Today was so strange I don't even know where to start.
I'm in Ivano-Frankivsk, a small city in Western Ukraine, where I was brought by the US Embassy to lead some trainings in digital media for local NGOs. I've done a few of these technology trainings for civil society organizations around the world, and had not really thought of our conference as being in any way controversial or threatening.
But I guess at least one person felt threatened, because shortly after I finished my first workshop, we received a bomb threat on the building.
I'm happy to share the news that yesterday a group of teens, as a result of their participation in a California Academy of Sciences program, launched a social media campaign to educate the public about plastic waste. Called "Put a Cap on Plastic Use," their campaign focuses on three social media tools:
An Instagram Photo Challenge for the month of May (#reduceplasticuse and #maychallenge)
A Facebook Page to get information and show your support
A YouTube Channel where they have uploaded a campaign video, a photo challenge invitation, and three upcycling craft projects
Here's their stirring call to action, that's brimming with youthful idealism and energy.
It's pouring rain outside... has been for a couple of days now. As I go about my morning ablutions and dishwashing, preparing for splashing around in the muck, I am feeling thankful for my city's sewage system.
It's one of the unseen wonders of civilization that we've come up with a plan to deal with the hundreds of thousands of gallons of wastewater that every home and business produces every year. Clean water comes into the tap, waste water goes out from the sink, tub and toilet. No muss, no fuss. It's pretty freakin amazing.
For many people in the world, that's nothing to take for granted. As many as a billion people in the world live in slums, shantytowns or favelas. Finding clean water to drink, taking a bath, and using the toilet are not things that people are guaranteed, and indeed have to struggle to find.
I'm excited to share the news that my friend, mentor and former boss at Global Kids, Mr. Barry Joseph, will be leaving his post after 12 years to take on the position of Associate Director of Digital Learning at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC. I could not be happier for him.
Barry being the classy guy that he is has written a couple of thoughtful posts on the Global Kids Online Leadership blog that are worth a read:
Finding a replacement for Barry will be next to impossible, I have to say. But it's also a fantastic job working for an amazing youth development organization that changes the lives of thousands of at-risk youth every year. So if you are interested in learning about the position of Director of the Online Leadership Program at Global Kids, hit this link.
Here's a pretty dope story about b-boying (not "breakdancing") in Uganda and how it changed the life of one young man, and how he is trying to spread the dance across the country to other disadvantaged youth.
Breakdance Project Uganda is a grass roots organisation, founded in 2006 by Abramz Tekya, working with disadvantaged young people in Uganda through art, culture and social activities to give them hope and opportunities. The Project uses breakdancing as a tool to engage young people and give them a platform to be heard. Mad respect to b-boy Crazy Legsfor supporting the African b-boy movement.
Read more about Breakdance Project Uganda on their website. I really want to see the documentary about BPU called "Bouncing Cats"!
Watching these scientists from many disciplines dive deep into the ocean, hike deep into the rainforest, climb tall trees, and root out insects and spiders in the middle of night is a great reminder of what a fantastic adventure science can be. They got to see parts of the Philippines that I have dreamt of visiting, and other areas that were totally remote and intimidating.
And I learned that these scientists are made of sterner stuff than me. You see one arachnologist get bit by a gigantic spider as he is putting it in the a bag for collection. "I'm pretty sure they aren't poisonous," he says, examining the bite. He then resumes searching for more spiders. WOAH.
I also appreciated how much the scientists were connecting with local researchers, teachers, and towns folk, to educate, exchange ideas and collaborate on ways to preserve the local environment, for themselves and succeeding generations of Filipinos. Makes me proud to work at the Academy. And a bit more hopeful about the Philippines, seeing locals stand up for the environment.
My only regret is that this expedition happened before I was at the Academy! But I get to see the fruits of it every day that I'm on the public floor.
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of experiencing my first Maker Faire , an annual gathering of 10,000+ DIY enthusiasts, hackers, crafters, artists, cosplayers, and citizen scientists at a huge fairground pavilion in San Mateo. Described as a "festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement," Maker Faire is a multi-space, multi-event gathering where simply navigating the schedule of activities and demonstrations is intimidating!
I went in with an open mind and and willingness to play, with a few talks in my schedule, but otherwise just letting serendipity guide me. I was not dissappointed.
Entering the fairgrounds area, you feel like you are being transported to an alternate reality, one where mainstream, top-down commercial culture has been replaced with one where every person is not a spectator or a "market" but a co-creator. A giant dragon car slithers around the plaza, followed by a fuzzy green butterfly bus, and then a sassy talking red Dalek robot. Steampunk adventurers , giant mecha-warriors, and faeriefolk meander amidst the crowd. Interactive sculptures and installations beckon you to touch, crawl on, and play with them.
Attention Bay Area coders, designers and tech innovators! On March 31, TechSoup.org and ISIS are co-sponsoring a "hack-a-thon" on youth health in San Francisco. You can help design an app that can save the lives of young people.
Here's the details:
ISIS is hosting our first ever hack-a-thon, together with our partners TechSoup. A hack-a-thon is a live event bringing together developers, designers, innovators and entrepreneurs to build exciting new apps and tools, in this case to improve young people’s health and wellness. This short and focused event – 1 day only – will result in the rapid development of interesting concepts and working prototypes that will be developed further by the participating teams back at their desks and at future hack-a-thon events, with ISIS and TechSoup as partners for future product development and distribution.
It looks like a really fun event with a wide mix of people and groups involved. Oh and there's a $1,000 prize for the best app design!
I've been playing around with a new web service called Pinterest that bills itself as a place to "organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web." That sounds suspiciously like a lot of other web services out there, like Delicious, wikis, tumblr, etc.
What makes Pinterest stand out is the way it streamlines the process of creating a visually-rich online space. They call their spaces "pinboards" where you can place a collection of images, links, recipes, videos, or virtually anything else that is accessible on the public web. For a design-minded person, it's an aesthetically satisfying experience to surf through other people's pinboards, grab "pins" that interest you, and add them to your own pinboard.
Some examples for how you might use Pinterest:
redecorating your home
planning your wedding
finding your style
saving your recipes
In addition, nonprofits are already creating some interesting use cases for everything from collaboration to fundraising and awareness raising.
I couldn't be more proud of my website I help administer Yehoodi.com than I am today. Our team has taken the decision to join hundreds of other websites around the world -- including Wikipedia , BoingBoing and Reddit -- in shutting down our site on January 18 in protest of the PIPA / SOPA bills before Congress.
I'll be taking down Rikomatic and Betterverse as well. But that won't have the same impact as Yehoodi, which is the largest community website for swing dancers in the world.
Today was so strange I don't even know where to start.
