1. In the past months, we've taken groups of students (50-80) on field trips as funds were available. It would be wonderful to be able to plan for such trips IN ADVANCE, which would be possible if we knew that funds were contributed for this purpose. These are very important, we feel, since the students' world of experience is so tiny - for most, 99% of their lives is spent in the slum area or at their nearby school. Before we came, fewer than half had been outside the city of Madurai - many had never even been to the main temple downtown, to which pilgrims and tourists come from all over India! - and no one had travelled more than 100 miles from here. To broaden their minds, and give some basis on which to build visions of the opportunities that might be available to them in the future, we feel these excursions are at least a start. (Such field trips cost between $1-4/participant - depending on time and distance - including bus or van hire charges, meals & beverages, and other associated expenses for students and supervising volunteers.) 2. We have many college volunteers who tutor SEED students after school. Some of these are more dedicated than others; we would love to be able to contribute in a small way to further the education of those ones (about half a dozen now) who have shown that they are really committed to helping these kids. Areas that seem most beneficial - for the volunteers themselves, and later in their work with students - are English language and introductory computer courses. Both are available as evening and/or weekend classes offered by privately run schools near their college and the SEED Centre. (Costs vary, depending on intensity and duration of the course: 3-6 month classes range from $50-100/student; 1 year ones in the $80-175 range.) Later, when circumstances are right, we hope also to send some volunteers through basic teacher-training courses. 3. Not mentioned in the earlier message - because it's still in the planning stages - is our hope to make use of the SEED Study Centre during the daytime (school) hours by starting literacy classes for presently unemployed illiterate and semi-literate women in the Karumbalai slum area. (That includes about half the adult female population of the area.) This project would involve hiring a fairly well educated woman - pre-trained or given training - as coordinator and primary instructor, and recruiting college volunteers as support staff. Also needed would be teaching, reading and writing materials. (We've come up with a rough estimate of $800-1,000/year staff costs, and $4-5/student for educational materials and supplies.) If this project is started, we'd want to add a "simple reading" (Tamil language) section to the Centre library; many reading materials are available and inexpensive thru private and govt. literacy-promotion sources. Again, thanks so much to all of you for your interest in what SEED is trying to do here in Madurai. From the "SEED family" - students, volunteers and myself - to yours, we wish you all the joy and love that togetherness can bring this holiday season. With warmest regards - Ted PS - I haven't mentioned here one of the most fundamental foundation blocks of SEED: "partnerships" between individual students and long-term Partners (who guarantee their educational expenses as long as the students progress well in school/college). The reason for this is that this is our first, "experimental" year; no matter how much we'd like to believe that all of the first batch of 25 SEED students will succeed, we're realistic enough to realize that there is sure to be a significant "dropout" rate. (The conditions we work in here are NOT the most conducive to encouraging kids to study hard and stay in school!) In April, when we see the results of this past year's examinations, we'll have a better idea of how many new students - and new Partners - we will be adding for the 2001-02 school year. (We'll also be more educated ourselves in knowing how to choose new SEED participants!) You'll be hearing much more on this aspect of SEED as the school year's end approaches.