Twestival Home

Twestival Houston Details:

• WHEN: March 25, 2010 : 5:30pm-11:00pm
• WHERE: Caroline Collective : 4820 Caroline, Houston 77004 | http://carolinecollective.cc | @carolineco

For updates, please follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/twesth and become a fan on Facebook at http://facebook.com/twestivalhouston.

What is Twestival™?

On Thursday 25 March 2010, people in hundreds of cities around the world will come together offline to rally around the important cause of Education by hosting local events to have fun and create awareness.  Twestival™ (or Twitter Festival) uses social media for social good.  All of the local events are organized 100% by volunteers and 100% of all ticket sales and donations go direct to projects.  If you would like to get involved in Twestival Houston, please contact Grace Rodriguez (@gracerodriguez) for sponsorship/donor information or Candace Kizer (@candacitabonita) for volunteer information.

Twestival Houston has raised over $5000 for:

• Charity:Water
• Houston Area Women’s Center

The Impact of Twestival

On 12 February 2009, the first Twestival Global was held in 202 international cities to support @charitywater, who we saw doing incredible work to help the almost 1 billion or 1 in 6 people in the world that don’t have access to clean and safe drinking water.  Over 1,000 volunteers and 10,000 donors fundraised $250k+, which resulted in more than 55 wells in Uganda, Ethiopia and India having a direct impact for over 17,000 people. Watch the videos of the first Twestival well drilled in the village of Mai Nabri, Ethiopia.

In September last year, 130 cities participated in Twestival Local which invited organizers to host events and select local causes to support.  Collectively, these cities raised over $450k for 135 charities.

In 2010, we turn our focus to education and 72 million children in the world who don’t go to school. @Concern Worldwide has been selected by the Twestival global team and local organizers to be the recipient because of their comprehensive and well respected approach to education.  This is an issue that involves many different elements; hunger, water, teacher training, building of schools, etc.  We hope to use the power of our global event fundraising and social media influence as a vehicle to give people insight into this cause on a deeper level.

About Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide was founded in 1968 to meet the needs of people living in extreme poverty, for whom every day is a fight for survival. Concern is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of poverty. Their mission is to help people living in extreme poverty achieve major improvements in their lives - improvements they can sustain without ongoing support. Concern meets the needs of these people in a caring and personalized manner, respecting their human and cultural dignity. They are committed to reaching the most vulnerable, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Concern’s work is informed by a vision for change and their education programs target the poorest people in the poorest countries in the world, with particular emphasis on reaching out-of-school children such as girls, orphans, street children, working children, children affected by conflict, children affected by HIV and AIDS, and children with disabilities. Concern’s education programs currently reach over 700,000 people in 25 countries across the regions of Africa,  Asia, and the Caribbean.  Please follow @concern on Twitter to get a glimpse of their staff tweeting from around the world; including their efforts on the ground in Haiti.

Where the Twestival funds will go

For as little as $28USD they can provide the uniform, books, pencils, and paper a child needs to attend one year of school. Concern Worldwide are able to guarantee that 100% of Twestival funds will go direct to project costs.  This means that the money would be used for material purchases (curriculum, desks, pencils) as well as project activities such as construction of schools; rehabilitation of classrooms; teacher/management training; PTAs; HIV/AIDS school clubs; water and sanitation in schools; health education in schools; education advocacy; vocational/life-skills training for youth, farmers and women; and curriculum development for secondary school/university. Money will not be used for things like administration, overhead, reporting oversight, etc. Concern Worldwide requires all fields that receive money strictly adhere to a six- and 12-month formal reporting protocol in which the field details the specific activities it has undertaken and how the funds were utilized. This system provides a very tangible case studies, evidence and updates, and other detailed information about how programs have progressed and benefited program participants; including the financial allocation in field; the GPS locations of schools in receipt of funds; digital video clips and photos from the schools; and case studies/quotes from people who have benefitted from the projects.  As cities are confirmed and fundraising goals are set, we will work with the team at Concern Worldwide to identify specific projects we will be supporting.

TWESTIVAL HOUSTON DETAILS:

* WHEN: September 13, 2009 : 3:30pm - 8:00pm
* WHERE: Caroline Collective : 4820 Caroline, Houston 77004 | http://carolinecollective.cc | @carolineco
* WHAT: An exciting afternoon of entertainment, art, and community, featuring:
- Headlining Houston bands performing outdoors
- Raffle prizes donated from local theaters, museums, and restaurants
- Bounce palace and games for children
- Performances and live painting by local artists
- Food and beverages donated by local suppliers and restaurants/caterers
- Co-nominated charities to participate and promote their organizations, to help them raise awareness and foster community partnerships
- Local press coverage
- Ustreaming and live-tweeting for Twestival Houston (#twesth), projected on the wall for all to enjoy

We expect over 350 people to attend, based on the great success and word-of-mouth received after the first Twestival for Charity:Water!

For daily updates, please follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/twesth.

You can also engage with us on the Twestival Houston Facebook Fan Page:

Started in London in 2008, Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. By rallying together globally, under short timescales, for a single goal on the same day, the Twestival hopes to raise awareness for a good cause and be a force for positive action.

On February 12, 2009, over 105 cities around the world hosted Twestivals, bringing together Twitter communities for an evening of fun to raise money and awareness for charity: water. Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States and home to a diverse population and vibrant digital community, was one of the premiere cities for Twestival Global.

While Twestival 2008 put the spotlight around one cause - Charity:Water - Twestival Local is encouraging cities around the world to host events in support a local cause.

To be held September 10-13 2009, 100% of the proceeds from Twestival Local events will go directly to the nonprofit organization selected by members of the local community. The goal is to give people a chance to feel they are contributing to a larger social initiative, but bring the cause a little closer to home.

Everyone involved with Twestival is a volunteer - the majority are crowdsourced using Twitter.  Cities are asked to set a fundraising goal for their event, but it is much more than reaching a financial target.  Twestival Local is a fantastic opportunity to connect with people in your community!

To join us in planning/coordinating Twestival HOUSTON 2009, please contact Grace Rodriguez via Twitter - @gracerodriguez - or email at grace [at] aynbrand.com. Thanks in advance for your support!