Hasta La Gadget!

For some time I had been wicked stressed, taking on way more than I could handle but I did it — well disguised on the outside but a veritable mess on the inside. So finally when I was able to convince myself that I was no superwoman in spite of what I liked to believe, and that it was nothing to be ashamed of, I felt a sense of relief. However, it was now time to make up for lost time and “unhad” fun. What better way to let my guard down and experience unadulterated bliss then to go away with my two closest friends?

The grand getaway to the Cape was now underway! Unfortunately we soon realized that the shiny black Explorer that had been deliberately chosen for its size (and style) did not have the capacity to hold our belongings (the shoes alone for the next two days were enough to adorn the feet of every runway model from New York to Paris). Within minutes the smart car turned dark inside as the windows began to get covered with overstuffed bags piled on top of each other. The classy trio, casually dressed in blue jeans and sweatshirts, meticulously planned through countless hours of texts, was nothing more than a bunch of indecisive, hoarding bag ladies behind closed doors. In spite of the eyesore, each felt a certain inner peace knowing that there was enough wine and munchies to host lavish threesome parties in stylish clothes and matching accessories if we were ever to be stranded across the Bourne Bridge. And although, it was a bit claustrophobic inside, I was already starting to breathe in peace.

What a riotous ride it was with my beautiful 20-something girlfriend driving the getaway car, my 30-something lovely friend providing the much-needed voice of calm and (okay — if I must) a 40-something me, admittedly crazy, providing comic relief that the other two were expected to laugh at — funny or not. (And oh — there was a 7-year-old tucked away in the back because of lack of childcare along with his best friend for company — but they pretended to be invisible and that was just fine with us).

The ride to the destination was everything and more than what we had plotted it would be. The anticipation of what was to come was overwhelming and the non-stop planning of what was to happen every minute of the next two days was thrilling! We were like little school children planning a party; our list was endless and mindless F-U-N was going to be the only edict.

The playlist was ready too. My girlfriends had been promised a dance; in fact this whole trip had been born a few months ago in another car ride when a serious conversation was abruptly interrupted to dance to Uptown Funk. There had not been much room to wiggle then as I was in the driver’s seat and so of course, the shuffle for the getaway included my man — Bruno Mars.

It was a balmy 56 degrees at the beach but who cared? We were just happy to find seclusion, eat, drink out of owl sippy cups and be merry. My one-woman dance party experienced a minor glitch; instead of dancing with Bruno, I was left struggling with Charlie. My girlfriends were very impressed with my over the top dance moves and the squeals that followed shortly. I was horrified that they laughed even when I was finally able to convey to them that the overpowering twitching and grabbing of my left leg with my right arm and contorting it to reach my forehead to let the blood flow freely through my veins, were simply to drive away the Charlie Horse that had rudely trotted into my dance party. My girlfriends were hysterical as I lay on the sand writhing in pain. The cramp left a dent in my calf but did not dampen the spirit. The two immature schoolgirls had felt obligated to record my moves and having captured an unexpected footage at my painful expense, decided to play it over and over that night to amuse themselves.

That evening when we started getting ready for dinner all three of us faced a dilemma: we could not find the perfect pair of shoes to match our outfits. There were too many to choose from and we arrived at Landfall fashionably late, still complaining about our quandary. Why did we go to dinner in the first place — I don’t know for we were too full. Shortly afterwards as I coolly walked over to the handsome, young host to ask for directions to the Ladies Room, I realized that I was losing my pants but fortunately I was able to quickly pull them up. I had forgotten that as soon as we were seated in the elegant restaurant, I had taken advantage of the dimly lit décor to undo my belt and unzip my jeans, which were a tad bit tight on the belly but matched the chosen shoes. When I came back to excitedly relate this story to my graceful friends, they revealed that they had done exactly the same and informed me matter-of-factly: “Everyone does this but no one blurts it out like you.” From that point onwards I was not interested in the sizzling Clam Chowder, the warm, savory bread or the succulent Scrod — all I wanted to do was to see how many glamorous ladies I could catch with their zippers down.

