Tag: Beth J. Bates

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City Planning in Second Life

Second Life seems like such a dynamic platform for real-life city planning, and now that seems to be coming to fruition. The city of Birmingham in the UK has taken the lead in taking a look at this new platform for this practical purpose. The initiative has opened itself to mixed reviews, but I think that its a great test of how directly Second Life reflects real-life programs.

How can Second Life help planners in your community develop children’s centers, parks and other community hubs? Is this a worthwhile venture?

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Come talk about the future of SL’s Teen Grid & Main Grid this Wednesday March 25!

You are cordially invited to RezEd.org‘s first Seasonal Meetup this Wednesday, March 25 from 12-1pm PST in Second Life! For those that don’t know, RezEd.org is a social network of educators using a variety of virtual worlds and MMOs for learning from a variety of perspectives and institutions.

For our first virtual meetup, we are going to discuss a very hot topic: “Educational Implications of Mixed-age Versus Age-segregated Virtual Worlds.” As you probably know, Linden Lab is planning big changes to the Teen Grid and “adult content” on the main grid that is going to have far-reaching implications for all of our work as educators, organizers and activists. We have three excellent speakers who can address this subject from youth, teacher and librarian perspectives. Plus we’ll have lots of time for Q&A, discussion and socializing.

Here’s the details:

RezEd.org’s Spring Virtual Meetup: “Educational Implications of Mixed-age Versus Age-segregated Virtual Worlds”

Second Life, Foundations Sim

Wednesday, March 25, 12-1pm PST / SLT

WHO:
• Lucky Figtree: Teen Second Life Resident
• Peggy Sheehy: Teacher, Suffern Middle School
• Kelly Czarnecki: Librarian, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County

It’s going to be a fun and thought-provoking event. Please invite your friends and colleagues interested in the changes going on in the Main Grid and Teen Grid of Second Life, how other virtual worlds and MMORPGs navigate mixed-age and age-segregated spaces, and the impacts upon education and youth development.

For more information see http://www.rezed.org/profiles/blogs/rezed-holds-1st-seasonal or contact Amira@globalkids.org. See you there!

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Sign the Pledge – Feed Hungry People

Hunger in this country has always been a problem, but with the current state of the economy and the rise in unemployment, it is hitting families worse than ever.

PledgeToEndHunger.com has rallied with Tyson Foods, Share Our Strength, Hum. Minds at Work, Kompolt and Mediasauce to help support the efforts of food banks.

There are several ways that you, the individual, can help feed hungry people right now:

  • Sign the pledge
  • Write a blog post to help promote the campaign
  • Spread the word and encourage others to make the pledge

How easy is that? By just signing the pledge, you will automatically send 35lbs of food to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas from Tyson Foods. What’s more, if your state generates the most pledges, Tyson will send two truckloads of food to your state.

So what are you waiting for? Go to PledgeToEndHunger.com and sign the pledge. It’s quick. It’s easy. And you will be putting food in the mouths of hungry folks.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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N2Y4’s Mobile Challenge

As you might know, NetSquared – an initiative of TechSoup Global – is focused on launching Open Innovation Challenges designed to recruit and fund Web and mobile-based social-benefit projects.

This year, NetSquared’s Global Challenge and Conference, N2Y4, focuses on mobile innovations that support communication and progressive social change. N2Y4’s Mobile Challenge calls for world-changing ideas about how mobile applications can help citizens, groups and others create a better world for everybody.

The NetSquared Community will vote to select the top 14 Projects, and those Projects will be featured at the N2Y4 Conference, May 26-27 in San Jose, California. There, Project developers will have the opportunity to come together with great minds from the business, philanthropy, entrepreneurship and nonprofit sectors. The final three Projects will receive cash awards.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Last Chance to Present in the Nonprofit Session at NSLC

We still have one NPC slot open for the Nonprofit Commons sessions to present in-world to the real-life National Service Learning Conference in Nashville, TN, 3/18-3/21. Further details on the conference are below, but this is a great chance to reach a 2000+ audience of folks, especially if you are involved with service projects/service learning in Second Life.

Our time slots for NPC nonprofits (in 30 minute increments) are:

Thursday, 3/19, 9:00 AM SLT

Thursday, 3/19, 9:30 AM SLT

Friday, 3/20, 9:00 AM SLT

Friday, 3/20, 1:30 PM SLT (Penguin and Glitter will be presenting on NPC in this slot)

So far, we’ve heard back from two other folks (Buffy and Muse Carmona) who expressed interest in presenting, but we still have one more open. Please email Brad or IM Bradford Raymaker in-world if you are interested.

