The Fulbright Forum - September 2011

Our Online Charity Auction next month will allow Fulbright scholars and friends worldwide to support the cause.

A small group of Fulbright alumni from around the world have donated items to the Fulbright Academy's first online charity auction. The goal is to raise $4,000-$7,000 for continuing education programs that benefit young Fulbright alumni (under 40), and joint initiatives with national Fulbright alumni organizations.

You can participate in two ways - by donating an item and by bidding on them.

First, between now and the end of September, we will be accepting additional donations of items or services. This is the first time that a Fulbright alumni group has run an online auction, so we are expecting to offer about 40 different items. The list below gives an example of some of the items, and be imaginative in making your donation. (Click here for ideas or to make a donation). If you have questions, please call us at 207-799-3098 or email info@FulbrightAcademy.org.

Second, the Charity Auction itself opens on October 1 and runs through the end of October. You and your friends can place your public bids at any time, and the BiddingForGood Auction service also allows you to secretly enter the maximum that you are willing to bid for the item. When others bid higher than your public bid, then BiddingForGood will automatically enter your counterbids up to your maximum. (Click here to see the items that you can buy!)

Here are some of the items that are available.

Unique Experiences:

Dinner with Harriet Fulbright (widow of Senator Fulbright)
Sunset sail aboard an America's Cup Yacht in Newport, RI
Hot air balloon ride for two, available at many sites around the USA

For your Business:

Two-day training on Corporate Sustainability Reporting (value: $1,000)
Professional manuscript editing (value $400)
Personal golf lesson (value $250)

Vacation Getaways:

Weekend at the Wyndham Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica
Weekend at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL
Weekend in an 1820's farmhouse in New Hampshire
Hotel or Registration at the Fulbright Academy March 2011 Conference in United Arab Emirates

For Your or Friends:

Shirts, blouses and clothing
Art and jewelry
Other items donated by you or your family !

WHY SUPPORT THE FULBRIGHT ACADEMY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY?

The Fulbright Academy is entrepreneurial and active. For information about recent activities, please take a look at our August newsletter. That bulletin included an overview of nineteen projects from the first eight months of 2011. One of them is probably relevant to you. Our ten Affinity Groups are growing. These groups bring together alumni from multiple countries who share a common interest in topics such as Global health, Law, Entrepreneurship, Undergraduate science education, Digital media, and Science diplomacy. Their work helps us meet our goal: create collaboration and catalyze progress.

The Sustainability Affinity Group is taking the lead for planning our Seventh Annual Conference, which is in six months from now (March 21-14). One important development is that we have a contract with Elsevier to produce a book based on the conference papers and presentations: The Global Sustainable Communities Design Handbook. Thus, we are seeking alumni presenters from around the world on topics such as Government & Sustainable Development, Natural Resources & Water, Financial Sustainability & Entrepreneurship, Sustaining Culture, Sustaining Health & Public Health, Energy & Infrastructure Sustainability and Sustainability Education. Please use our online form to submit abstracts and ideas.

The Fulbright Academy also wishes to acknowledge the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. Since 1961, nearly 200,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps in 139 countries (if your are an alumnus of Fulbright and Peace Corps, please let us know). This week, there are over 200 events taking place in Washington, DC, with additional events around the country and around the world. The Fulbright Academy salutes the 200,000 Peace Corps alumni and the National Peace Corps Association for their great work. (www.peacecorpsconnect.org)

OUR PROGRAMS FOR THE FINAL FOUR MONTHS OF 2011

Host a successful program in Budapest for 30+ Fulbright CEOs and leaders in education and the sciences.
Host a gathering in Johannesburg -- our first event in Africa south of the Mediterranean rim countries.
Get ready for our March 2012 Conference in UAE: Sustainable Cities.
Distribute copies of our two publications: “Sourcebook of Fulbright Alumni Leaders in Higher Education” and the "Directory of Fulbright Alumni 2000-2010".
Host a successful board retreat in Atlanta, and meet with 30 local leaders.
Complete our first on-line fundraising auction
Expand the affinity groups and working with the grass-roots to create new alumni-led projects.
Provide services to our institutional members and recruiting 15-25 new members.
Talk with 100 successful alumni about how their donations will help us leverage the unique knowledge, skills and abilities of the alumni community.

The Fulbright Academy receives donations, memberships and sponsorships from many individuals and institutions. They typically come via Fulbright scholars -- individuals whose lives were changed by the Fulbright Exchange Program. By supporting us and participating in our programs, they seek to give something back to society. We do not receive financial support from the Fulbright Exchange Program or the US Department of State, so your support is critical to our success.

The Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology is an independent multi-national, multi-generational and multi-disciplinary network of Fulbrighters, collaborative partners and friends. We create opportunities for collaboration among alumni and their institutions. Our programs are a catalyst for progress in many fields, and we look forward to your involvement.

About Us and Our Annual Report
www.FulbrightAcademy.org/Page/Giving/