That night after we got into our soft clothes and poured glasses of wine into plastic cups, ready for the all-night rendezvous, something happened that may have scarred me forever. The girls were starting to get noticeably restless, holding on to their pillows tightly to their chests. Of course we had brought our favorite pillows along (because we ladies are veraciously faithful to our pillows and refuse to sleep with others’) but what my two friends pulled out of theirs and began to uncontrollably sniff was utterly horrifying. If I knew them well they would never do anything illegitimate and I was dying to know what had been hidden in the deep recesses of their pillows. Finally the dirty secret was revealed and out came “DDs” and “Blanks” and then “Mr. Edgar.” Mr. Edgar (AKA Edgie Boy or simply Edgar) was the innocent soft toy — a dog of sorts with a button nose; DDs was a knotty yellowish string with a few bumpy, tangled threads hanging loosely while Blanks resembled a nubby, dirty tannish mophead. It was a scene out of a horror movie as the two grown ladies tightly held DDs and Blanks close to their chest, caressed them furiously against their cheeks and sniffed them ferociously from time to time. After I was able to recover somewhat from this bizarre scene straight out of The Exorcist, I found out that these full grown women, who I had so long mistaken to be fairly normal ladies, are not able to go to bed without these now decaying remnants of their childhood. (Both were shocked to find how similar their stories were at which point I was afraid for my safety and the safety of the children in the house). We found out that DDs and Blanks were lily-white comfort blankets some 25 and 35 years ago, and even though they are now shreds of tangled messes, these full-grown women cannot untangle themselves from their twisted grips. Warped tales of DDs and Blanks being secretly smuggled into strangers’ pillows during wild nights emerged.

There were also stories of conspiring to dress comfortably on dates whenever possible in oversized sweatshirts with bulky pockets just so they could be snuggled in for the night. I could not pass up the opportunity to interview Edgars, DDs and Blanks when offered. This is what I learned: DDs (First name: D, Middle name D and last name Levy) and Blanks (Blankie and/or Swiss Cheese) have been around since the girls were both babies. DDs once had a friend named Fifi who is no longer with us. DDs was once a full blanket with Mickey Mouse on him. He came to school with my friend till she was in Third grade. He was once lost in the school cafeteria but obviously eventually found; needless to say that it was the most traumatic day for both. Both DDs and Blanks have toured the world extensively but one cardinal rule of travel is that they are never allowed in the checked baggage — only in the carryon. Blanks also accompanied his mom on her honeymoon to Aruba. Also, there were a few almost heart-breaking incidents of DDs and Blanks being accidently put in the laundry when what they require are special mesh bags and a delicate cycle setting for their occasional baths. Blanks was once tossed around in the mouth of the family Bulldog, Lola, and clearly in the line of fire but Bella, a gentle, friendly Yellow Lab won’t even go near DDs. We are not sure if this is the result of Bella having become conditioned after hearing “no” millions of times when she so much as looked at him, or if she is naturally afraid of him. Both DDs and Blanks have survived torture, torment and threats of being thrown out of car windows or tossed into the fire by siblings and parents; DDs’ (reluctant) grandpa is convinced that his lovely daughter will someday walk down the aisle with “that thing in your nose.” There were also ample stories (like the one about an Amber Alert almost being issued when DDs had recently gone missing) that scared the daylights out of me and made me want to bolt that night. No wonder I stayed up all night as the two crazies lay across the bed with DDs and Blanks draped across their nose, with Edgar keeping guard across the heaving heart.

Next morning I was accused of having no “sleepover etiquette” because I had tried to wake them up all night by doing everything imaginable — from jumping on the bed (and inadvertently writhing in pain again by hitting my head on the ceiling) and walking on the ocean blue air mattress and pretending to the cross the stormy Atlantic. But nothing worked for such was the potent power of DDs and Blanks.

