Hi --<br><br>Just a reminder about stuff happening in the near future that you might want to participate in....<br><br>1. XO Activities Demonstration -- Cambridge, MA on Tuesday May 20, 2008. OLPC is having a day-long meeting for representatives from various countries and departments of education. Concurrent with this meeting is a "Demonstration Fair" -- where there will be several tables with multiple XOs and a volunteer demonstrating a particular Activity for any of the meeting attendees who are interested.<br>
<br>Please contact SJ <a href="mailto:sj@laptop.org">sj@laptop.org</a> if you can help out.<br><br>2. Mass XO Users Group (aka OLPC_Boston) monthly meetup -- Cambridge, MA on Tuesday May 27, 2008. 6-8pm at Cosi restaurant in Kendall Square. We will b e talking about how OLPC Boston can aid a local school that want to work with XOs.<br>
<br>3. Field Trip -- to OLPC offices in Cambridge, MA on Sunday June 8, 2008. Time TBA. <br><br>
4. Unconference - Cambridge, MA on Saturday-Sunday, June 7-8 2008.<br>
<br>
In the tradition of Barcamp, we will be holding a grassroots
unconference the weekend of June 7, dedicated towards
community-organization, and initiatives, events, structures, and best
practices. This is not just an OLPC event -- anyone with interest in
grassroots organizing is invited to attend - so forward this out to
your friends in LUGs, meetups, co-ops, clubs, and the like.<br>
<br>
See <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Grassroots_unconference" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Grassroots_unconference</a>
for more information. If you'd like to help unorganize the event, or
run part of the open space there, please contact Mel Chua at <a href="mailto:mel@laptop.org" target="_blank">mel@laptop.org</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
5. Bootcamp - Cambridge, MA from Monday-Thursday, June 9-12 2008.<br>
<br>
We are hosting a bootcamp and conference from June 9-12, 2008 in
Boston, MA for current and future organizers of local groups. The
first days will be held at OLPC headquarters in Cambridge (or a larger
venue if there is enough interest). The objective of the bootcamp is
to help community members become grassroots advisors, who can serve as
resources to others who want to start local initiatives.<br>
<br>
There will be sessions for hacking (and learning how to hack) on
different areas of the XO's software and hardware, organizing local
materials and creators, connecting with satellite communities around
volunteering, mentoring, learning, and sugar; and more. Several slots
are still open, and we invite all community members to apply.<br>
<br>
To ensure a focused and high-quality event for participants, there are
some prerequistes to participation. In order to make the event
accessible to more people of varying backgrounds, we are holding online
study groups starting this week; even someone with no XO/programming
background, no wiki or editing background, and/or no educational theory
background should be able to get up to speed with two weeks of intense
part-time work. <br>
<br>
Admissions is on a rolling basis. All materials are provided, with
limited support available for travel and lodging for eligible
attendees. If you need help getting to Boston or finding a couch to
crash on, let us know at <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Talk:Grassroots_bootcamp" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Talk:Grassroots_bootcamp</a>,
or give feedback on the grassroots mailing list.<br>
<br>
<br>
6. Jam - Manhattan, NY on Saturday-Sunday, June 14-15 2008.<br>
<br>
Finally, to cap the bootcamp week, a Grassroots Jam will be held in
NYC, run by the bootcamp attendees. We are finalizing details with
potential host organizations; stay tuned for a location update. The
jam will be open to everyone, focusing on development of activity and
hardware projects that could work on/with the XO, and group projects /
stories that could be carried out with a small XO community. There
will be open space at the Jam to discuss lessons learned from the
previous week, suggest new topics, and meet other NYC-area grassroots
groups. <br>
<br>
See <a href="http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Grassroots_Jam" target="_blank">http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Grassroots_Jam</a>
for more information.<br>
<br><br>Aunti<br>