[Grassroots-l] OLPC/XO event for Cambridge Science Festival

[Samuel Klein]

Hello Edward,

A pleasure to hear about your idea.  Mel Chua and Nikki Lee, who
helped organize the first Game Jam at Olin last summer, hail from just
a short ways away, and can help find you a veteran Jam organizer.  I
plan to make it myself.

We can definitely find you facilitators familiar with working with
children (we can ask through the harvard ed school as well, for
completeness), as well as a jambox of 5+ XOs.  As for Pcs with
emulators -- will this be hosted near an existing computer lab?  we
could install sugar on a whole network of machines.

Considering the number of G1G1 recipients around, it might be that
many more than 2 groups want to break out after the introductory
sessions; how far out do you normally solicit attendance figures?
Perhaps we could have a preliminary event for would-be session leaders
and helpers; so that there are 6 or 8 people available to run their
own sessions should the need arise (and just help out, otherwise...
and be ready for the next time a Jam approaches).

Finally, do you mind if I copy our grassroots mailing list on this
thread?  I'd like to get wider interest underway; and to inspire
groups in other regions to try the same.

Best,
SJ
--
+1 617 529 4266


On Feb 4, 2008 7:17 PM, Edward Freedman <edward.freedman at acm.org> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> (Jim Gettys suggested I contact you).
>
> I'm writing to ask for advice in planning and identifying resource
> people for an OLPC/XO event as part of the upcoming Cambridge Science
> Festival.  (The CSF runs Saturday April 26 -- Sunday May 4 2008.)  This
> one-day event would be organized by the Greater Boston Chapter of the
> ACM and held on a weekend, most likely at MIT or Harvard.
>
> Our event is derived from GameJams with several important differences:
>
> Jams are usually intensive, several day events that involve experienced,
> prepared participants working in small teams.  We are considering a
> modified version that would: (1) allow inexperienced people, especially
> kids, to creatively story-board their ideas for applications, games,
> etc. And (2) include a technical session to introduce non-XO software
> engineers to the XO development tools and environment.  We want to draw
> on the current XO owner community; there may be several thousand G1G1
> program participants in the greater Boston area.  We're thinking of an
> intro in the morning, then split into two groups for rest of the day.
>
> We have enthusiastic volunteers who have run all day technical seminars,
> but we have no experience with the OLPC community or XO, which is why we
> need some guidance.  Please see the attached outline of our plans.
>
> Thanks in advance for any help you can provide,
>
> Edward Freedman
> Vice President and Chairman for Strategic Planning
> Greater Boston Chapter of the ACM
> 617-324-3590 (work)
>
>
> OLPC / XO Event Plan
>
> Invite G1G1 owners
> Learn capabilities & software tools from volunteer development community.
> Expand community.
> Jump start XO User Group(s).
> Spread this to other cities (and countries).
>
> Invite kids, particularly from G1G1 households.
> Learn XO usage, applications.
> Dream, create, & story-board ideas for new applications & games.
> Photograph storyboards & post on WIKI -- kids get bragging rights,
> empowered.
> Give prizes (everyone wins something).
> Adult participants learn how to do this event again in other communities
> / cities.
> Document what & how we did this on WIKI.
>
> Needed:
> 1)  Volunteer software developers who can teach software tools & OSS
> community development style.
> 2)  Facilitator skilled in working with kids.
> 3)  GameJam veteran organizer(s).
> 4)  XO hardware and/or PCs with emulator & development environment.
>
> We (GBC/ACM) provide:
> 1)  Planning and coordination
> 2)  Experienced event workers
> 3)  Venue
> 4)  Food and refreshments
> 5)  Solicit sponsors (e,.g. AMD, Redhat, O'Reilly (and other publishers))
>
>