After a breakfast of homemade pancakes, bacon and chocolate milk (because the nearest Starbucks was miles away and too trendy to travel to in our crazy hair and lazy outfits), the girls hopped into bed with their stringy thingies and snoozed off again! And I am the crazy one?

Of course, the morning was spent straightening hair, trying make up on and reminiscing about the previous night. I realized that I may have had a few too many drinks (out of sheer terror, I am sure) when I was reminded of all the non-stop “f” words I had used, because ordinarily I do not ever use swears. There was something so liberating to be able to swear and spill out matters of the heart without being judged and even though, I had realized that my beautiful friend was “yessing” me to death, without paying any heed to what I had to say, it was reassuring that she was there, albeit with strings attached. That night we also broke barriers and deeply bonded by talking about unladylike juvenile topics that had to do with bodily functions; the word “Scrod” now has a whole new meaning as a result.

When it was time to leave, we tried to clean up our mess for we had managed to turn the neat house into a trailer park in just hours. The car was packed once again and this time I politely offered to share the back seat with the garbage stashed in a black trash bag. The plan was to haul it back home but I complained that it stank too much; I had to hold it close to me for lack of space anywhere else (plus we were ready for some adventure). It felt so good to drive up to a beckoning dumpster behind a crowded strip mall, dispose of the waste and then jump back into the getaway car and speed away! We were convinced that we were being followed by Law Enforcement Officials after being spotted dumping illegally and were ready to fire convincing excuses back at them. But unfortunately, we had no such luck but plenty of laughs at their expense.

The next day we drove around aimlessly scouting out fantasy wedding venues, compiling guest lists and planning the most extravagant beach wedding. All we needed to make this a reality was a groom! The exhausting brainwork was followed by a long walk in the light rain, lavish shopping in the quaint stores and more seafood (no one ordered Scrod this time). We were bursting at the seams from the laughs and the lunch but could not resist the enticing cupcakes calling our names from inside a tiny cupcake factory. Later we debated whether to order more wine but unanimously agreed who needs alcohol when life is so goddamn intoxicating? There is nothing more hallucinogenic than close friends and true friendship.

We parted ways that evening with smiles and heavy hearts and a solemn promise that our secrets will be safe forever…

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A friend of mine from my teen years recently got married. Even though we lost touch, I still feel the same joy for her that I would if we were still a close part of each other’s lives. She looked radiant and blissful.

In seeing the pictures floating around Facebook, I can’t help but reminisce on the days of my past. For me, many of my high school days are but a blur of drunken, teenage angst. I feel a little bit of sadness come across me as I realize that I did nothing to enrich or grow the few close friendships I had in high school.

I was so consumed in myself and my needs that no one or nothing else was as important. I am disappointed that I hurt those that had given me nothing but love, compassion and fifth chances. I don’t believe in regrets. I think every single thing that I did in my life was for a reason. I do, however, wonder how life would have gone had I done things a little bit differently.

If this version of me could go back to high school me, and even the first few years of “early adult” me, what would I say to that girl? How would I guide her to make the right choices? How would I let her know everything I’ve learned today?

Over the years, here are the things I’ve thought about that I wish I could have told my adolescent self:

