OLPC Birmingham
About
The Birmingham Interest Group is a way for people in the Birmingham area and surrounding locations to talk about and work together on OLPC. We aren't necessarily interested just in trying to bring OLPC into classrooms in Birmingham (although we generally think it's a wonderful idea) we're also interested in volunteering/contributing to the project.
OLPC BIRMINGHAM IS
- a nucleation point for exchange between local groups, towards the OLPC Boston office and back, and with other groups worldwide
- helping in organizing XOs for the local groups
- supporting and cherishing the autonomy of local groups
- focusing on rough consensus, grassroots involvement, and working projects
OLPC BIRMINGHAM IS NOT
- going to do a local pilot in your school (although we'll encourage and support you if you want to do one yourself)
- going to tell you what you are and aren't allowed to do (although we're always up for idea-bouncing and brainstorms)
Contact and chapters
Mailing List
If there's enough demand, we'll set up a mailing list. If you'd like to have an LOCATION-OLPC mailing list, post a link to your contact info (wiki userpages work) below - the minimum number for starting a list is 10 recent requests.
Chapters
If you know of any Birmingham area schools, organizations, individuals, or groups of interested people who have organized or want to organize a Grassroots group or an University chapter, please ask them to add a link below.
Existing Projects
- If you're in the Birmingham area and have a project you'd like to share, please link to it below.
- On Google Groups: Birmingham OLPC User/Interest Group (AL)
- Birmingham Alabama to get 15,000 laptops.
Events
Future Activities
- We're planning a meetup! We'd like to have an informal, getting-to-know-you gathering soon, but need a place to host it, and a date. Can you help? Want to come? Want to help plan? Let Stefan know.
- Tuesday, April 1st, I'll discuss doing a presentation on 4-19-08 at BALU's (Birmingham Alabama Linux Usergroup's - http://www.bham-lug.org/) monthly meeting Stefan 09:53, 28 March 2008 (EDT). Update 4-7-08: Been there. Not sure I want to do it because I am currently struggeling with the XS build 160(+) because of problems with raid support.
- A BarCamp is coming up on April 12th: BarCampBirmingham2 and besides considering many other topics, OLPC is also on the agenda. Actually there is an even less formal opening session on Friday night...
Past Activities
None yet - we're still working on upcoming events, which will be posted here as their dates pass.
Project Ideas
If you're in Birmingham and want to work on a project with someone local, post ideas here.
Also, if you have a soldering iron and phillips screw driver in place of thumb and index finger, we want to support the Birmingham roll out and other near local XO enthusiasts by setting up a repair center. Maybe doing repair jams, or give guidance for do-it-yourselfers, or do a commercially active full service venture. Or all three of these options simultaneously.
News items
Council, BOE approve laptop pilot Bham Weekly, 03 April 2008, K. Whitmire. See also United States country page