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Pass the Ball

Teachers Without Borders - We Learn Best by Sharing Ideas with Each Other

Teachers Without Borders - We All Have Something to Teach or Share

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Cisco WebEx Pass the Ball

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 26, 2009 – Sharing can turn good ideas into great ones and Cisco wants to help make that happen. Cisco invites global participation in an innovation contest and is asking people to visit a new idea-sharing website to share an idea, rate an idea, or add to an idea already on the site, which will trigger a donation to Teachers Without Borders through the Cisco WebEx Pass the Ball program. A year of free Cisco WebEx^TM services will be awarded to the owners of the top-rated ideas, to help them collaborate to develop those ideas.

The Cisco WebEx Pass the Ball program showcases the power of sharing ideas and involving other people to bring ideas to life. Teachers Without Borders, an organization that exemplifies the value of sharing ideas, will use Cisco WebEx services to extend global collaboration between its community of teachers, provide training that enhances teachers' capabilities as community leaders, and coordinate efforts between people supporting their cause around the world.

Highlights / Key Facts:

• Cisco is announcing a charitable giving program to benefit Teachers Without Borders. The company invites people to visit www.passtheball.com to share an idea and get input from other like-minded, creative individuals from around the world. This sharing of ideas on the site triggers a donation to Teachers without Borders, an international organization that supports teachers worldwide, helping them play a vital role in their communities.
• Ideas get better when they are shared with others. By visiting the "Pass the Ball" website and sharing an idea, individuals can get input from others about an idea; they can also rate an idea and add to another one. People are encouraged to share ideas in a wide range of categories including arts and culture; business and economy; communication and media; education and innovation; environment and energy; health and fitness; science and technology; sports and entertainment; and travel and personal growth.
• Teachers Without Borders will use the donations to sponsor teachers in obtaining a Certification of Teaching Mastery through the organization's flagship, self-paced, mentor-supported program.The program consists of five courses designed to help teachers improve their professional knowledge, fine-tune their classroom practice, and become mentors and leaders both in their communities and globally.
• Teachers Without Borders work is a terrific example of how sharing ideas can make a real difference in the world. The organization supports teachers as community leaders who are closely connected to the people in their communities. Its vision is to empower and connect teachers internationally to share and grow ideas, advance education, and resolve issues within their communities.
• By connecting teachers around the world, Teachers Without Borders has been able to implement initiatives such as an emergency earthquake preparedness curriculum for schools in China, an outreach program to teachers in Mexican communities during the H1N1 influenza outbreak, and an increase in HIV and AIDS testing in Nigeria. The power of sharing ideas with teachers around the globe can help make a difference in people's lives through healthcare assistance, disaster relief, and continuing education.
• A one year subscription to Cisco WebEx services will be awarded to the owners of the top-rated ideas, to help enable their collaboration with others to develop their ideas. More information can be found here.

Links / URLs:

• Pass the Ball program
  www.passtheball.com
• Teachers Without Borders
  http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org/

Quotes:

• "The way Teachers Without Borders is exchanging ideas and learning from the ideas of others is a stellar example of the power of sharing ideas," said June Bower, vice president of marketing, Cisco Collaboration Software Group. "By using technology to share ideas, individuals can help make a tangible difference in the world. Participants benefit from this innovative idea exchange and are able to build upon their own creativity by 'Passing the Ball' to others and seeing the results."
• "Our organization has benefited a great deal by using Cisco WebEx technology" said Fred Mednick, founder, Teachers Without Borders. "We're very excited about the donation of these services. This will help our valued educators to be leading community resources and exchange ideas with other teachers and community leaders around the world about topics such as healthcare, disaster relief, and continuing education. By cconnecting teachers around the globe to information and each other, we can help them to be the keys to human welfare -- shaping, leading and supporting the world's children.
  By empowering teachers we empower entire communities."

Tags / Keywords:

Cisco, collaboration, WebEx, Cisco WebEx, Teachers Without Borders, charitable giving, charitable contribution, Pass the Ball, education, teaching, philanthropy, innovation, idea sharing

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