1. You are going to be OK.
2. Pay a little more attention to what your parents say.
3. He’s using you.
4. Don’t take that sip!
5. Run as far away as you can.
6. Put down that cigarette.
7. They aren’t really your friends.
8. Please get rid of that shirt.
9. And that stupid dress.
10. And your eyebrow ring.
11. P.S. You’ll hate that tattoo in 7 years.
12. He really does love you.
13. You aren’t a failure.
14. Enjoy naps.
15. Stop skipping class.
16. Your parents are actually kind of cool.
17. Call your grandparents.
18. It’s OK to agree to disagree.
19. It’s also OK to simply say “no.”
20. It’s OK not to want to do that, or wear that, or listen to that.
21. Be authentic in all you do.
22. You really aren’t a good dancer. Stop dancing when you are drunk. This thing called the Internet exists.
23. Then again, I hope you dance wherever you are. Dance like no one is watching.
24. If you don’t like him, you don’t have to say yes.
25. You mom really just cares.
26. Do not break them up.
27. Apologize. Don’t do it again.
28. Invest in a watch, and maybe start setting it 10 minutes ahead.
29. Look for the good in everyone.
30. Stop complaining.
31. Stop missing out on opportunities because you are scared about what others will think.
32. Follow. Your. Dreams.
33. It’s never too late to be brand new.
34. Please don’t eat ice cream at 3 a.m. Your hips will hate you for it.
35. Chocolate Addiction does exist. Be prepared.
36. Be wary of blue eyes. They’ll get you time, and time, and time again.
37. Texting and driving will get you dents on your car, among other things. Please. Stop.
38. You can’t rap. You look like an idiot. There will be video evidence for years to come.
39. If it ain’t working, walk away.
40. Wear it if you like it. Not because everyone else says it’s cool or not.
41. Love fearlessly. Love yourself fearlessly.
42. Go to church for the right reasons.
43. Being an outsider is OK, so long as you are being yourself.

I’m sure there are so many other things that I could say. But when I think about it, what would I be like today if I would have listened to any of those things? What if I would have heeded the warnings? What if I would have done this, or been that, or gone there?

You see, my past is my past, and some of it is really mucky and foggy. Some of it is vibrant and beautiful. But each one of those things above that I didn’t do got me to this moment. This moment in which I am finally finding out who I am. I am finally seeing what I want from life, and who I strive to become.

I’m reminded of a quote that says, “You can be the ripest, juciest peach in the world, and there’s still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” (Dita Von Teese)

I’m finally at a point today where I’m starting to learn that it is totally OK that not everyone likes peaches. I like peaches a lot! I always search for the best peach when I’m in the produce section. If it’s too hard, too soft, too mushy, too bruised, I don’t give it a second glance. It has to be perfect.

But, when I think about it, I’m sometimes too hard, or too soft, or too mushy, and much too bruised. I’m definitely not always the ripest or the juiciest peach. I’m definitely not perfect by any means, nor will I ever be. But I like myself today. I like the me who I am becoming. And I like that I can sit in my pain and my joy and my emotions and accept that sometimes, others just might not like me. And that is OK. That is freeing. I don’t have to judge myself for what I’m not, or what I wish to be. I simply have to be me and continually make the effort to better myself, my walk with Christ, my relationship with my friends and family, and my actions.

I don’t have to be perfect. And man, I love that.

Be well today, my friends. Be OK with who you are. Be OK with exactly the moment you are in. That moment is defining you. And whether you are a peach, a grape, an apple, or celery — YOU are uniquely you, and that is wonderful.

This post originally appeared on BlissfullyErin.com.

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Responding to growing calls to improve science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) education, increasing numbers of public and private schools are touting their specialized STEM programs, largely centered on special technology or a particular set of course offerings. While some of these programs may be of high quality, parents and community leaders should kick the tires of local STEM education initiatives to determine the extent to which these efforts are based on what research shows will increase STEM knowledge and problem-solving skills and, as a result, spark student engagement and interest in STEM careers.

In order to do this you need to look for a number of key factors, including the extent to which STEM efforts serve all students equally- and well. Do they encourage learning across disciplines; promote student inquiry and real-world problem solving; and connect students with people working in real STEM-related careers on campuses, in industry and in the community?

My organization, AdvancED, is in the business of measuring the quality of education institutions and their programs. Based on our work, we have developed standards and criteria for parents and community leaders to quickly gauge the quality of the STEM education programs in their community. You can use these questions — and the examples of schools that we have certified as being strong in STEM — to discuss with school leaders how they might strengthen their STEM offerings.

