The Reuters Digital Vision Program is a one-year fellowship at Stanford University for mid-career tech professionals. I'm blogging my experiences there: the amazing guest speakers, the interesting classes and discussion groups with other fellows, and thoughts on how technology can help reduce the gulf between the global rich and poor.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Two ribbon-cutting ceremonies

Two major construction projects had inaugural ceremonies within 200
yards of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto within the last 24 hours. Here's a quick scorecard:











Stanford StadiumOpportunity Center
PurposeVenue for football games, commencements, other major eventsHousing for previously homeless singles and families, drop-in social services such as laundry, mailboxes, showers, etc.
Opening DateSept. 16, 2006Sept. 17, 2006
Construction Cost$90M$24M
Private money raised$90M$9M
Start DateNovember 26,2005September 13, 2001
Capacity50,000131 (approx.)
Replaces...84 year old 85,500 seat stadiumCanopy in field behind Red Cross building
Media Coverage
(from Google News)
26 articles1 article
Websitewww.stanfordstadium.comwww.opportunitycenter.org
Bands Playing at Inaguration1, Navy's (Stanford Band had been banned...)4


I was personally moved to see the opening of the Opportunity Center. It's an amazing facility, with computer labs, a playground, a medical center, private and common areas that let residents share community or have personal space. I know that many people were critical to its creation, but wanted to especially acknowledge Jim Burklo, a minister in Sausalito, and former pastor at Stanford as well as founder of Urban Ministries of Palo Alto, for being one of they key visioniaries and tireless advocates for not just the building and its programs but also the people the building and program serve.

Thank you, Jim!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

DonorsChoose "September to Remember"

My last post was also about DonorsChoose, but since it's been 3 months, and they've got a new campaign going, I wanted to write about it again. As a result of my last challenge (Thanks to all those who contributed!) and some confusion on my part for the way people contributed to it, I ended up with several gift certificates after the proposal in my challenge had already been fully funded.

I knew that they're in the midst of a big fund drive for the month of September ($1.2M nationwide, $250K in California) so I figured this would be a good time to cash in some of those gift certificates.

I had a lot of fun doing it.

In each case, I was able to find a project that I thought would be meaningful to the person who had given me the gift certificate:



If you're puzzling over what to get that difficult to shop for friend or relative, I was amazed at the range of meaningful projects that are part of the DonorsChoose list. Please take a look at the challenge grant and see if you're as lucky as I was in finding the appropriate gift.