Here is a section of a letter (with pics of Beijing in the Springtime) we received from Nobel Peace Prize Winner and beloved IC member, Lynn Price, today:

“I’m in the process of packing and just can’t believe that tomorrow is my last work day here. I’m excited to return to the Bay Area, but feeling very melancholy about leaving China. Yesterday – Earth Day here in Beijing – I reflected on how I got to this place, with these people, at this time (sound familiar David and Sylvia?). You see, I was 11 years old and in 6^th grade when my super-cool 22 year-old teacher taught us about environmental degradation and organized her young students to participate in the first Earth Day in 1970, founded by Wisconsin’s Senator Gaylord Nelson. We picked up trash in the “downtown” area of Elm Grove, a nice suburb of Milwaukee, and piled it in the front of the school under a sign protesting pollution. So here it is nearly 40 years later and the long and winding road (including a MS in Environmental Science from the Gaylord Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies at UW-Madison) has led me to China working to reduce local, regional, and global pollution. So, hat’s off to inspirational school teachers everywhere. Too bad that both my sister and I have been unable to locate Ms. (yes, she was the first person I knew to use that title) Sandra Rothe – I owe her great thanks for what has turned out to be an amazingly rewarding career.”

Lynn’s email perfectly illustrates why we are giving back to teachers this season.  We encourage you to forward our invitation to a special teacher near you.