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Giving Tuesday: give your signature to the #UpForSchool Petition

Up for School or #upforschool campaign

Today is Giving Tuesday – a day when people around the world celebrate the spirit of generosity by giving back.

And you can play your part in getting all children into school. And it won’t cost you anything. All you have to do is give your signature to the #UpForSchool Petition.

The petition will demand that world leaders stick to their promise that every girl and boy is in school and learning by the end of 2015.

Giving Tuesday began as an American day to offset the commercialism of the Black Friday store sales and Cyber Monday online buying spree.

But its popularity has spread to other parts of the world – the United Kingdom is recognising Giving Tuesday for the first time this year. And Canada, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Latin American countries and Israel all now join in.

People and organisations are creating their own initiatives to encourage giving – whether money or time or both. Many of these initiatives celebrate local heroes and providing opportunities for people to connect with local causes. But many others are designed to help others around the world.

Learning at a Hello Hub provided by Projects for All

Celebrities are also getting in on the act. Hugh Jackman, star of the X-Men movies, is giving all the proceeds from his Laughing Man Worldwide cafes and products to Projects For All. The initiative works with developing African communities to design and build rugged, internet-enabled computer kiosks called Hello Hubs for education, connectivity, community journalism, business and play.

Hugh said: “The holidays are, first and foremost, about goodwill and compassion. That’s why #GivingTuesday is a great way to not just remember that but live it as well.”

American actor and singer Katherine McNamara is supporting Girl Up’s SchoolCycle campaign, which raises money for the United Nations Joint Program on Adolescent Girls in Malawi to provide bikes for girls. This increases their access to social services and to improve their school attendance and retention. In Malawi fewer than 25% of girls complete primary school – only 13% of those then enroll in secondary and only 5% graduate.

Among the UK charities taking part are Education for the Children Foundation, which runs the School of Hope in Guatemala and has helped to educate more than 550 children and young adults.

Mark Giving Tuesday by signing the #UpForSchool Petition now.

And here are just a few of the ways that Giving Tuesday is helping global education…

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