Global Kids Island Newsletter - May 2008

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Rafi Santo

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May 6, 2008, 2:29:09 PM5/6/08
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Hi everyone,

I've included below the Global Kids Island monthly newsletter, which we distribute in-world on the teen grid.  Hopefully this can give people a sense of things that are happening in that space, and make sure that what happens in the teen grid doesn't just stay in the teen grid.

We do have some events or announcements that are relevant for main gridders, and I've highlighted in red items I thought would be relevant or GK events that are happening on the main grid. 

Also, if you're an educator or parent that would like to get your teen students involved in GK programs on the teen grid, feel free to mail me off-list. 

best,
Rafi

_________________________________________________

Rafi Santo
Virtual Community Manager
Online Leadership Program
Global Kids
Sign-up for the Global Kids' Virtual Worlds Update Newsletter:


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=== Global Kids Newsletter ===
May, 2008

    Welcome to the monthly Global Kids newsletter!  This is your chance to find out what's happening on the GK Islands and ways you can get involved!   (IM Bhikku Beeks on the main grid if you have any questions).

This month, learn about:
   
+++++UPCOMING EVENTS+++++

It's a quiet month here at GK as we gather our steam for the coming summer, but we still have some great upcoming events.  Happy end of school year to all you wonderful teen gridders!

Also, subscribe to Global Kids' public google calendar!  Note that all times are in PST.
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++ Creativity For A Cause Contest! ++
The D.I.D.I. Initiative is proud to announce the Creativity for a Cause Contest!
How are YOU changing your community?
Please show us by entering in the DIDI Creativity for a Cause Contest:
Entries can include, but are not limited to:
Posters, poems, short-stories, machinima, statues, small builds.

All entries should address two questions:
What problem do you see in your community?
What is something YOU can do or are doing to help change that problem?

What: Contest Award Ceremony & Celebration
When: Saturday, May 17th, 2008
Where: D.I.D.I. Main Stage (SLURL: tinyurl.com/5dsh4d)
Time: 2:00 pm PDT/SLT
Contact: Daniel Voyager, Totem Gufler or Meghan GKid in TSL
Entries Due: All entries due Wednesday, May 14th

More info at:
http://tinyurl.com/6caypq
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++ May Fireside Workshops! ++

Look for new firesides coming your way during the month of May!  We haven't set topics in stone yet, so if you want to see a particular issue addressed during a fireside this month, IM Rafi Gkid with your idea! 

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++++RECENT EVENTS++++

We've had some great stuff happen here on GK in the past month, from bringing Desmond Tutu into Second Life to having our first ever Harry Potter Dance Party with special guest Henry Jenkins!


++ Desmond Tutu comes to TSL (and other virtual worlds too!) ++

Big thanks to the great folks over at Learn and Serve America and the National Youth Leadership Council for letting Global Kids bring their conference into SL this month!  We got to hear great panels about topics ranging from the place of digital media in service learning to how Hip Hop can be a positive force in the lives of teens.  And, of course, we got to hear from the amazing Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Check out more about the conference, along with videos and photos, *are* here:
http://tinyurl.com/67pt8l  

Read the account from a GK teen that went to conference in RL:
http://tinyurl.com/4nb48e

Watch the video from the event here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKRmP1wvsnA

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++Fireside Workshop: Race in America++

We had a great fireside that explored the place that race occupies in America today, sparked by the recent speech made by Barack Obama about the topic.  It was really fascinating to explore the issue of race in a virtual world where someone's RL race isn't evident, but they might identify in other virtual communities that experience discrimination.

Check out the write up from the event here:
http://tinyurl.com/59hn9y

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++The Hogwarts Dance Party of Good & Evil! w/Special Guest Henry Jenkins++

We were joined on March 18th by Henry Jenkins as Dumbledore for our first ever Hogwarts Dance Party of Good and Evil! Henry talked about the role that fan cultures can play in civic action, and TSL residents had the chance to boogie to some awesome wizard rock!