If you IM’d Bradford before about your interest and we somehow overlooked you, let us know and we’ll make sure you are included.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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What is Your Organization Doing in Second Life?

The Nonprofit Commons provides such a great venue for forward thinking nonprofit leaders to share their ideas, challenges and friendship. There are exciting things happening – events, social gatherings, meetings of the minds. We want to share what your organization is doing…on the blog!

If your organization is executing engaging initiatives in Second Life (and in RL), please let me know. I want to blog about what YOU are doing!

Some of our neighbors highlight what they are doing in SL on their website, so here is a shout out to those keeping us informed!

If you have something that you would like us to blog about, please shoot me an IM in SL – Cordelia Gothly.

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Health Panel Expo – New Google Group

From Megan “Penguin” Keane….

The group of folks planning the Health Panel Expo in SL has grown so big that to manage it, we’ve created a separate Google Group for planning: http://groups.google.com/group/npsl-health-expo?hl=en.

To eliminate any confusion and making sure we include everyone interested, we’ll be using this group to disseminate information about meetings and plans for the Health Panel Expo event. If you are interested in taking part in this and you haven’t joined yet, please do and feel free to point others that would like to be involved to join.

You can see notes from our previous meetings linked here: http://npsl.wikispaces.com/healthpanelevent

Written by: Beth J. Bates

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Highlights from the Jan. 30, 2009 NPC Meeting

Many thanks to Serene Jewell for compiling this wonderful summary of last Friday’s NPC meeting…

Sim Move and Update by In Kenzo and Glitteractica Cookie

All NPC sims are now next to each other and attached. Now we can walk from sim to sim rather than teleport. The move will hopefully encourage more traffic between the sims. Planning is underway for new navigation paths and a teleport system. In Kenzo is looking for volunteers to help with the job of building bridges, walkways, and handrails. (Penguin, Buffy, Coughran, Tech coleslaw, Zinnia Zauber, Ronnie Rhode, Zazoom Zimminy, Mel Schaller, Szavanna Anatra, Nany Kayo all volunteered to help.)

New NPC User Group by Tech Coleslaw

Tech is proposing a new user group for nonprofit technical support folks. (Rebus Mandelbrot volunteered to help organize and promote some initial meetings. Penguin and Glitteractica will promote meetings.)

Community Gateway Project by Penguin

This project involves creating a landing and orientation area for SL newcomers who have expressed an interest in nonprofits. This would be similar to the newcomer orientation areas at NCI Caledon Oxbridge and Virtual Ability Island. (Muse Carmona, Ozma Malibu, Szavanna Anatra, Serene Jewell, volunteered to help, In Kenzo has will clear land and has USC elements

Research Project by Muse Carmona

Muse Carmona is a graduate student studying online community here through Mar. 31. She will be observing members of NPC for 10 hours and will interview 3 people. She’ll be in her alt, Katherine Violet.

Meet Your NPC Neighbor by Gabrielle Knipper

Sierra Club has opened up a space on the Eco Commons. Gabrielle described the Sierra Club mission and current initiatives. Wants to set up a Second Life Sierra Club Chapter

Open Mic

Glitteractica announced a locals lunch in San Francisco Friday, Feb. 6.

Zinnia Zauber announced Thurs. Feb 5 Common Ground dance will be sponsored by Project Jason. Color for the night is eggplant purple. 7pm. Be there! Looking for future sponsors.

Glitteractica announced East Coast happy hour on Feb. 11. Email her for details

Ricken Flow announced Dreams Education and Health Community Fair being organized, Contact Golda Stein

Malin Dahlstrom announced 1363 unique avatars in a month to Aloft, 500 to Plush sim. Average visit is more than an hour.

Penguin encouraged everyone to use the wiki! Sign up for an account and she will approve you. http://npsl.wikispaces.com

Volunteers Needed:

Help In Kenzo build bridges and walkways between the sims.

Help Tech Coleslaw organize support group meetings for nonprofit technical staff

Help Penguin and others create an orientation area for SL newcomers

Help Muse Carmona with her research by volunteering to be interviewed

Help Zinnia Zauber or Ethelred to sponsor Thurs. night Common Ground dance

Full list of volunteer projects at http://npsl.wikispaces.com/volunteers

Remember:

Full notes from all meetings are on the wiki at http://npsl.wikispaces.com

Follow Glitteractica on twitter at twitter.com/suzboop

If you are putting photos on flickr, using delicio.us bookmarks etc., tag it with NPSL

Put NPC in your picks.

Community listserv is at: http://groups.google.com/group/TechSoup-Second-Life

The NPC blog is at nonprofitcommons.org

Send announcements to Serene Jewell or Cordelia Gothly for the blog

Written by: Beth J. Bates