing public interest in OLPC, we hope to give many more children the opportunity to grow, explore, learn and express themselves.

With the help of Microsoft, a poor neighborhood in Philadelphia recently opened  it's doors to a new type of school known as the "School of the Future". This highly anticipated project was originally put together in 2003; it houses classrooms that look like board rooms, advanced technology lockers, but most importantly, an approach to teaching that embraces and encompasses the next generation of technologies (even blogging).

Read more about the program and order the documentary at Microsoft's website. Also check out the NPR's report on the school.

PlayPumps International announces that Eric Hopkins of Maine is the winner of PlayPumps International's PSA Video Contest. Not only did he receive a new MacBook Pro laptop computer, but also is awarded the thrill of seeing his PSA featured on the PlayPumps International Web site, helping raise awareness and motivate action.

Watch his PSA and learn how your financial contribution can provide clean water for children and communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

View other PlayPumps International videos on their website.

Lynn Price founded Camp To Belong, an international non-profit that has been actively reuniting brothers and sisters placed in separate foster, adoptive or kinship homes through Summer Camp Programs and year round events since 1995. Here's a terrific podcast about starting camp and how others can learn from her experience.

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