User:Akeybl/Bootcamp application

This application is still in progress (layout stolen from Mel's application).

Vital stats

1. name: Alex Keybl
2. email: alex.keybl at duke.edu
3. other info: ECE/CS Double Major at Duke University graduating in '09

Favorite accomplishment

Tell us about the OLPC-relevant accomplishment you are most proud of.

The OLPC-relevant accomplishment that I am most proud of would have to be founding the One Laptop per Child University Initiative at Duke (OLPC@Duke) over the past couple of semesters. This organization has facilitated the creation of a pilot program at a local urban school that will be kicking off in late August/early September. Students will not only be surveying the classroom and helping out with the new technology, but will also be creating software based around the program. 50 XO laptops have already been received for the program.

Other OLPC activities I'm proud of:

I'm also very proud of the upcoming OLPC GrassCon - not to be mixed up with this boot camp. It will be an online televised (and interactive) conference of grassroots groups in mid-July. I've also managed to swing OLPC software development into an independent study within Duke's CS department next semester for a few OLPC@Duke members. That should be very interesting.

Bootcamp motivations

Why do you want to come to the bootcamp? I want to come to bootcamp in order to connect with others from the OLPC grassroots community, as well as learn from their differing experiences. I've always felt that a greater amount of communication in the community would really help, which is part of the reason that I've been pushing for a grassroots web conference.

I feel that bootcamp will also help me get a better idea of the big picture of the grassroots community, and will allow me to not only better organize future efforts with OLPC@Duke, but also figure out how to better contribute to the community at large.

The software development aspects of the conference will also help greatly next year. The software development sessions will not only help with the software development that we are doing around next year's pilot program. It will also give me more insight into what is needed at OLPC - which will give my group better direction in our efforts over the next semester of school.

What can you contribute to the bootcamp? I can contribute my knowledge of setting up a grassroots group at the university level, as well as my experience with planning and executing a pilot program in urban America.

How will you support grassroots initiatives after the bootcamp? (A short proposal would be good here.) As mentioned earlier, I will continue to be the Chair of OLPC@Duke throughout my Senior year at Duke, continuing the software development and pilot program projects that are already in place.

Even this summer, I will continue to work on GrassCon, and hopefully have a successful conference in mid-July.

(Optional) Will you need aid (housing, food, transportation, etc.) to attend? I won't be needing any transportation help (unless you guys can charter a jet from DC heh). I also won't be needing any help with housing - I'll be staying at my brother's apartment in Boston.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you? I've worked with facial recognition at the Naval Research Laboratory in DC, as well as speech recognition at my current job at ASTi. I guess recognition (although the two are completely unrelated) has sort of been my thing over the past 4 years.

Prerequisites

1. Bundle creation - FileUploader, Spec for Survey (in dev)

2. Educational theory - Full Proposal for the Pilot Program in Durham

3. Pootle translation - My user page

4. Bug finding - in progress

5. Community support - in progress (getting login)