Read more about the event here:
http://tinyurl.com/6bbp9z

Watch the full lecture/dance party here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkfzsb_1iv0

Check out a short video clip of the event here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV7741jTOHc

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++ Fireside Workshop: What's the Matter with Chocolate? A Look at Modern Slavery ++

We had a fantastic Fireside two weeks ago about the relationship between our favorite sweet tooth satisfier and exploitative, often forced, labor practices.  It was amazing to see how many people could immediately connect with the topic, and also how few here on the teen grid were aware that it was even an issue.

Read more about the event here:
http://tinyurl.com/66o6rb
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++ Intern Event: Volunteerism and You++

Victoria Hanfoi's first event as a GK Intern was fantastic!  We explored questions of why teens think it's important to volunteer, what impact they believe it has, and whether or not there are problems out there that volunteerism can't effect.  Victoria provided some great resources on where people can look if they're interested in volunteering in their local communities.  Congrats on a job well done!
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++From Myspace to Hip Hop: New Media In the Everyday Lives of Youth++

This MacArthur Foundation public forum, "From Myspace to Hip Hop: New Media In the Everyday Lives of Youth," was streamed live from Stanford, and addressed how digital technologies and new media are *changing* the way that young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.

We had a great turnout for the event here on the teen grid, with about 40 people attending and some really fascinating conversation about the role of new media in the live of TG residents!

Check photos and find out what they had to say here:
http://tinyurl.com/5fhbu2
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++ Justice Center Hosts Introduction to the ICC Video Simulcast ++

On April 24, Global Kids streamed onto the web and into Second Life two a symposium on the International Criminal Court from the DePaul College of Law in Chicago. The interactive event brought together 30-some avatars from Second Life at the International Justice Center, an additional 40 viewers of the event from the web (at justicecenter.net), and about 50 participants at the real life event in Chicago.  Not only were the virtual participants able to view live video of the event, they also engaged in discussions amongst each other about the ICC and posed questions to the real life panelists, which they then responded to in real time. A collaboration between Global Kids, the International Human Rights Law Institute at DePaul University, and the Institute for War Peace Reporting, the symposium focused on the US government position with respect to the ICC, what people can do to support the ICC, and the impact of the ICC on local communities in Africa. 

Archived video from the event will be made available later on:
www.JusticeCenter.net
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++++ANNOUNCEMENTS++++

++ Deconstructing Darfur Project Launches in TSL ++

Congratulations to the 10 TSL residents selected to participate in Deconstructing Darfur!  Thank you to everyone that applied, we were overjoyed and overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response from the TSL community.  The Deconstructing Darfur team will be hard at work over the next four weeks to create a project to raise awareness on the situation in Darfur that you will be hearing about shortly!
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++ RezEd, the Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds, Launches! ++

Is *your* parent or teacher interested in the potential for using virtual worlds like SL for education?  Point them to RezEd.org, the hub for learning and virtual worlds.  RezEd is a new social network for anyone interested in education and virtual worlds, and it features Podcasts, Best Practices, Event Listings, and much more!!

Visit it now at:
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++ Global Kids Staff are Officially "Reflective" ++

Thoughts are abound here at GK with new staff having joined us, so check out this month's staff reflections from the Online Leadership Program team: http://www.holymeatballs.org/staff_reflections/

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To keep up-to-date on Global Kids, join our group "Global Kids Allies" on the main grid. You can also learn more at our blog, http://www.holymeatballs.org, subscribe to our Twitter feed at www.Twitter.com/Holymeatballs, and view our calendar of events here, http://tinyurl.com/3czcjn or IM Bhikku Beeks on the main grid.

--
Rafi Santo
Virtual Community Manager
Online Leadership Program
Global Kids
Sign-up for the Global Kids' Virtual Worlds Update Newsletter:
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