Free Geek

Free Geek Twin Cities is a program that rebuilds/refurbishes old computers (and other geek hardware) and gives them to low-income individuals who can use them.  "Helping the Needy get Nerdy," is a tag line in the promotional video on their site.  Gotta love that.

Any components that are too old or damaged to be useful are instead recycled in the most environmentally sound way possible.  The program also encourages learning about computers through volunteering at the center (for example, one way to earn a free computer is to build computers as a volunteer).

The program is moving into a new location and isn't open to the public during its move, but is looking for donations.  So, if you have an old PC (or cell phone, or printer, or camera) laying around the house/office, and think to yourself, "It's old, but it's still useable.  It seems a shame just to throw it away," don't!  Donate it to Free Geek instead.

Once the program is in full swing in its new location, I'd encourage you to share the program with learners who might benefit from Free Geek services.

Free Geek is online at: http://freegeektwincities.org/.

Creative Commons licensed image from Flickr user deanj: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deanj/2398424227/sizes/m/. 

Social Networking for ABE Volunteers

Re-posting from Technology Services E-newsletter:

Attendees of my Social Media presentation at the Volunteer Management Conference (VMC) last November had the pleasure of helping me build – live! – a social networking site for ABE volunteers. That exercise was not just a demonstration of how easy it is to use the tool (Ning.com) to create a free social networking site (think FaceBook for a specific community). It was also the first step towards launching a new resource for Minnesota’s incredible volunteer tutors and teachers. The site we built during my presentation has been polished and refined and is now ready to start doing its job: helping build community, connections, and skills among the thousands of people who volunteer every year in Minnesota’s ABE programs.

Check out the Literacy Volunteers Network at: literacyvolunteers.ning.com. Then refer your volunteers to the site – or join yourself. It’s free, it’s fun, and if it grows, it has the potential to be a fantastic resource. At the VMC we planted the seed. Now it’s up to the ABE volunteer community to help it grow and blossom.

YouTube Volunteer Recruitment Video

The Minnesota Literacy Council volunteer outreach staff have collaborated with technology and training staff to produce a fun new video for YouTube. It features adult literacy volunteers and learners discussing the importance of volunteer tutors in their programs.

It's part of a new strategy at MLC to leverage the power of Internet technologies to advance the organization's mission, communicate with new audiences, and raise awareness of literacy issues in the wider community. You'll find the video below; I hope you'll check it out and pass it along! If you have feedback on the video or ideas about how you could use YouTube in your adult literacy program, please share them in a comment.