Thursday, March 26, 2009

Help a charity & win a signed ARC of Ballads!

My cousin Greg Lowe formed an organization called Tipping Points in Philadelphia. It's an organization that provides high-quality, low-cost tutoring and test preparation services to at-risk, underprivileged youth to help them access college and higher education opportunities. Compared to for-profit models like Kaplan, Greg’s approach will only charge $50 per student for a 12-week tutoring course, but still attract high-quality tutors by paying them at the same rate as Tipping Points’ for-profit competitors. By helping erase part of the resource gap between low-income youth and their more affluent peers, Tipping Points hopes to play a role in closing the achievement gap.

Good education is very close to my heart and since many of you are avid readers, I imagine it is close to yours as well. I hate seeing the inequality in education. I lived in St. Louis until I was 8 years old and went to an inner city school. Then I moved to Oak Park, Illinois, a relatively well-to-do suburb of Chicago and even as a kid I was astounded by the differences. I still to this day think about my very intelligent peers that I left behind in St. Louis and wonder how their lives turned out and if their lives would have been different if they had the opportunities I did. Race, class, and where you are from should not determine the quality of your education. Programs like Tipping Points are essential to giving EVERYONE a shot at achieving their dreams.

Tipping Points is competing for a grant from Match Rugby and Teach for America. To help them get this grant all you have to do is vote for them at this website (be sure to actually check the box and vote, not just leave a comment).

Since this matter so much to me, if you vote for Tipping Points and leave a comment here saying that you did so, you will be entered to win a signed ARC of my new book BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. (Be honest. It's not hard to vote and it's for charity after all.) If you post a blog entry about Tipping Points including the link of where to vote and leave a link to your blog in my comments, you will get 2 extra contest entries. And lastly, don't forget to include in your blog that I am running this contest and that people should come here and comment that they voted and that they heard about Tipping Points from you, because, you guessed it, each person that comments saying that they heard from you gets you an extra contest entry. 

You are looking and an unlimited amount of contest entries here, guys! That means a very strong chance of winning an ARC of BALLADS. I don't have the ARCs in my grubby paws just yet, but as soon as I do I will ship one off to the winner. Of course the winner also has the option to ask for a signed copy of I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE instead and I can ship that pretty immediately. So yeah, START ENTERING!!!! Deadline is 3/31 which is when the voting closes.

49 comments:

Meg said...

i voted! your cousin had a great idea. i did my SAT prep through kaplan and i don't want to talk about how much that cost. :)

Diana Dang said...

To help the unfortunate with their education is a wonderful idea. I wish that it will be carried out for those who needs it. I have definitely voted for Tipping Point!

I will post about this on Sunday. =)

thebluerose said...

I voted. I find the idea wonderful. I live in Maimi, where there are so many different influences. Magnet schools are still being built in my city in certain neighborhoods to try and help the people there in educations by bumping up the education standards.
I have a friend who use to live in Orlando, and the education levels weren't as good as it is here.

I blogged about it here.

http://faladidadida.blogspot.com/2009/03/for-charity.html

Anonymous said...

Wow. This is an amazing idea. I wish Topping Points all the luck in the world!

I voted and blogged about it as well, though it's unlikely my blog will help much. I don't get too many readers lately. :P

Blogged here.

Katie said...

I voted and posted about this on my blog. I think this is for a great cause and I think it is wonderful what you are doing to help!

http://katiesbookblog-katie.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

I voted:)

Steph Su said...

A wonderful giveaway for a great cause, Stephanie. I voted, posted about this giveaway on my blog here, and I heard about this from Katie. Thanks! :)

stephxsu at gmail dot com

Jen said...

I voted! Good luck!
Also I linked you in my sidebar under contests ^_^
Heard about it from Steph Su

Erika Powell said...

I voted and I blogged about it here
http://kissmybook.blogspot.com/2009/03/help-charity-and-win-book.html
this is such a great cause!

donnas said...

I voted. Its a great idea and its nice to see people trying to help others.

Llehn said...

I heard about this from Steph Su's blog so I voted for Tipping Point as well! Hope it helps!

Lesley
lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

Your cousin's organizations sounds like an awesome idea, and I admire him for putting it together!

I voted for Tipping Points...and can I say that I heard it from 2 bloggers? Steph Su and Erika Lynn.

cecilia { cecpham(at)gmail.com

Thao said...

Your cousin's idea is amazing. Low income shouldn't prevent the youth from getting higher education opportunities. Tipping Points is at #2 now but I really hope they will win!

I heard this from my friend Steph Su, and have blogged about it too:

http://serenehours.blogspot.com/2009/03/charity-is-calling-you-so-is-arc.html

So Many Books, So Little Time said...

