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Small pieces. Joined.

News, examples, opinions, speculations and other short-form info…below you will find the latest 5 entries. You can explore our other entries, search, or get our newsreader feed.

DELETE FROM RSS FEEDS

(WORLD) …because the Phatgnat (web)log is closed but before you do check out the new Phatgnat website where you can do the following:

• subscribe to the Phatgnat Digest industry report;
•book a place on the exclusive Phatgnat Seminars;
•sign up to the new Phatgnat monthly bulletin.

And if you are aged between 11-25 take part in the Phatgnat Youth Survey.

Filed by DK on October 3 2006

This Is The End

(WORLD) This is the last post on the Phatgnat (web)log.

Like with everything in life, nothing really ends just changes. Over 700 posts and after 18 months of blogging on how brands are investing into community youth-related projects, the Phatgnat (web)log is closing its virtual doors.

Why?

Simple. Money… we have to pay the rent and the bills, so it's time to stop giving away all this stuff for free. Plus, Phatgnat was founded to develop community youth projects for brands and not simply talk about them.

So Phatgnat is refocussing, stopping blogging and creating a subscription-based monthly report for those who still want to get the information. The website will be redesigned a little and if you want to be kept abreast with these developments and find out how to subscribe to the monthly reports then please sign up to the Phatgnat Bulletin.

This has been a great experience and a huge learning curve for me personally/professionally. Through this blog I have met some fantastic people and been inspired by the variety and breadth of brands who are doing great work with young people.

This is DK, signing off…

Filed by DK on September 18 2006

The Phatgnat Challenge #38

'The Phatgnat Challenge' has been developed to demonstrate the services of Phatgnat and to illustrate how businesses can create high-profile youth projects which also satisfies public sectors aims and objectives.

Brand: Thomspon Travel.

Potential Partners: VSO

Project: Enable young people from underprivileged backgrounds to experience a gap year through a sponsorship/bursary programme.

Benefits: Highly visual scheme illustrating social commitment. Creation of opportunities for young people who can't afford to experience travel.

MediaSnackers Films#3—Durham Youth Professionals Training 2006

(UK/WORLD) 2 days, 13 youth professionals, 4 weblogs, and several podcasts… training for youth professionals in web 2.0 and new media/technology.

Check out the MediaSnackers training site for more details?

Reproduced with kind permission from MediaSnackers

Filed by DK on September 17 2006

Phatgnat Bulletin Will Be Late This Week…

… sorry!

Been out of action all weekend and now heading up North to deliver a two workshop on Web 2.0 and technology to fourteen youth professionals.

Filed by DK on September 11 2006

Exam Eliminator

(UK/WORLD) With so much pressure put on students these days, it's difficult to realise that you can get a great job, without getting the grades. I had my AS level results day last month and I remember seeing my friends who got Bs and Cs getting really disappointed with their marks, when really, they've done super! It annoys me how there is a lot of expectation these days for kids to get A*s and As, especially with all the press coverage of 'record breaking results'.

Anyway, I wondered how the internet gave support for students who wanted something different than years of exams, and found this website.

This site seems to give students in America a window to a world without exams, especially with role models such as Bill Gates mentioned. The site even gives the titles of employment where you can 'learn on the job', and a hyperlink so that you can find out more from real companies, offering real employment.

Laura Morsch, author of the article, shares the same view as me, saying that:

Higher education and higher income often go hand in hand. But a college diploma certainly isn't the only ticket to the gravy train—just ask Microsoft co-founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen. These two college dropouts are now among the wealthiest people in the United States, with an estimated combined net worth of $72 billion.

I think the MSN Career page is really useful for kids, as they spend a lot of time on the net these days, and can have information at their fingertips that they may not get in school or in the home. The Careers site provides a different opinion, which I think some people need to help them along,

Written by Emily

Filed by DK on September 9 2006

Anti-Smoking Ads

(US) Attorneys in 35 states in America have invited the Motion Picture Association of America, to start showing and including anti-smoking adverts before their films and on their DVDs.

