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This Friday, January 29th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature Edmund LoPresti PhD (Edmondo Barbosa in Second Life) from AT Sciences, LLC , who will take us through a tour of various assistive technologies. Standard keyboards, mice, and monitors are not always the most effective ways to control computers. This talk will cover some of the alternative hardware and software available for people with physical or visual disabilities, or just for better ergonomics.

Edmondo Barbosa (Edmund LoPresti) is a rehabilitation engineer specializing in alternative computer access and other technology accommodations. https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-lopresti-09895b2

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, January 29th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central – Yen Verhoeven (Blue Myanamotu), What is a Rubric?
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation – Edmund LoPresti (Edmondo Barbosa), Assistive Technology for Computer Access (this presentation will be in voice with accompanying SpeakEasy text)
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

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Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, January 22nd, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will focus on planning web content via editorial calendars and other tools. Editorial calendars are a concept taken from journalism, but are just as useful in planning out the content your nonprofit wants to share, whether that be written articles, social media posts, images, videos, and other content around a calendar schedule. We will also dive into discussing other tools, and on frequency of when to post.

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, January 22nd, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central 
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

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Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, January 15th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature a discussion looking forward to 2016, and the nonprofit topics, tech tools, and trends to come. Come chat about upcoming trends, tools and projects you are looking forward to this year.

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, January 15th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central – Gentle Heron
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, January 8th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature Helena Galani [ErlinaAzure in SL) who will present on her work as part of the language teaching community EduNation in Second Life, and the upcoming Virtual Language Learning and Game Environments (VILLAGE) MOOC focusing on how games-based learning is engaging, and how virtual environments can be an effective tool to create learning games, as well as hands on instruction on how to develop virtual learning games. The course is part of TESOL’s Electronic Village Online (EVO) 2016 a project of TESOL’s Computer-Assisted Language Learning Interest Section (CALL-IS) – http://evosessions.pbworks.com. EVO 2016 features a series of online professional development workshops spotlighting innovative tools and techniques of teaching languages and other topics. 

• More info on Virtual Language Learning and Game Environments (VILLAGE) http://bit.ly/1ORinzU

Helena Galani [ErlinaAzure] holds an RSA Diploma, M.A. ELT (Applied Linguistics through Corpora for Teacher Education purposes), and certification in IT and advanced ICT skills. She has been implementing CALL into her teaching for more than 25 years in the fields of TEFL, with language schools and Adult Education Centre in Greece, formal assessment bodies, on UK University EAP courses or as private tutor. As EduNation resident and CAMELOT Award winner in 2015, Helena supports the educational use of machinima and SL environment.

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, January 8th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central 
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation: Helena Galant, EVO VILLAGE – Virtual Language Learning And Gaming Environment
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, December 18th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature a special presentation by Susan Tenby, Glitteractica Cookie in SL, on the social-good mobile app SafeNight which helps increase short-term shelter for domestic violence and human trafficking survivors by allowing the community to respond to urgent needs for shelter.

• http://www.safenightapp.org/

This presentation will be part of a special series of month-long events curated by One Billion Rising in Second Life for the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. We will start off our meeting at our regular Nonprofit Commons meeting area, then travel to the LEA1 region, which has been donated by the Linden Endowment for the Arts until the end of December.

One Billion Rising in Second Life in association with 2 Lei in Second Life developed a series of virtual art installations around the theme of “Safe Night”. These exhibits encourage visitors to reflect on the issue of what a safe night is – and how many women are denied it, whether it is the schoolgirls in Nigeria who were taken by Boko Haram, the Indian women forced out into fields at night and abused, women attacked – as they walk home alone, or women in their own home, not knowing whether the person they share it with will attack them tonight.

Following the presentation, there will be the opportunity to tour the special builds, and reflect on the theme – the need for women to have freedom from fear of gendered violence, to be able to have a Safe Night. 

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, December 18th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL 

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup + Caravan Announcements
• 8:55 am We will travel to LEA1 region: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA1/181/42/21
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation – Safe Night App
• 9:30 am Questions / Open Mic / Announcements
• Following the event, a chance to tour the virtual art installations created around the theme Safe Night

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, December 4th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature a chance to chat on relevant tech, events and a roundup on #GivingTuesday efforts. We will also get an update on upcoming Caravan Studios apps4change events and the newly announced Safe Shelter Collaborative.  

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, December 4th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central 
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation Open Forum Discussion & Caravan Studios Updates
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

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Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, November 27th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature a virtual meetup open forum to discuss nonprofit tech topics, upcoming relevant #nptech and virtual events, and have a chance to share any final strategy for the December 1st #GivingTuesday day of encouraging charitable giving (http://www.givingtuesday.org). 

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, November 27th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central 
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation 
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

The Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is a program sponsored by Caravan Studios – http://caravanstudios.org, a division of TechSoup Global, http://techsoup.org. The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions. 

http://nonprofitcommons.org

&

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir

This Friday, November 20th, TechSoup’s NonProfit Commons in Second Life will feature a discussion on OpenSimulator Community Conference (OSCC), held this year on Saturday, December 5, 2015. OSCC is an annual conference that focuses on the developer and user community creating the open source virtual world platform OpenSimulator software. The virtual conference features presentations, workshops, keynote sessions, and social events across diverse sectors of the OpenSimulator user base. 

• Schedule: https://oscc15.eventbrite.com
• Registration: http://opensimulatorcommunity20151914.sched.org/

Join us in Second Life!

Nonprofit Commons Weekly Meeting 

Friday, November 20th, 8:30 AM PT / SLT

Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheater 

http://bit.ly/NPCinSL

AGENDA (all times below PT) 

• 8:30 am Introductions
• 8:40 am TechSoup Announcements
• 8:45 am Mentors Central 
• 9:00 am Featured Presentation – #OSCC15
• 9:45 am Open Mic / Announcements

http://nonprofitcommons.org

The mission of the Nonprofit Commons in Second Life is to create a community for nonprofits to explore and learn about virtual worlds, foster connections, and discover the many ways in which nonprofits might utilize the unique environment of Second Life to achieve their missions.

Written by: Rhiannon Chatnoir