christopher macrae (Nov 25 2011)

emerging notes on competition winners: Southern Polytechnic State University (Marietta) and its project, `Restoration Trust.` envisions the creation of a company with a mission to improve the lives of victims of domestic violence. The team developed a plan that utilizes Yunus’ techniques of providing micro lending to domestic violence victims. The group also focused on how to provide assistance with housing, and employment as well as education. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Tifton), `Health Clinic.` Georgia Gwinnett College (Lawrenceville), `Read4Life!` there are adults who can’t perform simple tasks like reading prescription bottles or books to their children,” said Morissette. “With the right resources, they will.” The resulting social business plan, “Read4Life!,” provides a turnkey low-cost franchise that, at 260 franchises in five years, would generate 50,000 newly literate adults annually in Georgia, as projected by the team. Part of Read4Life!’s unique formula is in its combination of high-interest books plus coaches from the franchise-owning community organizations, said faculty advisor, Robert Anservitz, an assistant professor of marketing at Georgia Gwinnett College Valdosta State University, `Clean Sweep.` Fort Valley State University, `Peach.` Gainesville State College, `Sew Company.` Cooperatives for regenerating an area that had lost its main employer of skills- apparently part of Gerogia has lost its textile manufacturing- a sewers cooperative would make a relevant regeneration channel others included Solar for mobile homes of which there are hundreds of thousands in a state like Georgia An e-trash centre that would recycle electronic gadgets. This could act as a hub for placing the recycled technology devices with youth who otherwise would not have access to the information age. Clearly this sort of concept has extra value if college students see this as a way of integrating peer to peer training, ie the college students knowhow of using technology could valuably mentor schoolkids most at risk to not getting digital experience. agricultural cooperative channels gtargeting georgia's most isolated farming communities and linking in all the network expertise and netwkoring permissions of georgia's agricultural colleges