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Microcredit: Exploring the Fight against Poverty

Dates: Tuesday, September 30 and Thursday, October 2
Times: See time slots for videoconferences below
Grades: 7-8, 9-12
Theme: Global Development Issues
Cost: (includes 2 videoconferences): $300 or membership price*
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“Lasting peace can not be achieved unless large population groups find ways in which to break out of poverty. Micro-credit is one such means. Development from below also serves to advance democracy and human rights.” – The Norwegian Nobel Committee

In 2006, Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank won the Nobel Peace Prize for developing a successful model to lift millions of people worldwide from poverty: microcredit.

Microcredit, the act of providing very small loans (typically less than $100) to poor or unemployed entrepreneurs, serves people typically in developing countries who do not qualify for a traditional loan. Now with more than 7,000 microcredit lending institutions worldwide, an estimated 16 million people are borrowing with microcredit.

In this two-part PULSE series, students will discuss the basic principles of microcredit, including both the negative and positive aspects of the system. Students will also debate if microcredit should be one of the cornerstones in the fight against poverty while examining it in terms of the American entrepreneurial culture. Moreover, students will discuss how this unique form of borrowing and lending might apply to their own lives as they learn to build their own credit as young adults. On Day Two, students will interact directly with Matt Flannery, a leading figure in microcredit and discuss the issues surrounding it in greater depth.

	Tuesday, September 30: Up to three classes at a time connect to discuss the principles of microcredit and its positive and negative effects on the world. This session is moderated by a GNG staff member. Available time slots: Middle School: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EDT High School: 10:00 – 11:00 am | 1:00 – 2:00 pm EDT
	Thursday, October 2: Students speak directly with Matt Flannery, founder of Kiva.org, the world's first person-to-person micro-lending website. Kiva empowers individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world. Available time slots: Middle and High: 11:30 am -12:30 pm | 12:30 – 1:30 pm

The Microcredit program is aligned with these national standards:

Economics Standards

• Standard 3: Allocation of Goods and Services
• Standard 16: Role of Government

Math Standards

• Understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another
• Compute fluently and make reasonable estimates
• Problem-solving and connections - Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics

Social Studies Standards

• Strand III: People, Places, and Environments
• Strand IV: Individual Development and Identity
• Strand V: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
• Strand IX: Global Connections
• Strand X: Civic Ideals and Practices

Preparation materials for the program:

Microcredit Lesson Plan Lesson Plan and Outline of Videoconference Series

What to expect from The PULSE

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