In just under a week, the Second Life Non-Profit Commons — which houses the virtual world HQ of Yehoodi among many other non-profits — will be throwing a fabulous launch party on August 14 from 5:30-7PM (teleport SLURL). The NPC sim was made possible by a generous donation by Anshe Chung, so she will be making a brief statement, followed by Linden Lab community manager Jeska Linden. Other speakers will include three representatives of non-profits in the Commons, talking about their work in SL and the real world.
But what’s a launch party without dancing? A pretty crappy party, I say. I will be DJing a swing dance immediately following the presentations from the lakeside of the Commons, just outside the Yehoodi headquarters (teleport SLURL.) I’ll be playing a fun mix of tunes from the classics of swing by Ella, Duke and the Count to more modern arrangements from some of the finest swing bands around the country and the world. So bring your dancing shoes!
It’s not a big sim, so I recommend you get there early or risk getting a "could not teleport" error. The complete press release follows….
Nonprofits Celebrate New Home in Second Life:
Nonprofit Commons Grand Opening Gala Event on August 14th, 2007
Contact: Susan Tenby, susan@techsoup.org
Phone: (415) 633-9333
SL avatar: Glitteractica Cookie
http://www.nonprofitcommons.org
http://npsl.wikispaces.com/
San Francisco Meets the Metaverse: 32 Nonprofits and their supporters
will host a grand opening celebration Tuesday, August 14, 2007 at 5:30
p.m. PT/SLT, in their new locations at the Nonprofit Commons in Second
Life.
Generously donated by the world’s first virtual millionaire, Anshe
Chung, this nonprofits-only space, managed by TechSoup, creates and
houses a community of nonprofits in the online virtual world of Second
Life. This community of practice is entirely volunteer-run and hosts
organizations from across the globe. To date, they have created a
community blog and a resource-rich wiki, and have held mixed-reality
events, workshops, and regular weekly town hall meetings.
The Gala event will be a mixed-reality launch party, complete with
networking, a panel of speakers (featuring Susan Tenby of TechSoup and
Jeska Dzwigalski of Linden Lab in the live-event, and Anshe Chung in
Second Life). Audio and video content will be streamed live between the
two worlds.
This “sim,” or virtual acre of land, was designed as a pilot project to
lower the barriers of access to Second Life, and to create a community
of practice for nonprofits to explore and learn about the virtual
world. The Nonprofit Commons provides free office space to qualifying
groups to meet and collaborate, create a cooperative learning
environment, and foster outreach, education, and fundraising, all in a
virtual space.
“We believe that Second Life provides a unique platform to collaborate,
educate, inspire, and build awareness. In the Nonprofit Commons, our
goal is to assist our community members achieve their dreams in this
exciting new technology that we see as the future of the Web. We
welcome all who wish to join us as partners or supporters,” said
Glitteractica Cookie, avatar for Susan Tenby, Senior Manager of
Community Development, TechSoup Network.
“Building vibrant communities starts with great events that bring
organizations together for dialogue and exchange,” notes In Kenzo
(Evonne Heyning), Creative Director at Amoration.org.
“For nonprofits joining the virtual world for the first time, the
Nonprofit Commons offers a free place to connect with other leaders.”
Audience members in the Second Life portion of the event are expected
to include nonprofit commons residents and their invited guests, media
representatives and journalists, Linden Lab staff, and those interested
in nonprofits and philanthropy.
The live-event in San Francisco will be a part of NetSquared’s Net Tuesday. The Gala event’s activities include:
5:30 p.m.: Meet and greet
6:00 p.m.: Speakers and event
7:00 p.m.: Tours of the Nonprofit Commons
The events in Second Life will be at the same time, working in
conjunction with the events in the real world, live event. Nonprofit
organizations in the Commons will also be hosting their own events in
conjunction with this Grand Opening Gala. To find the Nonprofit Commons
search the places tab in SL for nonprofit commons or, go to:
http://slurl.com/secondlife /Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons /130/125/22/?title=Ampitheater %20in%20NPC
Information and Inquiries: This event is free of charge, but space is limited, so please RSVP via email to Susan Tenby (susan@techsoup.org)
for in-world attendance to this event or IM Glitteractica Cookie in
Second Life. Join the TechSoup group, in-world in Second Life to
receive announcements about this event and future nonprofit events in
Second Life.
Attire: Avatar fabulous, if possible dress as your avatar or your favorite avatar.
RSVP on the San Francisco NetSquared Meetup site ( http://netsquared.meetup.com/1/) for attendance to the live, real-world event.