How to Participate
To participate in Operation Dreamseed is very simple. It is, however, totally dependant and limited to your own initiative, drive, and energy. The potential is extraordinary. Outlined below is general guidance on how to best participate, but your Operation Dreamseed should be developed to best your own capabilities and limitations.
Regarding supplies. The lesson learned for ease on our end is to send things either in bulk, or in complete kits. Nothing in between. Many send things in boxes filled with all sorts of odds and ends. Its great to get the support, but increases work load on our end. Not a big deal, just a preference.
Basic Supply Kits: include a notebook, folder, 3x pens, 3x pencils, crayons, pencil sharpener, eraser, ruler, glue bottle/stick, scissors, coloring/activity book, candy, toy, and backpack.
For more information regarding packaging and/or shipping please see our FAQ page.
Collaborative Learning
Operation Dreamseed is intent on providing an educational opportunity for its target participants - Civic groups, American students, church groups, Girl and Boy Scout Troops, and other Service Organizations that wish to get involved.
- Project Development - by developing the project, participants must think through all the challenges of gathering resources, delegation of responsibility, logistics, marketing, and other challenges. The idea is simple - send school supplies to be distributed to Afghan children, It's the "HOW" that provides the learning experience.
- Project Management - When students are given a special responsibility as part of a larger team, as part of a cause bigger then "self," they learn about leadership, selfless service, and patience to see a project through from development to completion, They taste success and earn a right to be proud of contribution to the betterment of a peer student in an under-developed land on the other side of the world.
Holistic Learning
Operation Dreamseed can be as simple as gathering supplies and shipping them to a Soldier, BUT the true value to the Operation is the learning that can be gained along the way.
- Culture - As your students, group or organization works on its version of Operation Dreamseed, take the time to learn about Afghan culture. Send Operation Dreamseed questions. Research on the internet. Read about it in books.
- Geography - Where is your effort going to? Do your participants know where Afghanistan is? Learn about geography and why it plays a part in the challenges Afghanistan faces - climatology, land-locked, bordering countries, etc.
- History - Take the time to learn about the history of Afghanistan. From Alexander the Great to the present day, Afghanistan has dealt with conflict and hardship.
Other topics you could explore related to Afghanistan are religion, languages, demographics/ethnicity, politics, and natural resources. The possibilities are only what you limit them to.
Feedback
Operation Dreamseed will provide you feedback to your contributions. Operation Dreamseed will distribute your supplies around the Southern Region to village schools in need. Photographs will be taken and summaries written to tell you where you supplies were donated, how many students were affected, and messages from the children back to you, as feasible.
Partnership
Many folks "talk" about wanting to help. Operation Dreamseed gives you an opportunity to put your thoughts into action. You will have the opportunity to figuratively fight along side America's brave Soldiers, not in taking lives, but in planting seeds of hope in the minds of a young generation.