The document summarizes a new college course on altruism offered at Chico State University. For the course, students each shadowed a community member known for altruistic acts to learn about their motivations. Students helped at a homeless shelter, went shopping with those in need, and had discussions with altruists. Both students and altruists found the experience insightful. Though challenging, students felt the class provided valuable lifelong lessons about prioritizing helping others over careers and finding purpose through aiding communities.

1. Visual Aids by Laurette P. Simmons Ph.D. and LeRoy F. Simmons Ph.D.

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8. Interview with a Young Environmentalist by Yoonhee Ha, Assistant Editor, KSTR
1 Janine Licare is saving the world. She and her best friend started their own non-profit
organization, Kids Saving the Rainforest in Costa Rica (KSTR). Today, the organization has
many volunteers3 around the world. Here’s our interview with Janine.
2 YH: Janine, when you were only nine years old, you and a friend started Kids Saving the
Rainforest, KSTR. How did you become interested in the rainforest?
JL: Well, we earned some money, but we didn’t know what to do with it. Then we saw
something terrible: People were cutting down all the trees around us in the rainforest. That
helped us decide to try to save the rainforest.
3 YH: Why do you think it’s so important to save the rainforest?
JL: The rainforest is a very important part of our earth. The trees are our lungs4. They help the
earth breathe and stay healthy. I f the trees go away, so does the future of our planet.
4 YH: How can our readers help you save rainforests?
JL: They can go to the KSTR Website and learn about becoming a volunteer for the earth, for
example, by buying wood from legal places and by recycling.
5 YH: How many volunteers are in your organization?
JL: We have over 50 volunteers around the world. We also have two volunteers working with us
here in Costa Rica at the KSTR office.
6 YH: Many of our readers do not know Costa Rica. Can you tell us what the country is
like?
JL: I t’s a very nice and peaceful place. The people are very kind and the rainforest is beautiful.
7 YH: Can you tell us what you’ve learned from doing this work?
JL: We now know that we have the power to change the world and make it a better place.
8 YH: And what have you learned from working with people around the world?

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19. The MacArthur “Genius” Grants1
Each year, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation gives prizes to very ' I
special people. These people are very smart and creative, so they are called
“geniuses.”
2 The winners receive $500, 000. The money comes with “no strings attached.” For
example, they can spend the money on anything they want.
3 People do not apply for the prizes. The foundation does not interview the people in
order to choose the winners. Instead, the foundation organizes groups of nominators.
Nominators come from many different fields of study such as art, education, and
science. They recommend the names of “geniuses” from their own fields. Then the
foundation chooses the winners from the recommendations.
4 Here are some recent MacArthur Foundation winners:
5 Gretchen Berland is a doctor. She also is a filmmaker. She makes films about
important problems in healthcare.
6 James Carpenter is a designer and an engineer. He designs buildings that use less
energy and save money.
7 Katherine Gottlieb is CEO, or head, of a non-profit organization. Her organization
is in Alaska. It gives excellent healthcare to poor Native Alaskans.

20. 8 David Green helps to make healthcare products for people in developing
nations, poor countries such as India and Egypt. Some of his products help
people to see and hear better.
9 Aleksandar Hemon is a writer. Hemon was born in Eastern Europe. He writes
stories about ethnic conflict. 10 Tommie Lindsey teaches public speaking at a
high school. Many of his students come from poor families. He helps many of
his students to attend college.
11 Reginald R. Robinson is a pianist and composer. He works to save classical
ragtime music4. He also writes new ragtime music.
12 Amy Smith is an engineer. She invents useful technologies for developing
nations. One of her projects is a simple machine that cleans water.

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teacher, engineer,filmmaker, designer, doctor, CEO (of a nonprofit organization),
maker of health care products, writer, pianist and composer
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24. not having any conditions
areas of work or study
poor countries
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25. The winners
Nominators
Gretchen Berland
Her organization
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32. The Most Influential People of the 20th Century
Rank, Name, Percent, Tally
Leaders and Revolutionaries, Business Leaders,
Builders and Titans, Scientists and Thinkers, Heroes and Icons
important/famous/influential people of the 20th century
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33. 769,453
Heroes and Icons
9,670
Winston Churchill
1.49 percent
Henry Ford
Elvis Presley
Business Leaders, Builders and Titans
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38. A New College Course: What Motivates Altruism?
1 Why do some people like to do good things such as helping others or
saving the environment? They don’t do these things for money. This is
altruism, doing things for other people and not for oneself. Two Chico
State University (California) professors
wondered, “What motivates altruism?” To answer the question, they
organized a college class at the university.
2 For the class, each student chose one altruist in the community. They
spent four to five hours a week shadowing, or following, their altruist.
They also went to class and read books and wrote papers on altruism.
3 Shadowing was an important part of the class. One student, Adam,
followed a husband and wife. They work with many non-profit
organizations in the community. Adam and the couple went shopping
with elementary school children to buy holiday gifts for poor families.
Adam also had dinner with the couple once a week and had many
discussions with them about helping others. Two other students, Nicki
and Ben, shadowed the director of a homeless shelter. The students
served food to homeless people and they helped the director raise
money for the shelter.

39. 4 The students learned many things. Adam said, “In school, we think too much
about our careers. This class helped us remember that there are other
important things in life. I also learned that I can help others as a career.”
Another student said, “Altruists are not necessarily special people. They are
just ordinary people who do special things.” The students also learned about
the motivations for altruism. One altruist told a student: “I work for the
community because the community' helped me in the past.” Another said: “I get
great satisfaction because I know that I am helping others. Recognition for my
work is not important.”
5 The altruists also learned things from the students. The students’ questions
made them think. They learned more about themselves and their motivations.
This helped the altruists to become even better at their work.
6 The class on altruism was not easy for the students. They spent many hours
with their altruists. They also read 250 pages every week. They read the works
of great thinkers and philosophers, people such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Emmanuel Kant, who think and write about the meaning of ife. They wrote
many papers, kept a journal, and took exams. Was it a useful class? As Adam
said: “The class was difficult, but it was worth it. I learned a lot. This experience
will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

40. a new college course on what motivates altruism
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44. students participated in several activities with the
altruists while shadowing them
the altruism class was not easy for the students
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45. acting for other people and not for oneself
following
people who think and write about the meaning of life such as Martin Luther King,
Jr. and Emmanuel Kant
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