Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

2.5.10 | We just learned about this great opportunity with Global Kids. The application deadline is right around the corner—Thursday, Feb. 11—but all you have to do is answer a very short survey. And did we mention how terrific this opportunity is?

Here are all the details. Good luck!

Global Kids, a leading nonprofit in the field of virtual world education, is for the first time issuing an open invitation to any civic or cultural organization to apply to participate in a series of free professional development trainings in virtual worlds for nonprofits.

Supported by a grant from the MacArthur Foundation, the Virtual Worlds Capacity Building for Nonprofits Program aims to facilitate nonprofit organizations in developing an informed strategy on how to integrate these new media tools into their missions.

Over the month of March 2010, Global Kids will be working with a cohort of 5-8 civic and cultural organizations to introduce them to the myriad applications of virtual worlds for the public sector. The Virtual World Capacity Building Program, now in its 3rd semester, is a three-week crash course in virtual environments, specifically tailored to the interests and needs of nonprofit institutions.

Participating organizations will get to explore different virtual worlds, test out different tools and applications, and learn about cutting edge projects run within these 3D, online spaces. Past graduates of the program have included the International Center for Transitional Justice, Facing History and Ourselves, the Adler Planetarium and the National Writing Project.

Here’s what Theresa Dawson of the Jacob Burns Film Center learned from her experience in the program:

As my organization, The Jacob Burns Film Center, presents films and teaches filmmaking classes, I thought that the biggest takeaway I would get from the program was an understanding of, and appreciation for, the production of machinima films. However, the biggest takeaway I actually took from the program was an appreciation that virtual worlds are communities, each with distinctive cultures, and each with tools to collaborate and participate with others in a potentially transformative way.

For the first time, Global Kids is soliciting applications for the Winter 2010 session from any civic or cultural organization, anywhere in the world. All interested organizations are encouraged to apply. Selection preference will be given to organizations that are mostly closely associated with Global Kids’ core values of education, youth development, civic engagement, human rights and international affairs. 

Unfortunately, we are only able to accommodate up to eight organizations for a given semester. Applications are due by February 11, 2010.

Sample topics of the Winter 2010 Capacity Building Program:

• How organizations are using virtual worlds to enhance their real world conferences and events
• Why educational institutions from K-12 to university are interested in virtual worlds
• What networks and communities of practice can help your organization get started in virtual worlds
• How to budget and plan your first virtual project

For more information and to apply, please see our website at http://tinyurl.com/virtualworldtraining.  Remember, applications are due by February 11, 2010.