It’s almost that time of year again, the time when Mozilla unleashes chaos in the form of Mozfest. This year, I am working with team members Andre and Carolina to see how we can curate a pathway that truly benefits Mozilla Clubs and the community. With that in mind, we have selected an esteemed group of people who are tasked with the responsibility of sharing their knowledge, tips and facilitation skills around topics that are currently needed by our community members in order to successfully grow their clubs. While we are most excited to have this special group of people teaching and leading within our pathway, we realize that there is only a tiny portion of our community that is actually able to attend Mozfest. With this in mind, we developed an idea to work with each facilitator to gather their work, research, supporting links etc. and document their session so that the information can live on in informal guides after Mozfest. Of course that means there is a lot of work leading up, during and after the event but the potential to scale/share all of the knowledge keeps us driven. If our word isn’t enough, check out the list of sessions happening within our pathway and come visit us among the chaos next week.
Retaining and growing communities online and offline by Nick Weinberg
Session Description: Building community is incredibly powerful, but as it grows it can become tricky. Once you’ve built a community, how can you build enough momentum to retain them and keep members active and engaged? Also, how can you continue to attract new, diverse and dedicated community members, while avoiding self-gentrification? This session will focus on conversations around best practices for retaining and growing your local community and also keeping them committed and participating. It will also focus on how we can bridge the gap between the online and in person communities to ultimately build a SUPER community? Hear how littleBits tackles these big questions, discuss solutions as a group and get HANDS-ON experience making with littlebit kits.
From Participation to Collaboration by Hélène Petry
Session Description: The session is a fireside chat about participatory and collaborative methods for mozilla clubs and community building. In this session we’ll explore best practices, tips, tricks and ways that club captains and facilitators can improve their game and make the most of the community they are a part of. We’ll look into ways to move from participation into collaboration and why these methods work and are the right approach for a “Teach Like Mozilla” framework.
How to increase digital literacy with women globally through on-going programs by Kristina Divina Verbo
Session Description: To gather women who are interested in creating a community to increase the web literacy of girls. Girls are too shy to explore coding because they initially think that it’s interface is too masculine. This session’s goal is to create a Mozilla Club designed for girls. And help them see technology in a whole new light – as a medium for self-expression, and as a means for changing the world. This will be a brainstorming session on how to persuade women to be more involved in web literacy in the means of establishing Mozilla Clubs. And how to create more effective events that will make them stay and would want to reach out to more people.
Using Digital Fabrication Techniques to Make DIY Activist Gear by Drew Wilson
Session Description: High tech manufacturing tools are becoming more accessible for do-it-yourselfers, makers and activists. The tools you can find at a local maker space can be used to make inexpensive activist gear. In this participatory session, you’ll learn learn creative ways to user maker tools for activism. We’ll cover making giant banners, laser cutting stencils for spray painting, making custom vinyl stickers to culture-jam billboards, using CNC machines to carve block of linoleum or wood for printing posters. In the first part of the session you’ll get a quick overview of these DIY production techniques, see some examples of how activists have used these techniques, we’ll talk about how you can access these machines at maker spaces, and we’ll spend some time brainstorming some new ideas. In the second part we’ll get our hands dirty and print some t-shirts, bandanas, patches and posters. Bring a blank t-shirt to print on (but don’t worry if you don’t have one with you, we’ll also have fabric and paper available).
But I Already Have One of Those: Connecting Existing Programs to Mozilla Clubs by Ani Martinez
Session Description: Collaboration turns good work into great work. If you are already connected to a community of people who are teaching web literacy, you have a lot to offer. Finding creative ways to connect your work to the Mozilla community can help bring your strengths and needs into greater focus and expand the impact of your efforts. This session will explore the exchange of value that can occur when mature digital literacy programs connect with the emerging Mozilla Clubs initiative.
Teaching Web Literacy in the Open by Simeon Oriko
Session Description: The session will showcase how open organizations work in the open and how session participants can replicate those ideas in their practice. We will do so by reviewing case studies of organizations working in the open, teaching how to practice open, and having hands on tutorials using web tools that facilitate working in the open. Less what to do and more how to do it!
What does being participatory & playful in a learning setting look like? by Shreyas Narayanan Kutty
Session Description: This session contains the core ideas of the Mozilla Learning Network, which is, “Teach like Mozilla”. As opposed to conventional learning methods that include watching & listening, we are going to explore participatory,inclusive and fun ways of teaching. These include examples of sessions that worked in our local communities, for example:Teaching HTML using Lo-fi/No-fi methods in remote villages in India with the help of bricks and LAN houses (internet cafe’s in Brazil) where people are taught web literacy skills.The attendees of our session would have a better understanding on the importance of fun and participatory learning activities.
Tips, tools and resources to help fund your local club, program or group by Sayak Sarkar
Session Description: Hosting and running a club isn’t easy, neither is dealing with the costs. Need help reaching out to local partners to help fund parts of the event or supply resources? Want to build a microfundraising site where people can donate to your club? Find out how you can fundraise to help support your clubs. This session aims at empowering individuals and groups with the know-how and essential understanding of basic tips and methods of fundraising for their clubs or programs.
Run the gauntlet by Su Adams
Session Description: Calling all creative youth and spirited adults – we need you to use a variety of talents towards a common goal. Join us by adding to an activity course for the Sphero, to create a colourful, interactive end result by the end of the weekend. For example, you might decide to make a tunnel or see-saw bridge etc… to add to the course attach a MakeyMakey, Raspberry Pi and Arduino and program it using Scratch, S4A or Mind+ etc… to code a response to an input for example a noise of some sort or traffic lights to change at another section. The possibilities are endless and the final product will be a mystery (until the end!). Come be apart of a live-making exercise where all skills are valued.
Amira Dhalla 