My buddy Rafi sends out word that his organization the Interdependence Project is sponsoring a "meditation marathon" for 24 hours on November 6-7 to raise funds for their innovative approach to activism: I’m asking anyone reading to sponsor me as I meditate for a full twenty four hours as part of the Fall fundraiser. I’ll…
Category: Civil Society
Need career guidance and support? A life coach can help.
Jennifer Palgon was until recently my life coach during a pivotal period of my transition from program associate to an assistant director position at Global Kids. Life coaching has many varieties, but generally is a personal, directed kind of professional support that rides the line between career guidance and therapy. If you are looking for…
Global Kids Professional Development: Learn how to engage youth on global issues using virtual worlds, games and machinima
You might not know, but my organization Global Kids not only does some of the most innovative virtual world, serious gaming, and digital filmmaking youth programs out there, but we also help other educators adopt our methods for their kids. Global Kids offers a range of professional services and professional development including standards-based training for…
Announcing Betterverse.org: Covering the intersection of the public sector and the metaverse
It has been a long time coming, but I have finally decided to launch the new website Betterverse.org, dedicated to chronicling the burgeoning nonprofit and public good sector in the virtual world. I have been involved in various nonprofit experiments in the virtual world since 2006, and have been astounded by the incredible diversity, creativity…
Amnesty International’s Josh Rubenstein speaking in Second Life on Thursday
This Thursday, July 23, the Second Life talk show "Virtually Speaking" will be doing an entire show on the work of Amnesty International. Starting with at 3:45pm PST, the show will feature interviews with millay Freschi, Virtual Worlds Coordinator for Amnesty International, and Josh Rubenstein, NE Regional Director of Amnesty International. About Josh: As the…
I Dig Zambia Wrap-up: teaching about Africa and science using virtual worlds
Last Friday was the conclusion of the “I Dig Zambia” virtual summer camp, co-organized by the Field Museum and Global Kids. I Dig Zambia was a two-week camp that brought together 19 teens from Chicago and New York to learn about paleontology, biology, and Zambian culture and politics in the virtual world of Teen Second…
White House Deputy CTO Beth Noveck speaks in Second Life about wikifying government
Global Kids, in association with the Markle Foundation, organized a very successful simulcast of a talk by Beth Noveck, Deputy Chief Technology Officer in the White House, into Second Life today. The event exemplified some of what I love most about Second Life: how diverse communities across distances can collaborate, engage in rich discussions, and…
2009 Second Life Relay for Life raises a quarter million dollars (and climbing)!
The organizers of the Second Life Relay for Life report that they have successfully raised more than a quarter million US dollars for the American Cancer Society during this year's virtual fundraiser! Here's what they sent out this morning: WE ARE MAKING HUGE, FAST, GAINS! Relay is now at 258,036.00 USD and climbing! 260,000.00 USD…
Second Life Relay for Life raises $240K for cancer research BEFORE official start!
I have been crazy busy, so just noticed that the fifth annual Second Life Relay for Life is this weekend! For those that don't know, for the past several years, Second Life residents have been organizing a virtual walkathon fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that raises hundreds of thousands of real world dollars for…
Beth Noveck, White House Deputy CTO, talks about “Wiki Government” in Second Life on July 20th!
Please join a Second Life simulcast, from the Markle Foundation, of Beth Simone Noveck, now the deputy Chief Technology Officer at the White House responsible for Open Government, presenting her new book, WIKI GOVERNMENT: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, in…