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said of the PSAs being offered:

This may not be an offer they can't refuse, but it should be an offer studio executives will be happy to accept.

Seems like a real simple way of adding an educational facet to their operations without affecting their market image.

NBC article link.

Filed by DK on September 9 2006

Microsofts School

(US) A couple of days ago in Philidephia, Microsoft, in partnership with School District of Philadelphia opened its School of the Future.

3 years in the making, the high-tech building has digital lockers, smart card entry, laptops not books and interactive 'smart-boards' with the inaugral class being made up of 170 low-income teens.

Mary Cullinane, from Microsoft said:

We have a vested interest because we need to hire the kids who are graduating, and we want to make sure we have created a blueprint that other folks will be able to use.

Reuters article link.

Filed by DK on September 9 2006

Back To School Packs

(WORLD) Henry Schein a healthcare product and service provider are enabling 1,307 kids to return to school with the latest clothes and back-to-school gear through a its employee/community initiative.

Gerald Benjamin, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Henry Schein;

The program includes our Team's direct involvement—contributing their own money and free time to shop for the school necessities, filling the backpacks, and distributing them to the children who are our neighbors. And Team Schein Members are able to immediately see the results of their efforts in the faces of children receiving the packages. It is a unique experience that enriches the lives of everyone involved.

Via CSRWire

Filed by DK on September 6 2006

Youth Power

(US) The Power Marketer's Competition invites teams from high schools across the US to develop a marketing plan for an unknown product (product X to be decided by the 'Product Sponsor').

The 3 final teams will present their plans to a prestigious panel of industry judges during a 20 minute presentation. Great opportunty and experience or getting the kids to do the work for you? ;-)

The Youth Power 2006 conference looks good as well.

Filed by DK on September 5 2006

Slightly less-recent entries include 'Gap Year Gimic?', 'A Growing ~~Problem~~ Challenge' and 'Eminem Charity Ties With Nike'.

You're viewing current entries in our 'Phatgnat news, comment, opinion, speculation and other short-form info...' (b)log. You may also explore other entries, search, or get our newsreader feed.

And, if you're feeling sufficiently adventurous to explore, here's a few entirely random (should change each time this page loads) entries…

HIP-HOPPERS TAUGHT FINANCE SKILLS: (US) The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) kicked-off its second annual 'Get Your Money Right' financial literacy and empowerment national tour in Detroit, Mich this past Saturday. A financial empowerment session designed to help people from 18 to 35 tackle issues like financial literacy, banking, credit scores, entrepreneurship, asset...
PHATGNAT ONLINE YOUTH SURVEY: The latest issue of the Phatgnat Newsletter marks the launch of the Phatgnat Online Youth Survey (aimed at 11-25 year olds). The survey explores the influencers behind the purchasing decisions young people make and investigates how they view brands and companies who invest in 'community projects', plus if this...
THE PHATGNAT FORTNIGHTLY CHALLENGE #1: 'The Phatgnat Fortnightly Challenge' has been developed to demonstrate the services of Phatgnat and to illustrate how brands and companies (large and small) can create high-profile youth projects which also satisfies public sectors aims and objectives. To coincide with Phatgnat's fortnightly newsletters, we will briefly outline a youth project...
PHATGNAT RELATIONSHIP GUIDE / MOTOROLA BRUSH-OFF: On the Motorola website there's a nice online interview with CEO Ed Zander, discussing their 'global corporate citizenship' activities and agenda. They have a Motorola Foundation which does some great work so I contacted them about it. I asked to hear more about their activities with young people in...
DRIVING PHILANTHROPY: (US) Hot on the heels of my previous post is the news that car makers Dodge, have launched the Dodge High Caliber Challenge, a five-day philanthropic road trip challenge that places college students behind the wheel of the Dodge Caliber to generate awareness for Global Music Project and raise...

NOTE: 'Random really is random—not different'… so the same entry may appear multiple times—not an error, simply a result of that randomness.

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