Sophia Bush wrote -

I'm turning 30 July 8th. I'm stoked. I'm ready. And I want it to mean something. Something big. 

My Impossible challenge: raising $30,000 for my 30th birthday so that children in the developing world have access to education.

We all have "Impossible" challenges in our lives - fears to overcome, big milestones to reach, challenges we've been putting off. Tell me about your "Impossible" and how you've overcome it or plan to. How can connecting your personal challenge to something bigger, like education, transform your "Impossible"?

Donate $30 to my 30 for 30 campaign and submit a 250 word essay about overcoming your 'Impossible' to impossible@pencilsofpromise.org and you could win a trip to join me and visit the school we build together in Guatemala. (Click here to see the contest rules)

As many of you know, I have been a loyal supporter of (some might say obsessed with) Pencils of Promise for some time. My 30for30 fundraiser is part of a Pencils of Promise campaign called The Impossible Ones that will launch officially on August 1st. Everyone has an "Impossible": a challenge or milestone they're facing. PoP's Impossible is 100 schools in 2012. They're asking you to pledge your own Impossible to collectively reach that goal. My Impossible is 30k for my 30th birthday. What's yours? Pledge your Impossible. 

PoP rocks my world because they believe every child should have access to quality education. They create schools, programs, and global communities around the common goal of education for all.

By forming long-lasting, collaborative relationships with communities, they increase access to quality education and positively impact students and parents in high-need communities throughout Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala. I've been lucky enough to travel to Laos and Guatemala with PoP over the past year.

I've also been incredibly fortunate in life these past 30 years, but the thing that has shaped my life the most is certainly my education. I've had access to schools and teachers that have broadened my horizons and changed my life. I am who I am, as a woman and a global citizen because of education. And I want that for every girl, every child, in the world. On a recent impact trip with Pencils of Promise, I met a group of young children in Guadalupana, Guatemala. I asked them what they wanted most in the world, and in unison they screamed "a school!!' I knew I had found the village for this campaign. It will cost $30,000 to build the school and I know we can make that happen! 

Pencils of Promise designs their involvement to be 100% sustainable. From day one, they ensure that the village views the school as theirs and takes ownership of its ongoing maintenance and support. Beyond building a school, they also offer the following education programs to our communities.

PoP provides its local staff with professional development training to empower staff members (many of whom are females and minorities) to grow as professionals and take on leadership and mentorship roles. 

So here's what I'm asking. Help me get to $30,000 for the big 3-0!! Instead of a gift, give $30 -- or $300, whatever you can -- for my 30th birthday. DONATE above to give or click JOIN THE TEAM to help fundraise with me! Share the page with all of your friends and family. It's so easy to spread the word about a good cause.

Thank you!

xo,

Sophia

Contest Rules - Win a Signed John Tucker Must Die DVD