I voted! And I heard about it from Steph Su.

angels3@blueyonder.co.uk

Sophie

susan said...

I saw your request at Thao's. I voted. Wish you and your peers well with your program.

BN Book Blog said...

We voted! What a great idea! Heard about the contest from Steph Su.

bnbookblog@gmail.com
Beth & Nathan

Sage Ravenwood said...

I voted. It's an awesome idea. I came from a low income home, so I'm well aware of the cost of getting a higher education.

Thanks for the giveaway as well! Indigo

ravensquietscreams(at)gmail(dot)com

Stephanie Kuehnert said...

You guys are all awesome! Thanks so much for voting!!!!!

Unknown said...

I totally voted! WHAT a great thing your cousin is doing. and $50 is so inexpensive! compared to Kumon and Kaplan, etc...

Khy said...

I voted! Yay! Hope Tipping Point wins. :D

Brooke Reviews said...

This is a great charity, and as a wanna be teacher (2 years left of school!) it's nice to see there is so much help out there. :)

I'm also posted about this on my blog: http://reviewsbybrooke.blogspot.com/

Also, I read about this on Thao's blog (Serene Hours).

The Brunette Librarian said...

I VOTED! :)

GreenBeanTeenQueen said...

That is a great charity! I voted-I hope they win.
www.greenbeanteenqueen.blogspot.com

Nicole C. said...

I voted!!!

choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

I voted! Your cousin is awesome. I can't wait for Ballads of Surburbia! And, I heard about this contest from Katie from Katie's Book Blog.

Shelly B said...

Being a teacher, this is near and dear to my heart, of course I voted! I found out about your contest from Steph Su Reads. Off to blog about it!

malleycc said...

Good luck. I voted!

Shelly B said...

Here's my blog post. Hope it helps!

Bookgeek said...

Voted.
Will post on my blog.
AngelaM@keplers.com

Bookgeek said...

Oops forgot the URL
posted at
http://thebookbind.blogspot.com/2009/03/help-charity-and-win-free-book.html

Doret said...

I voted, found out about it from Thao's blog Serenehours.
Good Luck

Nora said...

I voted, and posted about it here: http://noraatnow.blogspot.com/2009/03/tipping-points.html

what a great idea for a company!

Kelsey said...

I voted! Thanks for telling me about this! It's a wonderful idea!

readingkeepsyousane@gmail.com

I'll post it on my sidebar.

Anonymous said...

Very cool program. I voted!

Margay Leah Justice said...

I read about this contest on Write for a Reader and I just had to enter because I love promoting a good cause. So I voted for your cousin and blogged about it here:

http://margayleahjustice.com/?p=246

Whether I win an ARC or not is immaterial; I think it's more important to promote this cause. (Not that I'd turn down a copy if I did win!) Wishing your cousin lots of luck in this,

Margay Leah justice

JD said...

I voted:)

jdmimi at gmail dot com

Michelle Kuo said...

I have voted for Tipping Points! I think it's a very important cause, because it's really unfair when people don't receive the education they deserve just because of the fact that they never get the opportunity to do so! Wonderful idea.

Learned about it from shelburns!

Pandragon said...

I voted! I think it's a great idea and all the organizations deserve the money. I also posted this on my blog at:

http://thelibraryofadragon.blogspot.com/

Diana Dang said...

Just a note, I have it up on my blog: http://orientaldesires.blogspot.com/2009/03/in-my-mailbox-xvii.html

Anonymous said...

I voted for Tipping Points, and I heard about it from the post made by Diana Dang. :)

KR said...

I voted! I heard about it on Kate's Book Blog.

Liviania said...

Voted!

Despite being a regular reader, I've been so behind I actually heard about this from Thao.

Amee said...

I voted and posted about it here:

http://abebookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/contest-charity-stephanie-keuhnert.html

Alea said...

I voted, good luck to your cousin!

Reader Rabbit said...

I heard about it from abebookreviews.blogspot.com

And I voted and posted about it. :http://readerrabbit.blogspot.com/2009/03/charity-contest-timeits-two-in-one.html

Amee said...

I just realized I forgot to tell you that Kelsey (Reading Keeps You Sane) is where I found the link to this contest. So sorry for forgetting until just now!

Sara said...

I voted!!
And posted a blog about this contest! @ http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com

Sara
grochowskis@hotmail.com

Violet Vixen said...

Wow. This is a great cause. I voted (at what is probably the last minute!). I got here from Katie's Book Blog!

Melanie said...

I voted! It's a really great cause! I got here from Reader Rabbit.

My email is melmarie1@yahoo.com