Here are some initial questions you can ask:

• Is the STEM learning program interdisciplinary and problem-based, encouraging deeper learning through real-world projects? In excellent STEM programs, students learn not just science, technology, engineering, and mathematical processes and practices but also across and beyond STEM disciplines. They develop competencies such as collaboration and communication skills necessary for success in college and career. Middleton Magnet High School in Tampa, Florida, for example, encourages an interdisciplinary approach by giving students project-based assignments on a regular and consistent basis where they have an opportunity to identify a problem, develop a solution, follow a process, and then design and market a product. In addition, students create and present project-based assignments outside of the traditional classroom that connect their learning to real-world applications. For example, students in Middleton’s Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) program designing a hotel for Tampa’s historic Ybor City. Students work in groups with their ACE mentors, who are engineers by profession.

• Are students required to demonstrate their work in authentic ways–through projects, plans, and presentations that mirror what they will be required to do in their careers and in further learning? Effective programs use performance-based assessments that demonstrate outcomes required for the next level of STEM learning and for post-secondary education and work. You may want to ask the extent to which students have multiple opportunities to present their STEM learning to a range of stakeholders within and outside of the school and to clarify, elaborate on, and defend their thinking and conclusions using verbal, symbolic, and visual means. For example, at Metro Early College High School in Columbus, Ohio students are afforded multiple and on-going opportunities to demonstrate their learning through formal and informal performance-based assessments. Gateway presentations, an example of authentic performance-based assessments, are required for upper level students who are ready to enroll in college courses and graduate from high school. These students must defend their level of preparedness to enroll in college and then, upon completion of the courses, defend their level of success to graduate. Adults assess students using clear measures of what defines different levels of performance.

• Are students working independently and collaboratively and learning the way scientists do–by asking questions that lead them to discovering solutions to authentic and complex problems? Inquiry lies at the heart of STEM, and schools need to ensure that students have learning experiences focus on real world, locally relevant, complex, open-ended problems that require problem identification, investigation, and analysis. In excellent STEM programs, creative problem solving is highly valued and encouraged, and students have multiple opportunities to work independently and collaboratively to solve problems. At Logan High School in Logan, Ohio advanced classes in biomedicine allow students to explore science in action, take on the role of biomedical professionals, and investigate real-world medical problems. Students study the effects of outside stimuli on the body’s blood pressure and work collaboratively using data acquisition software to monitor body functions, including respiration and blood pressure, in a variety of settings.

• Does the STEM learning program have actively engaged business and industry partners, as well as local colleges and universities, community organizations, and families? Effective programs break through the schoolhouse walls to invite professionals, academics and others who can be supportive of teachers and students. In effective programs, students participate in formal programs of mentorship, apprenticeship, internships, research, or job shadowing with researchers, business/industry, or other community partners. Mount Lebanon Elementary School in Anderson, South Carolina parlays its location near Clemson University and the Tri-County Technical College to provide on-site mentorships and job shadowing to its students in grades 3-5. Clemson’s Mechanical Engineering Department senior-level students work side by side with Mount Lebanon’s elementary-age students to design, develop and produce products such as a wind tunnel for the school’s use in the STEM lab.

  Pat Forrester, an astronaut on loan from NASA to Clemson, frequently speaks to students about STEM careers and math/science integration. Community, post-secondary, business/industry partners, and families actively support and are engaged with teachers and students in the STEM program.

• Does the school go out of its way to support participation by minority students and girls and other groups that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM programs? Effective schools and programs have a STEM outreach plan with measurable goals to significantly increase enrollment, support, and retention of students from under-represented groups and can demonstrate progress meeting such goals. Ask about what types of things the school does routinely and systematically to support and retain students from under-represented groups. At W.J. Keenan High School in Columbia, South Carolina the majority of the school is comprised mostly of minority students and students from low-income families. However, the school ensures that all students who are interested in STEM have an equal opportunity to enroll and succeed in this program. Half of the slots in Project REAL (Raider Engineering and Academic Leadership) are reserved for female students. To further promote female students’ interest in pursuing STEM, Keenan has set an equal number of slots for male and females in its freshman engineering program. In order to extend their reach beyond its walls, students with the Project REAL program provide mentorship to other students through programs such as the FIRST Lego League, both within the Richland One District as well as rural areas outside of the district.

