(apologies for cross-posting)
YOUTH
Netbridge, located in Vienna/Austria, is a coordination agency for IT and CT in youth work. We are a non-profit organisation, physically and organisationally hosted by Austria's Center for Social Innovation. Our aim is to help youth workers to deal with computer technology. We try to generate competence by offering training courses, inform about individual project-relevant issues or simply offer advice on their specific problems related to new media.
We are looking for partners in order to apply to a European union program called "YOUTH"(action 5). Our intention is to bring together partners to work on solutions that should make it easier for youth workers to use Linux in their work with kids. As our experience clearly shows, youth workers are in general attracted to Linux but fear unexpected problems (i.e. configuration, compatibility) when using it on a daily basis. There exists a need for specific information as well as for specifically configured setups or tools.
We are looking for people who are interested to cooperate in working on solutions that can help to reach this goal.
We are looking for people/institutions that:
- have experience in working with kids or youngsters, on professional or simply private levels and do use Linux to support the kids computer skills.
People who do not have specific background in youthwork but:
- do have the technical qualification as well as the motivation to work on solutions for this project - do have experience in other relevant fields, like organizing support scenarios, or promoting/sponsoring concepts that are compatible with the idea of free software in general, etc
emphasized questions we will keep track of:
- What's the motivation of using free software in youthwork? - Which steps need to be taken in order to facilitate the first contact with Linux? (on a technical basis i.e. offering bootable cd-rom's) - What meassures need to be taken permanently in order to support a long term use of Linux? - Which initiatives have got to be set locally, which ones are predestined to be done world/nationwide. - In which ways does the initiative gain publicity?
There are two meetings planned.
A preparatory visit, 22.-24. of May 2002 This should enable us to discuss the project based idea and corresponding to everyones qualifications allowing us to prepare and conceptualise the upcoming event. The visit will involve one representative per partner, who will receive 100% of travel cost as well as about 50 Euro per day.
The Main Event, 21.-27.July 2002 (alternatively: 25.8-1.9.2002) Goal of this event will be to get sustainable solutions in answer to the above questions. Solutions, in this context may be conceptual, as well as technical ones. Discoursive exchange of experience should help us to reach conclusions for specific problems. These results are intended to be applied by producing new, or improving already available utilities. The outcome of the project should be useable as an information pool and a platform to explain concepts of exemplariy realisations of using Linux in youthwork. Up to 25 people can attend and will get 100% of travel cost as well as about 50 Euro per day.
If you want to participate in this common efforts, please contact:
Andrea Mayr andrea.mayr@netbridge.at
Netbridge - Coordination Office for New Technology and Youthwork in Vienna/Austria, Koppstrasse 116/11, 1160 Vienna, Austria phone.: +43 (1) 4950442/75, fax.: +43 (1) 4950442/40
Please feel free to pass this invitation on to people who might be interested in attending. Thanks.