Volunteering opportunities

#1

Post by sangguine » Thu, May 15, 2008, 1:34 PM UTC

I live in Manhattan. I have been thinking if I can teach how to hack to teenagers or children. I am certainly not a great hacker, but I would like to show what I know and learn from young hackers. And plus, I would like to get more involved in the community. Do you know any organization that I can get involved in? Or do you know what the best way to find this kind of opportunity?

Thanks.

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#2

Post by bigtoga » Thu, May 15, 2008, 2:00 PM UTC

How about starting off by telling us what you've done already (i.e. where you've already spent hours looking) to find such an oppty and then let us offer suggestions outside of what you've already done?

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#3

Post by aitoehigie » Thu, May 15, 2008, 2:10 PM UTC

There is a huge void that you can fill with your skills here in Africa,that is if you are interested. I believe you will make more impact and touch lives than in the US,which i believe is saturated?

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#4

Post by Poleris » Thu, May 15, 2008, 2:16 PM UTC

aitoehigie wrote: post #3

There is a huge void that you can fill with your skills here in Africa,that is if you are interested. I believe you will make more impact and touch lives than in the US,which i believe is saturated?

You sound like you have experience with this. Do you have more information?

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#5

Post by npk » Thu, May 15, 2008, 3:12 PM UTC

I volunteered for a local team of the US FIRST Robotics Competition (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIRST_Robotics_Competition). I felt especially proud, as my team was all girls.

My suggestion is go for quality rather than quantity, unless policy-level work excites you.

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#6

Post by omarseyal » Thu, May 15, 2008, 3:19 PM UTC

taproot should have a new york branch. they're not the most "hacker-focused" outfit, but i've enjoyed my work with them. (fyi - this is not a teaching organization, it's more of a mechanism for lending your hacker skills to non-profits etc.)

(http://www.taprootfoundation.org/)

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#7

Post by aggieben » Thu, May 15, 2008, 3:20 PM UTC

I made my own opportunity: I just started tutoring. I made an announcement in my church's newsletter, and I told people in person. People come, we talk math, and that's it.

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#8

Post by xlnt » Thu, May 15, 2008, 3:40 PM UTC

aggieben wrote: post #7

I made my own opportunity: I just started tutoring. I made an announcement in my church's newsletter, and I told people in person. People come, we talk math, and that's it.

What? Religion helped something? No way!!!11

edit: fine, be that way. i dare you to downvote this to -666. if you don't get all the way there though i'm gonna sue you.

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#9

Post by marijn » Thu, May 15, 2008, 6:36 PM UTC

Poleris wrote: post #4

aitoehigie wrote: post #3

There is a huge void that you can fill with your skills here in Africa,that is if you are interested. I believe you will make more impact and touch lives than in the US,which i believe is saturated?

You sound like you have experience with this. Do you have more information?

Seconded. Africa is a bit of an opaque, far-off place to a lot of us, but the idea of going over there and sharing some skills definitely appeals to me.

Re: Volunteering opportunities

#10

Post by marijn » Thu, May 15, 2008, 6:38 PM UTC

xlnt wrote: post #8

aggieben wrote: post #7

I made my own opportunity: I just started tutoring. I made an announcement in my church's newsletter, and I told people in person. People come, we talk math, and that's it.

What? Religion helped something? No way!!!11 edit: fine, be that way. i dare you to downvote this to -666. if you don't get all the way there though i'm gonna sue you.

Okay, help me out here, I really wanted to down-vote you but I have no downward arrows. Yet your negative score suggests that there really is a down-vote feature. Do only people with lots of karma get to downvote?