• Does the program ensure that teachers and school leaders themselves become STEM learners to become more effective in leading STEM programs? Quality programs don’t stop with students. All STEM educators need opportunities to stay current about practices in the STEM world through professional learning. See the extent to which STEM educators in the school have ongoing opportunities to expand their proficiency in the use of technology and whether teachers have daily common planning time to collaborate and discuss integrated STEM curricular and instructional practices. Lower Richland High School in Columbia, South Carolina, uses a train the trainer model to provide its teachers job-embedded professional development for STEM-related instruction such as scientific inquiry, problem-based learning, project-based learning, engineering, soft skills, the use of technology, and the integration of STEM skills across the curriculum. Professional development for staff members is provided through partnerships with EngenuitySC and the University of South Carolina Professional Development School initiative, and the Richland One School District ensures that STEM-specific professional development is offered to educators on “Technology Thursdays”.

These questions are based on specific indicators AdvancED uses to certify effective STEM programs, a process conducted by teams of expert reviewers who visit schools with these programs. Our determination of effectiveness is based on analysis of evidence, data and information, interviews with school officials and stakeholders, and examination of student engagement through classroom observations. We also have posted a series of articles by STEM experts and education leaders in our online publication, The Source, providing additional ideas about what makes for quality STEM programs if you want to learn more.

Quality in STEM institutions is measurable and can be recognized by looking at essential indicators attributed to an effective program. Parents and community leaders should not take at face value any claims to quality. The entire community has a crucial role to play in determining whether their schools make the grade when it comes to STEM and in collaborating with STEM educators to make programs even more effective.

Mount Lebanon Elementary School Students

Metro Early College High School Presentation

Lower Richland High School Students

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How do we explain Peter Pan’s enduring hold on our imagination? Why do we get hooked (and I use the term with all due deliberation) when we are children and continue to remain under the spell as adults? J.M. Barrie, more than any other author of children’s books, attempted to level distinctions between adult and child, as well as to dismantle the opposition between creator and consumer. He aimed to produce a story that would be sophisticated and playful, adult-friendly as well as child-friendly. At long last, here was a cultural story that would bridge the still vast literary divide between adults and children. Peter Pan could be a shared experience, drawing two audiences together that had long been segregated into separate domains.

Peter Pan continues to bring young and old together, as they flock to New York City’s Lunt Fontanne Theater. There, the boy who would not grow up returns to us in the new musical Finding Neverland. As audience members, we explore everything from the origins of the boy who would not grow up (Barrie’s brother David died in a tragic ice-skating accident and was doomed to remain forever young) to the complications of creating a work not just for children but also with children (Barrie famously disavowed the role of author, first calling himself “Anon.” then attributing the writing of the play at various times to children and to a nursemaid).

Finding Neverland, like Peter Pan before it, unsettles us even as it provides the comforts of immersive entertainments. The production reminds us exactly why Neverland remains relevant today and why we still need Peter Pan to help us navigate the real world. Our anxiety level is rarely higher than when Peter asks us to express our faith in fairies by clapping. Should we clap? Can we be assured that others will join in? Make-believe suddenly blends into the making of beliefs.

Barrie understood that we never leave childhood entirely behind us. “It isn’t a play just for children. It’s a play for everyone. Everyone who has a child inside of them, screaming to get out!” an exasperated Barrie shouts in Finding Neverland. Lurking beneath the attractions of Finding Neverland as musical are alluring questions that challenge us to think more and think harder about what is at stake in our understanding of children and their relationship to grown-ups, those former children who are now “grown up and done for.”

