World-Changing Web-Sites.

Now that winter break is here for all of us (mine started June 13th because I don't have exams), the last obstacles barring hours of Internet surfing are history, at least for the next few weeks. But before you rush out to check up on all of your friends online, think about the variety of ways you can change the world for the better, just by using your computer. Here’s a short run-down of websites that make a difference without even needing a credit card.

FreeRice (www.freerice.com): This website acts as a digital vocabulary test, offering one tricky word accompanied by four possible definitions. The twist to this site though is that for every correct match, the United Nations World Food Program donates twenty grains of rice to hungry people throughout the world. So, in under five minutes a day, you can help feed the world, in addition to boosting your vocabulary, which never hurts the next time a writing exam or in-class essay rolls your way. Outcome: over 38 billion grains of rice have been donated to date.

GoodSearch (www.goodsearch.com): By far the most convenient of the sites I’ll list, GoodSearch is a charitable alternative to Google. In the space below the search bar, type in the name of your choice charity or foundation, and then for every search you make on that site, one cent will be donated to that organization. Too lazy to stand up to that Google bar in the corner of your browser? Go to GoodSearch and download the application that gives you a GoodSearch bar in that corner instead, so that all of your searches can help the world. (If you’re out of ideas, try selecting Heifer International, which donates animals to third-world areas in order to boost agriculture and food production.)

One (www.one.org): By signing your name and e-mail address to this site, you will be included in one of the largest movements to pass legislature that benefits the poor and the hungry throughout the world. Mass petitions go straight to your inbox, where you can add your name if you want to, or just go to the website and brush up on the issue if you’re out of the loop.

Click to Give: This series of five sites is strung together by a common button that, when clicked, donates to each respective site. Every click, for example, on the Animal Rescue Site donates 0.6 bowls of food to rescued animals, while every click on the Rainforest Site works towards saving 11.4 square feet of rainforest. You can also work towards helping the world through the Literacy Site, the Hunger Site, the Child Health Site, and the Breast Cancer Site. And for more incentive, if the Breast Cancer Site garners 8 million clicks by the end of June, its primary sponsor will donate $10,000 for additional free mammograms.

So the next time you’re online, just think about the difference you can make by spending time on one of these sites.

Labels: Animal Rescue Site, breast cancer, child health, FreeRice, GoodSearch, hunger, literacy, One, rainforest, websites