Vote for Petra!

It has been at least 2 months since I have worked on a campaign, so I was due and this is not only worth it, but I think the educational opportunities around this one are virtually limitless. The timing couldn't be better either. The UNESCO has a campaign to vote for the New 7 Wonders of the World, and Jordan is pulling out all the stops to get everyone who visits to vote for Petra. (www.new7wonders.com) There are about 20 finalists vying for a place in the new 7 wonders and I am so captivated by their enthusiasm for Petra (as opposed to the wretched excess that is an Olympic bidding campaign) that I told a Jordanian today that I would send a note home encouraging all my friends to vote for Petra. He looked at me, got a big smile on his face, and said, "You will? That is so wonderful. Thank you very much!" So here is my pitch: Vote for Petra. If you are a teacher of any sort, then get your students into it. I have got to believe that learning about the finalists, diving into the arts/culture/literacy associated with each, running a school campaign to vote for the final 7, and posting the results all meet a host of standards. Certainly some national standards from various disciplines. The activity might be a little too rich for the mile wide, inch deep Minnesota Academic Standards. If you can work in some door knocking or a fund raiser, it's icing on the cake. Nonetheless, Vote for Petra!