Based on the 2004 film, Finding Neverland as a musical historicizes the invention of Peter Pan, showing how the work about him emerged from play-carefree collaborations between writer and boys, along with the searing drama of adult soul-searching. Finding Neverland, like Barrie’s Peter Pan, also offers up the consolations of imagination. If there is anything to be learned from Neverland, it has to do with the healing power of imagination and fantasy. Finding Neverland works its magic through the sorcery of words and the enchantments of song and spectacle. Peter Pan is nearly always played by a woman, and it is no surprise that a woman directs this production (notably the only female director of a musical this season on Broadway). Diane Paulus reinvents the story of Peter Pan, embracing and intensifying its impulse to create what J.M. Barrie called “ecstasies innumerable.”

J.M. Barrie would be delighted that this new musical is capturing what he always hoped for with his creation of Peter Pan – igniting the imaginations of children and adults alike on their collective journey to Neverland.

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Underprivileged girls and young women in Nepal are stepping up in a big way for their neighbors in need after Saturday’s devastating earthquake.

About 20 girls who live in the affected region are cooking rice and lentils, and providing first aid kits for those impacted by the magnitude-7.8 earthquake, People.com reported. According to Reuters, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala said the disaster could be responsible for upwards of 10,000 deaths when all is said and done.

The girls and young women — who are between 4 and 20 years old and part of the Unatti Foundation — are helping cook for more than 3,500 people in Bhaktapur, according to the group’s Facebook page.

The foundation recently took in a large donation of first aid kits, according to Stephanie Waisler-Rubin, the nonprofit’s founder and president, and the girls are also helping pass out critical resources to those in need.

“Our area was hit pretty heavily, and everyone has been weathering the night outside in open rice and vegetable fields, as they’re fearful of going into their homes,” Waisler-Rubin told People.com.

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The foundation has been helping to educate and empower Nepalese children since its creation more than a decade ago. The group runs a home for underserved girls in Bhaktapur, and enables the girls to attend the “best schools in the village and receive 24-hour care,” according to the nonprofit’s website.

The girls’ selfless acts are coming in handy, as Nepal grapples to overcome devastation caused by the worst earthquake it has experienced in more than 80 years.

Governments, aid groups and development agencies will continue allocating vital resources toward the region in the coming weeks, the Associated Press reported, and Nepal’s lawmakers have pledged to give one-month salaries — totaling more than $400,000 — toward relief efforts.

American tech companies — like Google, Apple and Microsoft — are also giving money toward relief efforts and providing free services for loved ones to connect with those in devastated areas, NPR reported. On Monday, Facebook announced it’d match every dollar given through its donation widget, up to $2 million.

But in their own smaller way, the girls of the Unatti Foundation are making a big impact on those they’ve been able to help.

“They have a purpose now,” Waisler-Rubin told People. “They’re helping their community, and they feel like they’re making a difference.”

The button below indicates how much has been raised on Crowdrise’s “Nepal Earthquake Relief” page. Click to visit the site and donate.

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#custom_crowdrise_widget .crLogo img { display: none !important;}
#custom_crowdrise_widget .crDonatedLabel { display: none !important; }
#custom_crowdrise_widget .gradientButton {
background: none !important;
-ms-filter:”progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(Opacity=0)” !important;
filter: alpha(opacity=0) !important;
opacity: 0 !important;
border: 0 !important;
width: inherit !important;
height: 21px !important;
margin-top:15px !important;
}
#custom_crowdrise_widget .donateNow {
font: normal 9px Arial,”Helvetica Neue”,Helvetica,sans-serif !important;
-ms-filter:”progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Alpha(Opacity=0)”;
filter: alpha(opacity=0);
opacity: 0;
border: 0 !important;
width: inherit !important;
height: 36px !important;
margin-top:0 !important;
padding-top: 0 !important;
}

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